English

ENGLISH 9-12

English is required in each of the four years in the upper school at Taipei American School. Content includes instruction in analytical and expressive writing, the writing process (prewriting, drafting, revising, and proofreading), in-class writing, reading and analyzing literature, discussing ideas in groups, delivering oral presentations, and applying correct vocabulary, syntax, and grammar.

As students in grades 9 and 10 study literature, they will focus on genre, the varied modes of literary expression. A key goal in these grades is for students to examine how literary form influences their interpretations of the works they read. Thus, the study of genre is intended to provide students with the tools necessary to enhance their understanding of and pleasure in literature so that they may become life-long readers and life-long learners. Students are required to purchase personal copies of books in literature courses. and perceptions through small and large group discussions and through oral presentations. The course work culminates in semester exams in which students analyze the characters and issues that they have encountered in their reading.

Texts may include: Coelho, The Alchemist; Ribay, Patron Saints of Nothing; Golding, Lord of the Flies; Gratz, Refugee; Of Mice and Men, Steinbeck; Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet; Card, Ender’s Game; short non-fiction narratives; a teacher-selected unit on poetry.

HONORS ENGLISH 9 (UENG01H)

Required Duration: 1 year Credit: 1 Grade: 9 Homework: Heavy Prerequisite: Teacher recommendation is required.

ENGLISH 9 (UENG01)

Required Duration: 1 year Credit: 1 Grade: 9 Homework: Moderate

English 9 is designed to generate critical analysis about the short story, novel, drama, poetry and nonfiction, and about the student’s own writing, while investigating the theme of identity. Identity, leadership, and the development of one’s character form the basis for English 9 literary selections. Students will work to develop effective study skills, enrich their vocabulary, gain proficiency in grammar, generate probing questions, develop research skills, learn and apply literary terms, and improve their writing. Students will receive a series of in-class and process-driven writing assignments. Also, students will have the opportunity to share their ideas Through the study of personal essays, poetry, drama, and novels, Honors English 9 explores what it means to come of age, to have a voice, and to have agency. We ask, and attempt to answer, what it means to grow up and to read the world critically. As a foundational English course, Honors English 9 focuses on analytical writing, reading, and speaking. Close reading and passage analysis constitute the main focus for the fall semester; in the spring, students build on those skills to tackle more complex texts like Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. Class discussions and student-run seminars are important components of the courses. Assessments take the form of timed writing, processed essays, and creative projects, providing students with a variety of ways to demonstrate their learning. Honors English 9 requires maturity and initiative; homework load may be significant due to the difficulty of the texts assigned.

Texts may include the following: Homer/Wilson, The Odyssey; Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet; Cisneros, The House on Mango Street; selection of non-fiction, poetry, and short stories.

English 9

English Flow Chart

Honors English 9

AP English Literature & Composition

Gr. 12 English 10

AP English Language & Composition

Gr. 11-12 IBSL English Language & Literature

Gr. 11-12 Honors English 10

IBHL English Language & Literature Year 1-2; IBHL English Literature Year 1-2

Gr. 11-12 Honors Asian Literature; American Literature; Honors American Literature; World Literature; Honors World Literature; Literature, Law & Justice

Gr. 11, 12

Electives: these courses are supplementary and do not count for “Core” English credit.

Journalism 1 Gr. 9-12; Honors Journalism 2,3 & 4 Gr. 10-12

Writing Workshop & Seminar 1 & 2; Honors Writing Workshop & Seminar 1 & 2

ENGLISH 10 (UENG02)

Required Duration: 1 year Credit: 1 Grade: 10 Homework: Moderate

English 10 develops essential critical thinking and language skills. The course is built upon the premise that language has power, and students will analyze how language is used as an effective and powerful tool in three important areas: reading, writing, and speaking. Literature will focus on characters and narrators that are forced to face personal or sociopolitical issues. Students will express their ideas in argument-driven, analytic essays as well as class discussions.

