English Language Arts

Grade 9

English Language Arts 10F (E10F)

Content: This course offers students a variety of experiences to use language for communication. The objective is to build on their prior knowledge and to improve their skills in reading, writing, listening, speaking, viewing, and representing. Students analyze and create texts that inform, direct, persuade, analyze, argue, and explain, as well as those that enlighten, express experiences, and reflect culture. 

Students will study the following: 

  • Fiction and poetry
  • Media and visual texts
  • Critical thinking and debate skills
  • Writing for creative and practical purposes
  • Public speaking
  • Grammar and vocabulary 

Grade 10

English Language Arts 20F (E20F)

Prerequisite: English Language Arts 10F 

This course offers students a variety of experiences to use language for communication. The objective is to build on their prior knowledge and to improve their skills in reading, writing, listening, speaking, viewing, and representing. Students analyze and create texts that inform, direct, persuade, analyze, argue, and explain, as well as those that enlighten, express experiences, and reflect culture. Students will study the following: 

  • Fiction and poetry
  • Drama (Introduction to Shakespeare)
  • Media and visual texts
  • Critical thinking (inquiry and research skills)
  • Writing for creative and practical purposes
  • Public speaking
  • Grammar and vocabulary

Grade 11

Students must choose one of the following two choices to fulfill the English Language Arts course requirements. 

ELA: Comprehensive Focus 30S (ECOMF30S) 

Prerequisite: English Language Arts 20F 

Content: This course is recommended for students who would like a balance of literary (aesthetic/creative) and transactional (practical) forms. Students spend 50% of their time analyzing and creating texts that inform, direct, persuade, analyze, argue, and explain, and 50% of their time analyzing and creating those that enlighten, express experiences, and reflect culture. Students will study the following:

  • Fiction and poetry
  • Drama
  • Media (advertising)
  • Non-fiction
  • Research methods
  • Writing for aesthetic and practical purposes
  • Grammar and vocabulary
  • Public speaking
  • Visual texts

Additional Information: Students enrolled in Grade 11 Comprehensive Focus may take either Comprehensive Focus or Transactional Focus in Grade 12.

ELA: Transactional Focus 30S (ETRAF30S)

Prerequisite: English Language Arts 20F 

Content: This course is recommended to students who prefer transactional (practical) and technical forms of reading and writing to the study of literature. While this course involves some analysis of literary texts (short stories, novels, and poems), the focus is on pragmatic texts (persuasive essays, reports, biographies, memoirs, etc.). Approximately 70% of the course involves writing and reading for practical purposes, language that informs, directs, persuades, analyzes, argues, and explains. Transactional English involves more journalistic and technical writing and reading materials, and culminates in an inquiry-based presentation.  

Students study the following:

  • Fiction and poetry
  • Biography or memoir
  • Media (advertising)
  • Research methods
  • Public speaking (presentations, speeches, rants)
  • Visual texts
  • Articles, editorials, blogs
  • Writing for practical and technical purposes
  • Grammar and vocabulary 

Additional Information: Students enrolled in Grade 11 Transactional Focus may take either Comprehensive Focus or Transactional Focus in Grade 12.

Grade 12

Students must choose one of the following two choices to fulfill the English Language Arts course requirement. 

Please note: Students requiring two ELA credits as part of the entrance requirements for post-secondary institutions are required to check off one of the ELA options and then select the second one as one of their elective choices.

ELA: Comprehensive Focus 40S (ECOMF40S)

Prerequisite:  Any Grade 11 English Language Arts (Comprehensive or Transactional). 

Content: This course is recommended for students who would like a balance of literary (aesthetic/creative) and transactional (practical) forms. Students spend 50% of their time analyzing and creating texts that inform, direct, persuade, analyze, argue, and explain, and 50% of their time analyzing and creating those that enlighten, express experiences, and reflect culture. Students will study the following:

  • Fiction and poetry
  • Drama 
  • Articles, personal essays, critical essays, argument papers and editorials
  • Critical thinking skills including argumentation and logic
  • Writing for aesthetic and practical purposes 
  • Visual texts (paintings, photographs) 
  • News media 
  • Public speaking

ELA: Transactional Focus 40S (ETRAF40S)

Prerequisite: Any Grade 11 English Language Arts (Comprehensive or Transactional).

Content: This course is recommended to students who prefer transactional (practical) and technical forms of reading, writing, speaking, viewing, and representing.  While this course involves some analysis of literary texts (approximately 30%), the focus is on pragmatic texts.  Approximately 70% of the course involves writing and reading for practical purposes, using language that informs, directs, persuades, analyzes, argues, and explains. Transactional English involves more journalistic and technical writing and reading materials. Students study the following:

  • Fiction and poetry
  • Biography and autobiography
  • Editorials and columns
  • Critical thinking skills including argumentation and logic
  • Writing for practical purposes (to argue, to persuade, to inform, to explain)
  • Visual texts (paintings, photographs, graphs, charts, film, documentary)
  • News media
  • Public speaking (presentations and speeches)