(2-year course)
Grades: 11–12 (two-year course)
Subject Area/Course Credit: English, 1 credit each year
Prerequisite: We recommend that students enrolling in the HL course have a B- or higher in English 10 or teacher recommendation.
English A: Language and Literature HL focuses on the relationship between texts, readers, and the world around them. As indicated by the two names of this course, students will develop analysis skills in fiction and nonfiction and communication skills in speech and writing. We will explore how writers and readers shape meaning, how texts evolve in time and place, and the relationship found between texts. The syllabus includes a range of texts to build critical awareness of style and form in both literary and non-literary texts. By the end of the course, Higher Level students will have read six literary works and a range of non-literary Bodies of Work. Students will engage in regular journal reflections and assessments to build a mastery of skills. The formal assessments for this course include: one oral assessment (scheduled for the end of year one), one formal essay (submitted in the fall of year two), and two exam papers, which take place at the end of year two.