Texts may include: Orwell, Animal Farm; Sophocles, Oedipus Rex; Shakespeare, Macbeth; Douglass, The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass; selection of Gothic short stories and poetry.

HONORS ENGLISH 10 (UENG03)

Required Duration: 1 year Credit: 1 Grade: 10 Homework: Heavy Prerequisite: Teacher recommendation is required.

Honors English 10 is a foundational course that builds on the students’ prior skillsets while also preparing them for future upper level courses. As such, emphasis is placed on argumentation and discernment in choosing evidence not only for written assessments but also oral presentations. Critical reading literacy in a variety of genres is a major component of the course to prepare students to showcase mastery of synthesizing higher order ideas across texts and disciplines. Students should also be able to demonstrate greater independent initiative when handling texts and when expressing ideas in class discussions. Texts for the Honors English 10 course, organized by genre, explore the extent to which language can be used in powerful ways to persuade us, to move us, and to aid us in instituting social change.

Texts may include: Orwell, 1984; Hamid, The Reluctant Fundamentalist; Shakespeare, Othello; Alderman, The Power; Cho, Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982; Selected Poetry and Prose (provided by teacher)

AP ENGLISH LANGUAGE & COMPOSITION (UENG13)

Elective Duration: 1 year Credit: 1 Grade: 11-12 Homework: Heavy Prerequisite: Teacher recommendation is required.

In this course students will have the opportunity to engage in a close study of a variety of nonfiction works. Students in AP English Language will become critical readers and skilled writers who are able to identify and explicate an author’s purpose and use of rhetorical strategies. One of the many goals of this college-level course is to prepare students to write effectively and compellingly about topics across all disciplines, a practice in which they will regularly engage, in both the university and professional contexts. In May, all students will take the AP Language and Composition Exam.

Texts may include: Thoreau, Walden; Alexander, The New Jim Crow; McGhee, The Sum of Us; selected essays and speeches.

AP ENGLISH LITERATURE & COMPOSITION (UENG23)

Elective Duration: 1 year Credit: 1 Grade: 12 Homework: Heavy Prerequisite: Teacher recommendation and successful completion of AP English Language & Composition or permission of the Department Chair.

This course is a university-level seminar that explores important themes in literature in an intertextual context. Reading, critical thinking, seminar discussion, and writing are the essential elements of the course, all of which will be rigorously assessed. The reading load, which is typically in excess of 40 pages a night, is significantly heavier than other courses with an Honors weighting, and is assessed via daily closed-book quizzes. Major assessments almost exclusively take the form of timed in-class essays. In addition to course texts, readings will also include selections from works of critical theory. The class is for mature readers with open minds who have already demonstrated excellence in writing and critical thinking and who are eager to challenge themselves further. Students should be aware that the works studied in the course will frequently engage with emotionally challenging and politically controversial topics.

Texts may include: Brontë, Wuthering Heights; Conrad, Heart of Darkness; Achebe, Things Fall Apart; Woolf, Mrs. Dalloway; Wilde, The Importance of Being Earnest; Miller, Death of a Salesman; Edson, W;t; Desai, The Inheritance of Loss; Brontë, Jane Eyre; Nottage, Sweat; Kalanithi, When Breath Becomes Air; Hwang, M. Butterfly;

IBHL ENGLISH LITERATURE 1 (UENG14) IBHL ENGLISH LITERATURE 2 (UENG24)

Elective Duration: 2 years Credit: 2 Grade: 11 & 12 Homework: Heavy Prerequisite: Teacher recommendation is required.

