ENGLISH English 9 (1 Credit)
English 10 Honors (1 Credit)
In the first year of English study at Xavier, students begin with an intensive writing curriculum in the first quarter in which they will practice the art of writing. Students will read exemplary essays and writing samples – description, reflection, narration, argumentation, exposition and analysis – and start out writing short pieces in these modes. Writing instruction is complemented by the study of grammar (particularly parts of speech, proper sentence structure and agreement), and grammar study continues throughout the year. After quarter one, students read widely across genres which include the short story, poetry, non-fiction and the novel. Each year, teachers of freshmen vary and update texts for study, discussion and analysis. This course has multiple aims: to enable students to become confident and proficient readers; to develop and hone critical thinking skills through discussion and literary analysis; to fashion and foster one’s analytical and creative voice through the written and spoken word. Vocabulary is taught and reinforced both within the context of the literature at hand and also through the study of commonly occurring words for academic and reading proficiency. Students will also begin their three-year study of Shakespeare with an intensive reading and analysis of Romeo & Juliet or Julius Caesar.
This sophomore honors English deepens the literary studies begun in freshman year with a specific focus on British Literature. Composition, vocabulary and reading skills are further developed through the study of challenging texts, and the instructor teaches critical reading and writing with a pre-AP focus as the majority of the honors students will choose to go on to AP English in junior and senior year. English 10 Honors engages students in independent research and in-class presentations. The sophomore honors class is characterized by seminar-style participation.
English 9 Honors (1 Credit) All freshman students admitted to the Ignatian Scholars Honors Program will be enrolled in English 9 Honors. Students will begin with an intensive writing program, and critically challenging reading and writing assignments will be geared toward developing Pre-AP thinking and writing skills featuring literary and rhetorical analysis. Students will study grammar topics related to writing clearly and powerfully. Ignatian Scholars read a varied selection of challenging novels and non-fiction books in addition to two Shakespeare plays. Students are expected to contribute actively and thoughtfully in seminars and discussions.
English 10 (1 Credit) This sophomore course of study provides an overview of the British canon in literature from Anglo-Saxon times to the present. Texts will include selections from Beowulf and The Canterbury Tales, and full-length works, including Shakespeare’s Macbeth, Frankenstein (Shelley) and a dystopian British fiction selection. Students study numerous pieces of short fiction, non-fiction and poetry from across the various literary movements in British Literature and also read pieces that engage discussion of the impact of the colonial British influence on native populations. Students will continue to develop their skills in expository, analytical and argumentative writing, their understanding and implementation of the rules of grammar and their study of vocabulary for enhancement of critical reading and comprehension.
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English 11: Exploring American Identity Through Literature (1 Credit) The junior year English course examines a broad range of classic and contemporary literature through the lens of four themes: dreams, faith, conformity and rebellion, social pressure and moral codes. Through thematic units, students study the diverse voices and cultures that represent the American identity. Texts include American short stories, poetry, documents, speeches, plays, and novels. Titles covered may include, but are not limited to: Go Tell It on the Mountain (Baldwin), The Great Gatsby (Fitzgerald), Sula (Morrison), Ethan Frome (Wharton), A Streetcar Named Desire (Williams), and others. Selections vary year to year. Students also continue their study of Shakespeare with Othello. Writing advances in difficulty and expectation as students learn to place their own literary analysis in the context of the critical studies of others, and learn to place their own voices in the context of analyzing the rhetoric of others. Study of grammar continues in the junior year both to improve student writing and to enhance proficiency in light of college entrance exam expectations. Deliberate study of vocabulary in context continues in the junior year to enhance student reading comprehension.
AP English Language & Composition (1 Credit) The study of American Literature forms the background of this course, however, the AP course is primarily a college-level study of rhetoric and writing. The course engages students in becoming skilled readers of prose, mainly nonfiction, from a variety of literary periods, disciplines, and rhetorical contexts. Students focus on becoming skilled writers who compose for a variety of purposes. Frequent writing and reading tasks engage students in developing an awareness of the interactions among a writer’s purposes, an audience’s expectations, and the writer’s subject, as well as the way conventions in writing and the resources of language contribute to effectiveness in writing. Special attention will be devoted to development of voice and style in writing.
