English Language Arts

In each of the English Language Arts streams starting in grade 10 and finishing in grade 12 ( -2, -1, and -1 Advanced Placement) students are given the opportunity to develop and increase their skills in the six strands of ELA: reading, writing, listening, speaking, viewing, and representing. At Strathcona School, our English teachers stimulate students with relevant short stories, essays, plays, poetry, novels and multi-media texts that engage and entertain. Regardless of which path you choose, Strathcona’s English courses provide the critical reading, writing, and research skills that cross over into every area of study. As research has shown, success in English courses is a strong determining factor in overall academic performance.

The -2 stream is a student-centered series of courses which provides a variety of language arts experiences designed to enhance the skills and communicative confidence of students. Largely organized according to student needs and interests, it promotes enjoyment and understanding of literature and language use while improving communication skills of individual students for long-term life, work and leisure. The course also gives students ample opportunities to exercise their imaginations as they develop mature, courteous, task-oriented English language/literacy skills.

The -1 stream is a subject-centered, academic series of courses which provides a variety of language arts experiences designed to develop the communicative skills of students. Organized according to literary genres, -1 promotes enjoyment and understanding of literature and language use while improving the communication strands of thinking, reading, writing, listening, speaking, viewing, and representing. Students taking this course should be prepared to study, talk and write seriously about literature and should have a minimum of average to above average language arts skills.
 
Advanced Placement English is an enriched version of the -1 stream and is for students who are curious, like challenges, work hard, love reading, and enjoy expressing themselves in writing. This
course encourages students to enrich their knowledge of literature and offers many opportunities to explore new ideas and encounter different opinions. Being open to these ideas and opinions will enhance their understanding of the world around them, and, ultimately, themselves.