IBHL English Literature is primarily a rigorous pre-university course in literature. It is designed for students who intend to pursue a course of studies at university that places a heavy emphasis on critical reading and analytical writing. As the International Baccalaureate Organization notes, the study of literature “enables an exploration of one of the more enduring fields of human creativity and artistic ingenuity, and provides immense opportunities for encouraging independent, original, critical and clear thinking." It also promotes a healthy respect for the imagination and a perceptive approach to the understanding and interpretation of literary works. The discussion of literature is itself an art which requires the clear expression of ideas both orally and in writing. The Language A1 program encourages students to see literary works as products of art and their authors as craftsmen whose methods of production can be analyzed in a variety of ways and on a number of levels. This is achieved through the emphasis placed on exploring the means used by different authors to convey their subjects in the works studied. It is further reinforced by the comparative framework emphasized for the study of these works in all parts of the program. The flexibility of the program allows teachers to choose challenging works from their own sources to suit the particular needs and interests of their students. During the course of two years, students will be assessed in a variety of written and oral formats.

Texts may include: Wilde, The Importance of Being Earnest; Garcia Marquez, Chronicle of a Death Foretold; O’ Neill; Long Day’s Journey into Night; Schlink, The Reader; Dillard, Teaching a Stone to Talk; selected poems by Emily Dickinson and other poets.

IBHL ENGLISH LANGUAGE & LITERATURE 1 (UENG17) IBHL ENGLISH LANGUAGE & LITERATURE 2 (UENG27) IBSL ENGLISH LANGUAGE & LITERATURE 1 (UENG16) IBSL ENGLISH LANGUAGE & LITERATURE 2 (UENG26)

Elective Duration: 2 years Credit: 2 Grades: 11 & 12 Homework: Heavy Prerequisites: Teacher recommendation is required. Students will select either the IBHL or IBSL level of the course for both years.

The course aims for students to develop an understanding of the role of language in the world and to develop skills of textual analysis of both literary (poetry, drama, novels, and short stories) and non-literary texts (essays, cartoons, advertisements, infographics, profiles, speeches, articles, films, music videos, social media posts, etc.), including texts in translation. Students will be encouraged to question the meaning and aesthetic dimensions generated by language and texts based on content and context. Students will also explore how language and texts interact with each other across time and cultures. The course will examine the ways in which authors use formal and stylistic elements to create meaning in a text

I am what I read. All the books, all the papers, all the stories.

Walter Dean Myers

and consider how that meaning is shaped by circumstances of production and reception. Students will create presentations, projects, and essays in response to texts to demonstrate their critical awareness of how texts and their associated visual and audio elements work together to influence the reader/audience. Higher Level (HL) students will submit an additional written assessment to the IBO and undertake at least one extra unit of study of literary and/or non-literary texts.

Texts may include: Duffy, The World’s Wife; Euripides, Medea; Adichie, The Thing Around Your Neck; Ibsen, Hedda Gabler; George Monbiot’s essays; Hawthorne, The Scarlet Letter; Kendall, Hood Feminism; Saadawi, Woman at Point Zero

AMERICAN LITERATURE (UENG04)

Elective Duration: 1 year Credit: 1 Grade: 11-12 Homework: Moderate

Students will apply the reading and writing skills developed in the first two years of the English program to a representative study of American literature. The course syllabus will emphasize works that have earned a place in the literary tradition of the United States, while also including more recent writers whose works are expanding and redefining the American literary tradition. Instruction will be designed to help students respond to increasingly complex and challenging literary experiences. The composition component of the curriculum will include a heavy emphasis on journaling and practice in a wide range of writing modes. Work in practical grammar, academic writing, style (MLA), and vocabulary development will continue.

Texts may include: Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby; Otsuka, When the Emperor Was Divine; Melville, Moby Dick; Bradbury, The Illustrated Man; Grann, Killers of the Flower Moon; Coates, Between the World and Me.

WORLD LITERATURE (UENG05)

Elective Duration: 1 year Credit: 1 Grade: 11-12 Homework: Moderate

World Literature explores the interplay of class, gender, and race across cultures and time. Through the study of great works of Western and non-Western literature, students will gain greater perspective on their unique place within this rapidly globalizing world. This class promotes an understanding of the works in their cultural/historical contexts as well as the enduring values that unite humanity. This course is designed to challenge students as critical readers, writers, and thinkers.

