ENGLISH
ENGLISH 8
Students will spend part of their time in this course developing writing skills and skills in media literacy. The basics of grammar will be taught and applied to writing practice with sentences, paragraphs, and personal letters. Significant time will be spent on the study of English literature. Students may read and respond to novels, short stories, poems, myths and non-fiction. Some practice in oral presentation is also part of this course.
ENGLISH 9
Part of this course will be spent on learning to write effectively. In addition to involvement in all stages of the writing process, English 9 students will work to improve their editing skills. Formats to be practiced at this grade level include the three basic paragraph types: narrative, descriptive, and expository. Students will also develop skills in media literacy. The other part of this course will focus on the exploration of literature, both fiction and non-fiction, with an emphasis in fiction on understanding character. Students may read and respond to book-length fiction and non-fiction works, short stories, poems, myths and plays.Some practice in in oral presentation is also part of the course.
ENGLISH 10
Half of English 10 will be spent on the writing process. More sophisticated formats will be practiced, especially the essay and character sketch. Students will continue to work individually on improving their editing skills. In the literature half of this course, the focus will be on following a topic (or theme) through a variety of genres. This study may include reading novels, short stories, poems, a non-fiction book, and a full-length play (most likely a Shakespearean work). Students will be required to read, study, analyze, and respond to the literature. Some practice in oral presentation is also part of the course.
ENGLISH 11
This course will focus on the clear, direct, and precise writing and speaking of English, with an emphasis on the writing of formal and informal essays. Students will read and view a variety of communications and respond to a variety of genres of literature with more focus on critical analysis. Some practice in oral presentation is also part of the course.
GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES (See page 62)
COMMUNICATIONS 11, 12
Communications 12 is provincially examinable.
Communications 11 and 12 are courses designed to help students, who struggle with English, improve their skills. Students will have more time to work on their individual writing and comprehension needs as the course content is more concrete than English 11 or 12. Students will revisit the fundamentals of reading and writing to make them more confident English students. After taking Communications 11, students will be able to take English 11 or Communications 12.
ENGLISH 12
This course is provincially examinable.
Students will be required to practice various types of writing, including expository writing, especially in the argumentative and persuasive modes, and to improve their writing of essays. Continuing attention will be paid to practical writing skills. In their literature studies, students will identify, describe and evaluate attitudes and themes in works they read, and evaluate the literary merit of those works. As in previous courses, students will study and respond to literature in a variety of genres: one or two novels, essays, poems, short stories and plays. Some practice in oral presentation is also part of the course.
Prerequisite: MEN--11
ENGLISH 12 / LITERATURE 12
English 12 is provincially examinable.
If you enjoy English, this is twice the fun. English 12/Literature 12 takes you from 1000 A.D., with Beowulf through to the twentieth century with a cultural and historical perspective on the greatest works of English literature. The course begins in September, fulfilling the requirements of English Twelve, but we immediately start working through some of the finest works in the Western Canon, ending in June. Explore the greats: sure, you've heard of Shakespeare, but what about Chaucer, Milton, Keats, T.S. Eliot, and Yeats? Learn about our history and our culture through literature. Discover how truly connected you are with bygone eras and people. You will live a much more enriched existence as a side benefit. This course prepares you for the English 12 provincial in January/February. Note that this is a full year course starting in September and ending in June. Students receive credit for both English 12 and Literature 12.
WRITING 12
This is a class for students who love to write. The course is designed to develop students' writing abilities as they explore a range of writing styles (narrative, descriptive, and expository) for a variety of genres (scripts, stories, poems, essays, and more). With each writing exercise, students will explore different strategies for pre-writing, drafting, and revising to find those that work for them. Frequent opportunities to reflect on and respond critically to their own and their peers' writing, as well as one-on-one teacher conferencing, are also key features of the course. If you are a writer, this is the place to be. This class works as a writing community; maturity is required. Priority will be given to grade twelve students, but grade eleven students are welcome.
JOURNALISM 11
If you enjoy writing and would really like to help shape Sutherland culture, taking Journalism 11 and becoming a staffer at The Sabre Trooth just might be the thing to do. Learn how to write like a journalist. You will learn how to write sports articles, political rants, and editorials. You will be writing reviews of all sorts: movie, product, music, concert, and book (among others). Interviewing people will become second nature. You will be the one to report on current events. Learn to take pictures like a pro. Journalism 11 involves all aspects of putting together a newspaper such as editing and formatting. Grade eleven and twelve students are welcome. This will be offered inside of the schedule for semester one and as an X block for second semester.
JOURNALISM 12
This course is for students who have already taken Journalism 11 and are ready to take on more responsibility. Students will continue to practice their journalism skills, but will take more of a leadership role. Students will be responsible for mentoring new students, teaching concepts and writing more complex articles.
ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS
ELL teachers and counsellors place students in ELL courses according to their English ability. Students advance to the next level as their skills increase.
Levels 1 and 2 provide the basic English skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing to enable students to function within the Sutherland School environment.
Level 3 focuses on giving students the necessary skills in reading, writing, listening and speaking needed for integration into academic courses at Sutherland.
ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS 8 - 12
ELL is an elective course limited to those students who need extra time in small classes to support their learning of English; recommended for Level 1 or 2 speakers. In these classes, students work to develop their skills in speaking, listening, reading, and writing. The objective of these classes is to sufficiently improve students' English to allow them to move to Language Strategies 10, BC Culture 10, or the regular program. Teachers will evaluate and report on development in a variety of ways including anecdotal reports and parent interviews.
This is a non-credit course with no assigned percentage.
BC CULTURE 10
This course introduces ELL students to the culture of modern day British Columbia and Canada; it is recommended for Level 2 or 3 speakers. ELL students will study the beliefs, expectations, and values of Canadians. As they examine their local culture, ELL students will broaden and deepen their knowledge of the four essential English skills areas necessary for active citizenship: reading, writing, listening, and speaking. This is a credit course with an assigned percentage.
LANGUAGE STRATEGIES 10
This course is designed to facilitate the transition of ELL students to English 10 by extending the language strategies and skills in the four main language areas of speaking, listening, reading, viewing, writing and representing. The course focuses on providing students with opportunities to acquire and practice the strategies necessary for successful communication across the curriculum. It is highly recommended that students have attained at least a Level 3 ELL standing before attempting this course. This is a credit course with an assigned percentage.
ENGLISH 10 (LS)
The students will complete the regular Grade 10 English curriculum. This will include the study of literature: short stories, poetry, novels and a Shakespearean play. This course will also follow the writing requirements of various paragraph types, and in particular, the 5-paragraph essay. There will be an emphasis on building vocabulary and fluency in speaking, writing, and on increasing reading ability and speed to meet the requirements of senior English courses. An on-going study of grammar structure and idioms is included. Prerequisite: Language Strategies 10 or Level 4 ELL student.
ELL SEMINAR
This course is designed to enable Indirect ELL students to extend and advance their use of strategies and skills in the four main areas of listening, speaking, reading, and writing. It focuses on extending and advancing the strategies needed to communicate across all curricula. It is run concurrently with Language Strategies 10 and/or BC Culture 10. This is a non-credit course with no assigned percentage.
