English

The essence of being made in God's image is that we can know God and each other because of the gift of language. Communication of thoughts and ideas is possible because they take shape in words. We are never truly alone because of words and, once restored to God, we have access to Him because of His Living Word. We learn to read and write so that we can be truly educated and truly human.

This gives a context to encourage students to develop their mastery of language. Punctuation, grammar, and syntax are worth mastering if it makes students better communicators. Text construction and the varieties of writing genre help us to appreciate the nuances of meaning that are encompassed in the gift of language. Metaphors and figurative language are central to creative thought. We explore the best examples of symbolic language, including the ones that God embeds in His Word to convey His truth.

The teaching task can be simply stated as encouraging students to learn to read, write and to think, and to enjoy that process as much as possible. Developing the gift of of language involves the perfecting of 'double listening,' whereby we are able to recognise the voice of our culture and to be culturally literate; but also to hear the voice and Word of God, which answers the heart cry of our contemporaries, enabling us to give a reason for the hope that we have within us.

This is achieved through the study of a wide variety of texts which include: Shakespeare, the best of contemporary writers, texts from the canon of English authors, writing for purpose and poetry both classical and modern. Emphasis is placed on enjoyment and work is enhanced through workshops and theatre trips.