Language Arts

The Language Arts program at Esperanza High School develops students’ reading, writing, speaking, and critical thinking skills. Students progress through a structured sequence of courses beginning with Language Arts 1 in 9th grade and advancing to more rigorous options such as AP Language and AP Literature.

The course descriptions below outline the focus of each class and include information about course expectations, placement, graduation requirements, and UC/CSU college eligibility.

*Students enrolling in higher-level courses should make sure they have completed any required prerequisites or courses.

Any required prerequisites or courses will be listed in the course description.

9th Grade Courses

Language Arts 1

College Prep

UC approved List B

10 credits

This is a required course, which provides an in-depth study of language skills, sentence development, paragraph development and essay writing. It includes instruction in listening, speaking, writing, and reading skills, as prescribed. Experiences in literature are provided in the genres of short story, mythology, epic, drama, poetry and the novel.

Language Arts 1 Honors

College Prep - Weighted

UC approved List B

10 credits

This is a required course, which provides an in-depth study of language skills, sentence development, paragraph development and essay writing. It includes instruction in listening, speaking, writing and reading skills, as prescribed. Experiences in literature are provided in the genres of short story, mythology, epic, drama, poetry and the novel.

AP Seminar (10th - 12th Grade)

College Prep - Weighted

UC approved List B

Meets course requirements for NCAA

10 credits

AP Seminar is an interdisciplinary course that encourages students to demonstrate critical thinking, collaboration, and academic research skills on topics of the student's choosing. Students will develop and practice the skills in research, collaboration, and communication that they will need in any academic discipline. They will investigate topics in a variety of subject areas, write research-based essays, and design and give presentations both individually and as part of a team. Assessment for this course is based on teacher assessment of student presentation components and College Board scoring of written components as well as an end-of-course exam.

10th Grade Courses

Language Arts 2

College Prep

UC approved List B

10 credits

This is a required course which provides an in-depth study of language skills, sentence development, paragraph development, research writing and essay writing. It includes instruction in listening, speaking, writing and reading skills as prescribed. Experiences in literature are provided in the genres of short story, novel non-fiction poetry, drama and legends.

Language Arts 2 Honors

College Prep - Weighted

UC approved List B

Recommended Prerequisite: Lang. Art 1-H or "A" in Lang. Art 1

10 credits

11th Grade Courses

Language Arts 3

College Prep

UC approved List B

Meets course requirements for NCAA

10 credits

This is a required course which provides an in-depth study of language skills, sentence development, paragraph development, research writing and essay writing. It includes instruction in listening, speaking, writing and reading skills. Experiences in literature are provided in American Literature from the genres of short story, novel, modern drama and poetry.

AP Language

College Prep - Weighted

UC approved List B

Meets course requirements for NCAA

Recommended Prerequisite: Lang. Art 2-H or "A" in Lang. Art 2

10 credits

This one-year advanced course provides a detailed, in-depth study of rhetorical language skills: communicating writers' intentions and eliciting readers' responses in particular situations, cultivating the rhetorical understanding of and use of written language, knowkedge and control of formal conventions, and analyzing the effectiveness or ineffectiveness of an argument. A variety of texts will be utilized to accomplish this, including current events, letter, advertisements, political satires, newspaper articles, historical texts, and research reports. In order to fulfill Advanced Placement criteria. Through this course, students will enhance their skills as discerning readers, critical thinkers, and writers, thus becoming more informed citizens. Upon completion of this course, students will be prepared to take the AP exam in English Language and Composition.

12th Grade Courses

ERWC (LA 4)

College Prep

UC approved List B

Meets course requirements for NCAA

10 credits

The goal of the Expository Reading and Writing Course is to prepare college-bound seniors for the literacy demands of higher education. By the end of the course, students will be expected to use this process independently when reading unfamiliar texts and writing in response to them. Course texts include contemporary essays, newspaper and magazine articles, editorials, reports, biographies, memos, assorted public documents, and other non-fiction texts. The course materials also include modules on two full-length works (one novel and one work of nonfiction). Written assessments and holistic scoring guides conclude each unit.

AP Literature

College Prep - Weighted

UC approved List B

Meets course requirements for NCAA

Recommended Prerequisite: AP English Lang. or "A" in Lang. Arts 3

10 credits

This is a required one year course which provides a detailed, in-depth study of language skills: reading, reading comprehension, literary response and analysis, writing strategies and applications, English language conventions for written and oral language, and listening and speaking skills and applications. A variety of texts will be utilized to accomplish this including supplementary novels from the District Core and Extended Words reading list for twelfth grade. In order to fulfill Advanced Placement criteria, this course is taught as an entry-level college course, and students in AP classes will participate in a more rigorous study of literature representing various times and cultures. Through this course, students will enhance their skills as discerning readers and critical thinkers and writers. Upon completion of this course, students will be prepared to take the AP Exam in English Literature and Composition.

Additional Courses (ELD: 9th-12th Grade)

New Emerging ELD

10 credits

Emerging ELD for Newcomers is a protected time during the regular school day in which teachers use the California English Language Development Standards as the focal standards in ways that build into and from content instruction in order to develop critical language English Learners need for content learning in English. Placement based on ELPAC Summative Assessment results.

Emerging ELD

10 credits

Emerging ELD is a protected time during the regular school day in which teachers use the California English Language Development Standards as the focal standards in ways that build into and from content instruction in order to develop critical language English Learners need for content learning in English. Placement based on ELPAC Summative Assessment results.

Expanding ELD

UC approved List G

10 credits

Expanding ELD is a protected time during the regular school day in which teachers use the California English Language Development Standards as the focal standards in ways that build into and from content instruction in order to develop critical language English Learners need for content learning in English. Placement based on ELPAC Summative Assessment results.

Bridging ELD

UC approved List B

10 credits

Bridging ELD is a protected time during the regular school day in which teachers use the California English Language Development Standards as the focal standards in ways that build into and from content instruction in order to develop critical language English Learners need for content learning in English. Placement based on ELPAC Summative Assessment results.

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