LANGUAGE & LITERATURE YEAR 3 / ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS 8
Students will explore the writing process through a variety of means: journal entries, expository paragraphs, narrative stories, dramatic scripts, poetic forms, notes and letters. Students will also investigate a variety of literary forms and genres: short stories, poetry, novels (historical and contemporary) and mythology. Oral skills will be enhanced through a variety of formal and informal discussions, debates, speeches and dramatic presentations. The course also includes: research skills, vocabulary building, spelling rules, parts of speech, sentence types and punctuation.
LANGUAGE & LITERATURE YEAR 4 / ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS 9
English 9 explores a variety of writing styles and places emphasis on the importance of literature. Throughout the school year, students review paragraph writing and focus on the expository (compare and contrast) essay format. The mechanics of grammar, such as advanced comma use, the semicolon, colon, and transitions are taught and strengthened through writing. Critical thinking is encouraged through the examination of specific literary genres and the production of creative writing. The importance of structure is stressed in the writing of a business letter and the usage of proper letter formatting and composition. Various genres of literature are studied, including short stories, novels, poetry and drama.
LANGUAGE & LITERATURE YEAR 5 / ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS (Literary Studies & Composition) 10 (4 credits)
Language and Literature 10 is comprised of literary studies, media studies and composition. This course is designed to engage students in the study of both traditional literature and other forms of media, as well as to support them in their development of written and oral communication. Language and Literature 10 allows students to delve more deeply into literature as they explore specific themes, periods, authors, and areas of the world through literary works in a variety of media. Students will:
- increase their literacy skills through close reading of appropriately challenging texts
- enhance their development of the English Language Arts curricular competencies, both expressive and receptive
- expand their development as educated global citizens, developing balance and broadening their understanding of themselves within the world
- develop higher-level thinking and learning skills
- critically examine varied structures, forms, and styles of compositions
- build writing competencies (drafting, reflecting, and revising)
- increase the ability to present ideas orally and visually
- engage in the critical process of questioning, exploring, and sampling
ENGLISH FIRST PEOPLES 11 (**4 credits - fulfills the Indigenous Focused Graduation Requirement)
English First Peoples 11 builds upon and extends students' previous learning experiences in English Language Arts 10. The course is grounded in the First Peoples Principles of Learning. It is designed for all students, Indigenous and non-Indigenous, who are interested in delving deeply into First Peoples oral and written literature and visual texts in a range of media. Students will gain insight into key aspects of First Peoples in Canada’s past, present, and future, and understand the role of First Peoples literature within the process of Reconciliation. Students will learn about self-representation and issues of social justice through authentic First Peoples text and demonstrate awareness of how First Peoples languages and texts reflect their cultures, knowledge, histories, and worldviews. The course as a whole focuses on the experiences, values and beliefs, and lived realities of First Peoples as evidenced in various forms of text, including oral story, poetry, song, performance, film, and prose. A key feature of the course is its focus on authentic First Peoples voices.
ENGLISH STUDIES 12 (4 credits)
How does literature engender meaningful connection between self, text and world? What is the relationship like between individuals and society in various contexts? How do we construct identity? How have authors explored these questions through literature? In this course, we will explore these questions by looking at how texts are socially, culturally, geographically, and historically constructed, as well as how language shapes and influences the ideas we share. We will read, discuss and create texts in a variety of genres, and learn to pose our own big questions through class discussion and individual inquiry.
CREATIVE WRITING 11/ 12 (4 credits)
Creative Writing 11/12 is designed for students who are interested in using writing for self-expression and various creative purposes. The course provides students with in-depth opportunities to become better writers through the exploration of personal and cultural identities, memories, and stories in a wide range of genres. Within a supportive community, students will collaborate and develop their skills through writing and design processes. Creative Writing 11/12 invites students to express themselves creatively as they experiment with, reflect on, extend, and refine their writing. Throughout the term, writers will have a chance to work in a variety of genres, including short stories, screenplays, poetry, flash fiction, memoir, and creative non-fiction.
ENGLISH FIRST PEOPLES 12 (4 credits)
English First builds upon and extends students' previous learning experiences in English Language Arts 10 and 11 courses. The course is grounded in the First Peoples Principles of Learning. It is designed for all students, Indigenous and non- Indigenous, who are interested in delving deeply into First Peoples oral and written literature and visual texts in a range of media. The course focuses on the experiences, values and beliefs, and lived realities of First Peoples as evidenced in various forms of text, including oral story, poetry, song, performance, film, and prose. A key feature of the course is its focus on authentic First Peoples voices. This course may be taken in place of English Studies 12 to meet graduation requirements.]
IB Senior Language & Literature Certificate Options
BC Ministry students may apply to study 1-3 courses for certificate. At certain post-secondary institutions students who achieve a final score of 5, 6, or 7 may receive university transfer credit (students must research the transfer credit policy of their university-of-choice).
ENGLISH LANGUAGE & LITERATURE (4 credits per year. Grades 11 & 12. Standard Level and Higher Level options)
English A: Language and Literature is a two-year course that introduces the critical study and interpretation of written and spoken texts from a wide range of literary forms and non-literary text-types. The formal analysis of texts is supplemented by awareness that meaning is not fixed but can change in respect to contexts of production and consumption. The course is organized into three areas of exploration and seven central concepts, and focuses on the study of both literary or non-literary texts. Together, the three areas of exploration of the course allow the student to explore the language A in question through its cultural development and use, its media forms and functions, and its literature. Students develop skills of literary and textual analysis, and also the ability to present their ideas effectively. A key aim is the development of critical literacy.