Texts may include: Euripides, Medea; Su, Raise the Red Lantern; Esquivel, Like Water for Chocolate; Shakespeare, Othello; selected essays, poems and short stories.

LITERATURE, JUSTICE, & LAW (UENG07)

Elective Duration: 1 year Credit: 1 Grade: 11-12 Homework: Moderate

What lessons can be learned about law and justice, vengeance and mercy from great literature? How does literature depict the legal and judicial system? This course focuses on the execution of justice within literature. We will seek to discover the ways in which literature enhances our understanding of morals, ethics, and justice. Participants will analyze legal themes in literary and visual texts to better understand the tension between the laws we follow and our own code of ethics. Participants will also engage in a variety of immersive activities such as debates, mock trials, and reader’s theater. The class will be formatted around open-ended discussions, case examination, as well as reflective and analytical writing. Students will attend one-onone writing conferences with the instructor to develop their analytical and argumentative writing skills. Course work culminates in an investigation essay where students are tasked with synthesizing a number of texts on a topic of their choice.

Texts may include: Camus, The Stranger; Erdich, The Round House; Headley, Beowulf: A New Translation; Larsen, Devil in the White City; Gaines, A Lesson Before Dying; Christie, And Then There Were None; teacher-selected cases and short stories.

HONORS AMERICAN LITERATURE (UENG04H)

Elective Duration: 1 year Credit: 1 Grade: 11-12 Homework: Heavy Prerequisite: Teacher recommendation is required.

Honors American Literature will require a rigorous study of a representative sample of American literature with an emphasis on developing students’ critical reading and analytical writing skills. Students are expected to demonstrate independent initiative when handling texts and when expressing ideas in class discussions as well as in frequent in-class and take-home writing assignments. Reading load and homework expectations in the Honors class are significantly higher. The course syllabus will reflect works that have earned a place in the literary tradition of the United States, while also including more recent writers whose works are expanding and redefining the American literary tradition. Instruction will be designed to help students respond to increasingly complex and challenging literary experiences. The composition component of the curriculum will include practice in a wide range of writing modes. Work in practical grammar, style, and vocabulary development will continue. Teacher recommendation is required.

Texts may include: King, The Truth About Stories; Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby; Otsuka, When the Emperor Was Divine; O’Brien, The Things They Carried; Morrison, The Bluest Eye; Coates, Between the World and Me; selections of poetry, short stories, and essays provided by the instructor.

HONORS WORLD LITERATURE (UENG05H)

Elective Duration: 1 year Credit: 1 Grade: 11 -12 Homework: Heavy Prerequisite: Teacher recommendation is required.

Honors World Literature requires a rigorous study of the literary, cultural, and human significance of selected great works of classical Western and non-Western literary traditions, as well as a greater mastery of critical reading, thinking, and writing. Students should demonstrate greater independent initiative when handling texts and when expressing ideas in class discussions as well as in frequent in-class and take-home writing assignments. Reading load and homework expectations in the Honors class are significantly higher. The works studied in the course will be examined through the lens of different literary theories. An important goal of the class is to promote an understanding of the works in their cultural/ historical contexts and to reveal the enduring human values which unite the different literary traditions.

Texts may include: Sin-Leqi-Unninni, Gilgamesh; Virgil, Aeneid; Heaney, Beowulf (trans.); Cervantes, Don Quixote; Achebe, Things Fall Apart; Euripides, Medea; Ibsen, A Doll House; Narayan, The Guide; Marquez, Chronicle of a Death Foretold; She, Rickshaw Boy; selected essays, poems and short stories.

HONORS ASIAN LITERATURE (UENG10H)

Elective Duration: 1 year Credit: 1 Grade: 11 -12 Homework: Heavy Prerequisite: Teacher recommendation is required.

