English Standard 11–12 provides students with the opportunity to analyse, study and enjoy a breadth and variety of English texts, in order to become confident and effective communicators. Students develop the knowledge to analyse, reconsider and refine meaning, and to reflect on their own processes of responding, composing and learning.

What students learn

Through the study of English Standard 11–12, students:

develop clear communication skills for a range of purposes and audiences
find information and perspectives to develop their understanding of ideas
learn to make assumptions about the purpose and meaning of language based on context
express personal experiences and opinions and reflect on skills as independent learners.

Course structure and requirements

The course numbers and units for each year of study are set out below.

Course numbers:

English Standard (Year 11, 2 units): TBA
English Standard (Year 12, 2 units): TBA

Year 11 course structure and requirements

English Standard Year 11 course (120 hours)	Indicative hours
Reading to write: Transition to English Standard	40
Contemporary possibilities	40
Close study of literature	40

For the English Standard Year 11 course, students are required to:

complete 120 indicative hours
complete Reading to write: Transition to English Standard as the first unit of work
complete Contemporary possibilities and Close study of literature.

Text requirements

There are no prescribed texts for Year 11.

Students are required to study ONE complex multimodal or digital text in Contemporary possibilities. This may include the study of film.

Students are required to study ONE substantial literary print text in Close study of literature, for example prose fiction, drama or a poetry text, which may constitute a selection of poems from the work of ONE poet.

Across Stage 6, the selection of texts must give students experience of:

texts that are widely regarded as quality literature
a range of Australian texts
a range of texts authored by Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Peoples
a range of types of texts inclusive of prose fiction, drama, poetry, nonfiction, film, media and digital texts
texts with a range of social, cultural and gender perspectives
integrated modes of reading, writing, listening, speaking, viewing and representing, where appropriate.

Year 12 course structure and requirements

English Standard Year 12 course (120 hours)	Indicative hours
Texts and human experiences	30
Language, identity and culture	30
Close study of literature	30
The craft of writing	30

For the English Standard Year 12 course, students are required to:

complete the Year 11 course as a prerequisite
complete 120 indicative hours
complete Texts and human experiences as the first unit of work
complete Language, identity and culture, Close study of literature and The craft of writing.

Text requirements

Students are required to closely study 3 prescribed texts, with ONE drawn from each of the following categories:

prose fiction
poetry
drama OR film OR media OR nonfiction.

Across Stage 6, the selection of texts must give students experience of:

texts that are widely regarded as quality literature
a range of Australian texts
a range of texts authored by Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Peoples
a range of types of texts inclusive of prose fiction, drama, poetry, nonfiction, film, media and digital texts
texts with a range of social, cultural and gender perspectives
integrated modes of reading, writing, listening, speaking, viewing and representing, where appropriate.

The HSC English prescriptions 2027–2028 provides essential information for HSC study for all English 11–12 courses.

Texts authored by Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Peoples

Across Stage 6, the study of a range of texts authored by Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Peoples should consider:

the artistic and Cultural value of these texts, including ideas, arguments and representations of identity, histories and Cultures
how Country/Place, Community and lived experiences shape the perspectives of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Storytellers and audiences
ethical responsibilities surrounding Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property (ICIP) in the production of texts
how Storytelling, Aboriginal Languages and Aboriginal English are expressions of Culture, identity and Customary practices
how the modes of these texts may recognise and contribute to Cultural conventions or practices of oral Storytelling
how Cultural symbolism, imagery, allusion and irony are used to shape meaning
how personal values and perspectives are broadened and reconsidered through engagement with these texts
texts that originate from a range of diverse Communities.

Welcome to the NSW Curriculum website

11–12English Standard 11–12 Syllabus (2024)

Assessment