Parameters and requirements

The Major work is an extended work that complies with the prescribed specifications. Visual images (original or non-original) in the Major work that do not adhere to the specifications of the chosen medium will not be assessed as part of the work.

The Major work is to be presented within the categories described. All aspects of the Major work must conform to the following presentation requirements:

submitted on A4 pages using 1.5 spacing
use Arial or Times New Roman in font size 12
have each page numbered
include a completed English Extension 2 coversheet – available on Schools Online

All major works must be submitted as a PDF. Students undertaking an option in the Sound medium are required to submit their Major work as a digital file, as well as in print copy.

NESA does not require the use of any particular system of referencing for bibliographies and footnotes.

Word limits for the Major work do not include the bibliography, footnotes or appendices. These need to be used judiciously and not as a means of expanding the exploration of the concept central to the work.

The Major work journal

During the composition process, students are required to keep a Major work journal as detailed in the school-based assessment requirements. The Major work journal must be submitted to the supervising teacher with the Major work but is not submitted to NESA for marking. The Major work journal may be digital or a hard copy. It has a role in establishing the authenticity of the Major work and must be kept at the school and be available if requested by NESA.

Certification of the Major work

Development of the Major work should commence from the beginning of the HSC course. The Major work must be conceived and executed by the student under the supervision of the English teacher. It is essential that aspects of the process of development of the Major work take place in school time. While it is expected that students will also work on their Major work away from school, this must be monitored and documented by the supervising teacher.

The response must be entirely original and completed without outside assistance. ‘Original’ refers to the insights and exploration of form presented in the work, for example offering a fresh and engaging perspective on a concept or text, which may have been previously explored by other composers, in an appropriate medium for the intended audience and purpose. Originality can be demonstrated by the student’s independent investigation as evidenced in the Major work and documented in the Major work journal, which documents the process of composition and investigation.

If students use a mentor in the development of the Major work, the mentor must be aware that their role is limited to offering critical advice, posing open-ended questions and supporting the exploration of ideas. The supervising teacher is the primary mentor to the student and all contributions made by a mentor must be documented in the Major work journal.

All Major works must be certified so that examiners can mark students fairly. As part of the certification, students must declare that their practical submission is their own work. For further information about the certification process see the NESA website.

Submission of the Major work

The student and the supervising teacher ensure that any portable storage devices used to submit multimedia Major works are operable and conform to the specifications for the category. Students should ensure they have more than one copy of their Major work as a back-up.

NESA publishes the completion and hand-in dates and the submission dates on the NESA website. Instructions for the submission and certification of Major works can be found in Schools Online.

Forms

All appropriated or non-original material must be acknowledged in the Major work journal in accordance with the principles of HSC: All My Own Work. Bibliographies are not required, however where works have been cited or referenced in the Major work, these should be appropriately cited as an addendum attached to the Major work.

See Major work parameters for presentation requirements.

Print medium

Short fiction

Students complete short fiction that responds to an area of special interest which is an extension of the knowledge and understanding developed in Stage 6 English courses, with a maximum limit of between 3000 and 3500 words.

Students may consider:

a new or different perspective or idea
an appropriation or manifestation of a text
experimentation with genre, form, style or language (including hybridity).

Creative nonfiction

Students develop short creative nonfiction that responds to an area of special interest which is an extension of the knowledge and understanding developed in Stage 6 English courses, with a maximum limit of between 3000 and 3500 words.

Students may consider:

life writing
investigative journalism
an historical recreation or representation.

Poetry

Students write a suite of poems, a collection of poems or an extended poem that responds to an area of special interest which is an extension of the knowledge and understanding developed in Stage 6 English courses, up to a maximum of 1500 words.

Students may consider:

a new or different perspective or idea
an appropriation or manifestation of a text
experimentation with genre, form, style or language.

Critical response

Students develop a critical response based on their independent research into an area of special interest which is an extension of the knowledge and understanding developed in Stage 6 English courses, with a maximum word limit of 2500 to 3000 words.

Students may consider:

a critique of an author’s work/particular text or texts
an independent investigation into an aspect of language or writing
an independent investigation into the works of a particular historical period
an independent investigation into the works of a particular paradigm related to the study of English.

Film, television or stage script

Students develop a script of a complete work for the medium of film, television or stage based on their independent research into an area of special interest and which is an extension of the knowledge and understanding developed in Stage 6 English courses. The intended playing time for the script must be no more than 15 minutes. Scriptwriting conventions appropriate to the medium should be followed. NESA does not specify a particular style or format.

Students may consider:

a new or different perspective or idea
an appropriation or manifestation of a text
experimentation with genre, form or style.

Sound medium

Podcasts: drama, storytelling, speeches or performance poetry

Students present a podcast that responds to an area of special interest and which is an extension of the knowledge and understanding developed in Stage 6 English courses, with a playing time of no more than 10 minutes. Students must submit a print copy of the script, storyboard or flow chart. The audio file may include music and/or sound effects, which will not be included in the running time but will be considered for contribution to meaning and aesthetics. The student presenting the Major work must be the principal performer (minor voices should be used judiciously), sole writer and sole director/producer. For drama, the student must be the sole director/producer.

Students may consider:

a new or different perspective or idea
an appropriation or manifestation of a text
experimentation with genre, form or style.

Multimedia

Students present a digital file that has a playing time of 5 minutes. Students must submit a print copy of the script, storyboard or flow chart. The choice of genre, style or content must be based on their independent research into an area of special interest which is an extension of the knowledge and understanding developed in Stage 6 English courses. The student presenting the Major work must be the sole writer, director/producer and editor.

Students may consider:

a new or different perspective of a concept
an appropriation or manifestation of a text
experimentation with genre, form or style.

Note: This form is not restricted to a short film. It could include a range of different multimodal performances including performance poetry or speeches.

Criteria for marking the English Extension 2 Major work

Textual integrity
Quality of insights and concepts, developed through independent investigation, and the communication of developed ideas
Manipulation of features that shape meaning and response, and quality of engagement

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11–12English Extension 11–12 Syllabus

Assessment