What does it mean to be Asian? What does it mean to be an Asian author? In this course, we will explore polyphonic voices from across the Asian continent and question what it means to be an Asian voice in the context of diaspora. The course aims to explore the diversity of cultures, concerns, and literary traditions across Asian cultures and to challenge the idea that Asian literature is monolithic. Students will conduct rigorous study of our texts through daily reading and writing homework assignments. Assessments will include analytical essays, student presentations, dramatic performances, and projects.

Texts may include: Eka Kurniawan, Man Tiger; Sayaka Murata, Convenience Store Woman; Su Tong, Raise the Red Lantern; Yiyun Li, A Thousand Years of Good Fortune; Min Jin lee, Pachinko; Shyam Selvadurai, Funny Boy; Balli Kaur Jaswal, Sugarbread; Ken Liu, The Paper Menagerie; Lysley Tenorio, Monstress; Yoko Ogawa, The Memory Police; Shawna Yang Ryan, Green Island; Souvankham Thammavongsa, How to Pronounce Knife; Mosin Hamid, How to Get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia; Duanwad Pimwana, Bright

JOURNALISM 1: THE BLUE & GOLD (UENG 71) HONORS JOURNALISM 2: THE BLUE & GOLD (UENG 72H) HONORS JOURNALISM 3: THE BLUE & GOLD (UENG 73H) HONORS JOURNALISM 4: THE BLUE & GOLD (UENG 74H)

Elective Duration: Full year Credit: 1 Grade: 9-12 Homework: Heavy Prerequisite: None for Journalism 1 Subsequent courses to be taken in sequence

Journalism is primarily a production class dedicated to creating the student newspaper, The Blue & Gold. In this class, students will gain a broad understanding of journalism by participating in the reporting, editorial, and publication processes for digital and print newspapers. Students will study and write in various journalistic genres including news, features, and opinion as well as produce photos, graphics, and designs to support their stories. They will use different technologies to create online, print, and audio-visual stories while learning to engage audiences across various platforms, including social media. Students need to work independently as well as collaborate in groups on all stages of newspaper production. They are expected to work as part of a team, show initiative, and manage their time effectively. Students and parents should be aware that students in this class are expected to spend extra time at school: they must be able to devote several evenings or weekend days each semester to the production of The Blue & Gold.

Students are encouraged to take the course for multiple years and will earn honors course credit for every year after the initial year of enrollment. Students in Honors Journalism will additionally be expected to take on mentoring and leadership responsibilities. The Blue & Gold managing and editorial roles are given to students who show exemplary expertise, commitment, and leadership.

Required Texts: Kovach and Rosenstiel, The Elements of Journalism; The Associated Press Stylebook

WRITING WORKSHOP & SEMINAR 1 (UENG 61) HONORS WRITING WORKSHOP & SEMINAR 1 (UENG 61H) WRITING WORKSHOP & SEMINAR 2 (UENG62) HONORS WRITING WORKSHOP & SEMINAR 2 (UENG62H)

Elective Duration: Full year Credit: 1 Grade: 9-12 Homework: Light (Moderate for Honors) Prerequisite: Teacher recommendation is required for Honors. Subsequent courses to be taken in sequence

In this creative writing course, students will examine different forms of storytelling from a writer’s perspective and produce original work in various genres – creative nonfiction, fiction, poetry, and graphic narrative. As members of a college-style workshop, students will share works-in-progress in a relaxed and supportive environment, while developing both the skills and sensitivity necessary to give/receive feedback to/from their peers. This course is designed for students who have a passion for and independent rigor towards their creative work. Through these discussions, the collective goal is to first identify and subsequently refine one’s own habits that shape artistic choices and abilities as writers in order to establish one’s voice. Assessments will include: the creation of a portfolio of work in a variety of genres, the maintenance of a daily journal, and at least three submissions of their creative work to competitions, publications, and literary journals, as an exercise in sending personal, creative work out into the world.

