Course Description

Students in AP® English Language and Composition study how writers use language to create meaning. Students will read and analyze a variety of nonfiction genres including essays, journalism articles, political writings, science writings, nature writings, autobiographies, biographies, diaries, speeches, history writings, and criticisms. The main focus is on writing expository, analytical, and argumentative essays and analyzing the works of writers who are listed in the AP English Course Description. In addition to writing, students will also study visual rhetoric such as photographs, advertisements, and political cartoons. As suggested in the AP English Course Description, students learn to “read primary and secondary sources carefully, to synthesize material from these texts in their own compositions, and to cite sources using conventions recommended by the Modern Language Association (MLA).” The class is structured around teaching reading and writing skills, honed by the close reading and writing of original student essays, many of which result from several revisions. This content is presented in an online course through which students view lectures from experienced, highly qualified instructors, access nonfiction rhetoric (written and visual), and practice close reading and writing skills with continual feedback from instructors via phone, instant messages, e-mails, discussion threads, and live chats.

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