Year 8 English Holiday Course

Essential skills in 5 days

Sharpen your writing skills

Develop your ability to articulate personal insight by investigating, comparing, and re-interpreting the compositions and receptions of texts across type, genre, and mode.

Not just theory

Formal writing experience

Gain practical experience and receive helpful feedback from experienced teachers. During the condensed 5-day holiday program, learn to compose strong responses to a variety of questions.

No more guesswork

Confidence

Apply your new English skills in school writing tasks. Increase your confidence by studying a range of topics and text types throughout the year!

Year 8 English Writing Skills Course

School Holiday Program for English Writing Skills


Creative writing: From visual texts to verbal skills
Creative writing: From visual texts to verbal skills
Creative Thinking: Mythologies and Rules
Story Studies: Mystery

Year 8 English Writing Skills Course Outline

Develop your writing skills in just 5 days during the school holidays


Day 1


Day 2


Day 1

Action and Reaction

  • Sharing stories: conversation, reflection, and definitions of story
  • Examination of action and reaction structures in ‘Children of Heaven’ by Majid Majidi
  • Guided writing and causal mapping of story

Day 2

Metaphor and the Unknown

  • Symbolism and subtext as central to story meaning
  • Responding to the experimental short film ‘RUNWAY’ by ChillChill
  • Developing and writing sophisticated metaphor

Day 3

Imagery and the Story World

  • Transporting readers through sensory appeal
  • Responding to the music video ‘Starry Night’ by Peggy Gou and Jonas Lindstroem
  • Personalised world building exercises to stimuli

Day 4

Care and the Connection to Life

  • Higher engagement: emotion and empathy, insights and intrigue
  • Responding to the documentary short ‘Chibi’ by Terry Rayment
  • Drafting passions and obstacles

Day 5

Memory as Visual Stimulus

  • Free writing challenge
  • Pair writing development: shared vision and individual approach
  • Mentored teacher writing sessions

Day 1

Myths in Modern Story

  • Brainstorm, discussion, and reflection on histories of myths, morals, and rules
  • Creative class response to the opening of a novel: The Last Cuentista
  • Diction, vocabulary, tone, point of view: embodying protagonist exercise

Day 2

Supernatural Japanese Figures

  • Pair editing and presenting protagonist embodiment exercise
  • Creative investigation into Oni, Yokai, and Yurei stories in Japanese folklore
  • Lessons, fear, survival: designing creatures exercise

Day 3

Aristotle's Poetics

  • Exploring, discussing, and reflecting on story rules from Aristotle’s Poetics
  • Applying Aristotle’s concepts to continued reading of The Last Cuentista
  • Targeted flash fiction exercises to Aristotle and novel prompts

Day 4

African Legends

  • Pair editing and presenting flash fiction exercises
  • Creative investigation into animal fables and tales of wit in African folklore
  • Curses, limitations, breakthroughs: designing rules for fictional worlds

Day 5

Bricolage

  • Self-directed research and response to one of three case studies on myth
  • Prompted and scaffolded fiction exercises to chosen case study
  • Presentations and group feedback

Day 1

Classification and Conventions

  • Comparatively investigating genres and discussing their conventions
  • Annotating and guided reading of A Walk in the Dark
  • Incorporating low modality and observation into predictive writing

Day 2

Investigating a Classic

  • Introduction to and guided reading of The Mysterious Affair at Styles Chapter 1
  • Exploring the roles of exposition and imagery in mystery
  • Orientation writing drills to novel extract templates

Day 3

Engagement through Questioning

  • Individual reading of The Mysterious Affair at Styles Chapter 2
  • Testing comprehension by gathering insights on featured characters
  • Class debate on mystery suspects

Day 4

Conventions as Creative Stimuli

  • Class reading of The Mysterious Affair at Styles Chapter 3
  • Considering conventions as tools for story development and anticipating reception
  • Murder mystery imaginative writing exercise

Day 5

Genre across Text Types

  • Examining convention and meaning in key scenes from Sherlock Holmes
  • Redefining convention and meaning in the artworks of Patricia Piccinini
  • Editing and presenting chosen response for peer feedback

Year 8 English Holiday Course Timetable

Chatswood

3 – 7 Jul 2023

Time: 3PM – 4:30PM

Epping

3 – 7 Jul 2023

Time: 3PM – 4:30PM

Hurstville

3 – 7 Jul 2023

Time: 11AM – 12:30PM

Parramatta

3 – 7 Jul 2023

Time: 3PM – 4:30PM

Strathfield

3 – 7 Jul 2023

Time: 3PM – 4:30PM

Year 8 English Writing Skills Course Pricing

5 lessons

per course

x

1.5 hrs

per lesson

=

$283.50 (usually $315.00)

*Early Bird Discount until 2 June

What you'll get:

  • Classes taught by inspirational teachers

  • 5 engaging Theory Lessons

  • Detailed Theory Book

  • English Writing Tasks

Loved by over 4500 students across 220 schools

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How is Matrix different?

 
    Matrix Others
Program

Matrix

Teaching program that covers the NSW Education Standard Authority syllabus. Structured learning system that allows students to develop sound study habits every week.

Others

Most private tutors and other tuition centres do not follow a set structure; rather they have an ad-hoc approach without considering timing and outcomes.

Teachers

Matrix

Vast classroom teaching experience, HSC and/or university teaching experience with an ability to explain concepts clearly.

Others

Have little or no actual teaching experience, cannot explain difficult concepts in a manner that students can understand.

Resources

Matrix

A full set of resources written by academics and education researchers. Online access to supplementary exam papers / texts with top responses.

Others

Only address content that students raise, use generic textbooks.

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