Suggested texts may include work by Alexander Chee, Chang-Rae Lee, Jhumpa Lahiri, Lorrie Moore, Susan Choi, Cathy Park Hong, Elizabeth Alexander, Ken Liu, Gene Luen Yang

ART & LITERATURE (SEM. 1) (UART65S1)

Elective Duration: 1 semester Credit: 0.5 Grade: 9-12 Homework: Light Prerequisite: None

This course is dual-listed under both the English and Visual Art departments and fulfills the Visual Art credit but does not fulfill the English credit. The course is designed for students to explore in greater depth the collaborative potential for visual art and literature, providing them the platform to appreciate the interconnectedness of the world of words and the world of colors. Students will express their appreciation for and understanding of literature in their artistic interpretations. They will learn and experiment with a variety of tools, mediums, and techniques such as drawing, painting, and mixed media as we read and discuss different genres of literature, with a focus on poetry and prose. We will examine the texts for themes, symbolism, imagery, characterization, narrative perspective and structure, and learn to use visual art as a tool to communicate our interpretation of these authorial choices. In the course of the semester, students will also examine works of art and interpret the story behind these artworks through individual and collaborative creative writing. Students are assigned readings for homework, and are expected to record their observations and ideas in their sketchbook so that they are prepared to come into class to share and discuss. Most assignments are completed in class, though they might need to work on their art and/or creative writing pieces beyond regular class time. At the end of the semester, students will develop a body of work and produce a final portfolio along with written reflections of their creative choices.

ART & LITERATURE (SEM. 2) (UART65S2)

Elective Duration: 1 semester Credit: 0.5 Grade: 9-12 Homework: Light Prerequisite: None

This course is dual-listed under both the English and Visual Art departments and fulfills the Visual Art credit but does not fulfill the English credit. Students can take this course without having taken it in the first semester. Course

Every word a woman writes changes the story of the world, revises the official version.

Carolyn See Books are the mirrors of the soul.

Virginia Woolf

content, expectations, and outcomes are similar to that of the first semester. Students will explore the collaborative potential for visual art and literature, and are provided the platform to appreciate the interconnectedness of the world of words and the world of colors in their artistic interpretations. They will learn and experiment with a variety of tools, mediums, and techniques such as drawing, painting, and mixed media as we read and discuss different genres of literature, with a focus on poetry, prose and plays. We will examine the texts for themes, symbolism, imagery, characterization, narrative perspective and structure, and learn to use visual art as a tool to communicate our interpretation of these authorial choices. In the course of the semester, students will also examine works of art and interpret the story behind these artworks through creative writing. Students are assigned readings for homework, and are expected to record their observations and ideas in their sketchbook so that they are prepared to come into class to share and discuss. Most assignments are completed in class, though they might need to work on their art and/or creative writing pieces beyond regular class time. At the end of the semester, students will develop a body of work and produce a final portfolio along with written reflections of their creative choices.

HONORS ART & LITERATURE (UART65H)

Elective Duration: 1 year Credit: 1 Grade: 10-12 Homework: Moderate to Heavy Prerequisite: Teacher recommendation is required.

This course is dual-listed under both the English and Visual Art departments and fulfills the Visual Art credit but does not fulfill the English credit. At the Honors level, workload and expectations are higher; it is likely that students will need to work on their art/creative writing pieces beyond regular class time. Throughout the year, students develop their oral, written and visual presentations skills as they visually interpret the literature and creatively write about the art. They are exposed to a variety of tools, mediums, and techniques as we read and interpret different literary genres such as poetry, prose and plays. Students are assigned readings for homework, and are expected to record their observations and ideas in their sketchbook so that they are prepared to come into class to share and discuss. We will engage in individual and collaborative work in our conceptualization and execution of art making during class time. In the second semester, students work towards developing a personalized portfolio by focusing on a theme, medium, or literary genre of their choosing. By the end of both semesters, students are expected to have a portfolio of work that they can select from to submit to the Scholastic Art Awards and the school magazines. The course will also conclude with student exhibitions as they “read”, reflect and interpret the aesthetics of each other’s works of art.