Creating subjects: The language of the stage 6 English syllabus

This paper investigates the language of the 2009 NSW Stage 6 English Syllabus. I argue that the language of the syllabus aims to create two distinct subjects: Subject English, that is, what students learn; and the subject position of its students, that is, what students are expected to become. Analysis reveals themes of personal development and moral regulation are deeply embedded within the subject and have an important influence on how the subject positions itself and its students. Systemic Functional Linguistics is used to examine six pages of the Syllabus, focusing in particular on the document's Rationale section. A transitivity and appraisal analysis reveal that the syllabus document assigns the subject a difficult set of goals; ranging from developing communicative competence and literary knowledge, to creating a sensitive, aesthetically appreciative, reflective individual. An analysis of Commands within the syllabus shows that the language places much of the responsibility with the students. The implications of this analysis for teaching and learning are then discussed; in particular, the need for teachers of English to cognisant of the values and aims that are embedded within the syllabus and the subject.