This course is designed to develop the oral communication, reading, writing, and media literacy skills that students need for success in their secondary school academic programs and in their daily lives. Students will analyse literary texts from contemporary and historical periods, interpret informational and graphic texts, and create oral, written, and media texts in a variety of forms. An important focus will be on the use of strategies that contribute to effective communication. The course is intended to prepare students for the Grade 10 academic English course, which leads to university or college preparation courses in Grades 11 and 12. (The curriculum document is available HERE.)
1. Listening to Understand: listen in order to understand and respond appropriately in a variety of situations for a variety of purposes;
2. Speaking to Communicate: use speaking skills and strategies appropriately to communicate with different audiences for a variety of purposes;
3. Reflecting on Skills and Strategies: reflect on and identify their strengths as listeners and speakers, areas for improvement, and the strategies they found most helpful in oral communication situations
1. Reading for Meaning: read and demonstrate an understanding of a variety of literary, informational, and graphic texts, using a range of strategies to construct meaning;
2. Understanding Form and Style: recognize a variety of text forms, text features, and stylistic elements and demonstrate understanding of how they help communicate meaning;
3. Reading With Fluency: use knowledge of words and cueing systems to read fluently;
4. Reflecting on Skills and Strategies: reflect on and identify their strengths as readers, areas for improvement, and the strategies they found most helpful before, during, and after reading.
1. Developing and Organizing Content: generate, gather, and organize ideas and information to write for an intended purpose and audience;
2. Using Knowledge of Form and Style: draft and revise their writing, using a variety of literary, informational, and graphic forms and stylistic elements appropriate for the purpose and audience;
3. Applying Knowledge of Conventions: use editing, proofreading, and publishing skills and strategies, and knowledge of language conventions, to correct errors, refine expression, and present their work effectively;
4. Reflecting on Skills and Strategies: reflect on and identify their strengths as writers, areas for improvement, and the strategies they found most helpful at different stages in the writing process.
1. Understanding Media Texts: demonstrate an understanding of a variety of media texts;
2. Understanding Media Forms, Conventions, and Techniques: identify some media forms and explain how the conventions and techniques associated with them are used to create meaning;
3. Creating Media Texts: create a variety of media texts for different purposes and audiences, using appropriate forms, conventions, and techniques;
4. Reflecting on Skills and Strategies: reflect on and identify their strengths as media interpreters and creators, areas for improvement, and the strategies they found most helpful in understanding and creating media texts.
In secondary schools, 70% of the final grade will be based on evaluation conducted throughout the course and will incorporate a variety of assessment strategies that are triangulated to include observation, student-teacher conversations, and student products to elicit information about student learning and achievement of the overall expectations.
In secondary schools, 30% of the final grade will be based on one or more final evaluation(s) administered at or towards the end of the course under the direct supervision of teachers and/or administration. The evaluation(s) of the achievement of the overall expectations will be based on evidence from one or a combination of the following: an examination, a performance, an essay, and/or (an)other method(s) of evaluation suitable to the course content.
IT IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT THAT STUDENTS ATTEND AND COMPLETE THE FINAL EVALUATION AT THE END OF THE SEMESTER.