English

 

Secondary School English Overview

 

   The English program in Grades 9 to 12 includes compulsory courses and optional courses.

 

Grade 9 & 10

  

      The compulsory courses emphasize strong core competencies in listening, speaking, reading, writing, viewing, and representing. As part of their program in Grades 9 and 10, students must take one compulsory course in English in each grade. These courses are offered in two types, academic and applied.

     

      One optional course is offered in the Grade 9–10 curriculum – Literacy Skills: Reading and Writing, Grade 10. This course offers students an opportunity to enhance their literacy skills. It may be taken to fulfil an optional credit requirement or the Group 1 additional compulsory credit requirement for the Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD). It may also be used, at the principal’s discretion, as a substitution for one of the compulsory credits required in English. The Literacy Skills course is an “open” course.

     

       Students choose between course types on the basis of their interests, achievement, and postsecondary goals. The course types offered in Grades 9 and 10 are defined as follows:

 

Academic courses develop students’ knowledge and skills through the study of theory and abstract problems. These courses focus on the essential concepts of a subject and explore related concepts as well. They incorporate practical applications as appropriate.

 

Applied courses focus on the essential concepts of a subject, and develop students’ knowledge and skills through practical applications and concrete examples. Familiar situations are used to illustrate ideas, and students are given more opportunities to experience hands-on applications of the concepts and theories they study.

Open courses are designed to prepare students for further study in the subject, and to enrich their education generally. These courses comprise a set of expectations that are appropriate for all students.

 

Grade 11 & 12

     

       The compulsory courses emphasize strong core competencies in oral communication, reading and literature studies, writing, and media studies. As part of their program in Grades 11 and 12, students must take one compulsory course in English in each grade. They may choose their compulsory courses from three types of courses in Grades 11 and 12: university preparation, college preparation, and workplace preparation.

     

       Optional courses provide students with opportunities to explore individual interests and to deepen or extend some of the knowledge and skills acquired in the compulsory courses. Optional courses may be taken to fulfil optional credit requirements or the Group 1 additional compulsory credit requirement for the Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD). An optional course may also be used, at the principal's discretion, as a substitution for a compulsory credit required in English. Four types of optional courses are offered: university preparation, university/college preparation, college preparation, and open.