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The four-year program in English provides a sequential learning experience designed to help students think and communicate clearly about the human condition as they confront it both in literature and in their daily lives.

Becoming a careful reader and observer begins with attention to details. Students must learn to appreciate not only the facts of a particular literature, but also how and why the author has arranged these facts. Consideration of plot thus leads to discussion of style, technique, structure, and theme. Understanding of the interplay of these elements will help make students aware of the strategies underlying literature and will help stimulate discussion of the need for planning, revision, and editing in the students’ own writing.

A broad and functional vocabulary, clearly worded sentences, well-organized paragraphs, essays, and papers – all are fundamental to effective written communication. Mastery of the skills underlying these fundamentals requires attention to the details of precise vocabulary, correct grammar and usage, and proper mechanics. As discipline is not the enemy of enthusiasm, developing these skills is not the enemy of finding one’s own voice in writing.

Careful readers and writers, students will grow in their appreciation of the human condition and come to recognize themselves as participants in the human drama of studying, learning, and living.

COURSE OFFERINGS

English I - 9th year
n this introductory course, students embark on their four-year odyssey in literature, writing, grammar, and vocabulary. The literature focus is on genre (fiction, the epic, poetry, and drama), with an emphasis on both canonical works such as Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet and Othello and modern classics such as Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart and August Wilson’s Fences. Reading Homer’s Odyssey develops students' appreciation for the timeless myths of the ancient Greeks. The writing program includes study of the writing process of research, prewriting, drafting, revising, and editing. Students gain proficiency in the short essay and its methods of development, and write regularly in a journal. Weekly lessons in vocabulary and grammar hone the skills necessary for successfully navigating subsequent courses.

Composition Skills - 9th year
In addition to their English I course, students in 9th year undertake a Composition Skills course that meets twice a cycle. Extensive practice in exposition comprises the bulk of the writing, and across-the-curriculum articulation with the Theology and History Departments allows students to develop their writing within cognitive domains complementary to the English Curriculum.

English II - 10th year
In English II, the students' journey in literature, writing, grammar, and vocabulary continues. The literature studied is American, and the students' reading takes them from the hardships of the Colonial and Revolutionary Eras, through the growing pains of the Federalist and Romantic Eras, to the harsh realities of war and the more ambiguous temper of the Modern Era. Work in grammar and on building vocabulary extends the students' verbal competence, demonstrated in their mastery of the medium-length essay. Also, students' practice the test taking skills necessary for success on examinations such as the College Board's PSAT/NMSQT.

English III - 11th year
In English III, extensive reading and writing complement the students' ongoing study of vocabulary and grammar. Students explore British Literature chronologically , beginning with Beowulf and traversing the Medieval, Elizabethan, and Victorian ages on their way to the modern drama of John Osborne and the poetry of Dylan Thomas. Students strive for mastery of the extended essay and the research paper, the latter a collaborative effort with the History Department. Also, students practice the test-taking skills necessary for success on standardized examinations such as the College Board's SAT I.

Speech - 11th year
The course in Speech is required for all students in their Junior year. Students learn the fundamentals of public speaking and practice these fundamentals by making several oral presentations in class. Instruction emphasizes the importance of communication in daily life, the intelligent choice of speech topics, the various strategies for effective delivery, and the importance of feedback. Preparation for oral delivery includes practice in various relaxation techniques and emphasizes the need to respond to the audience. Through their readings and presentations, students gain confidence in their ability to speak before a group and are introduced to the realities of public debate, parliamentary procedure, and dramatic recitation.

English IV - 12th year
In English IV students undertake an intense study of the development of the modern novel during their first semester and an examination of the roots of drama in their second semester. Genres treated during the year include the Gothic, the Grotesque, Fantasy, Science Fiction, and Tragedy, as well as Realism, Naturalism, Expressionism, Post Modernism, and Theater of the Absurd. Poetry from the Sound and Sense text is an integral part of each semester. Frequent papers help students master the elements of a college level expository essay.

AP English - 12th year
In the Advanced Placement course in English Literature and Composition, students are involved in both the study and practice of writing in addition to their study of literature. The course emphasizes the resources of language: connotation, metaphor, irony, syntax, and tone. Types of works handled include drama, the novel, poetry, and the short story. Students must take the Advanced Placement Examination in May.

Philosophy and Literature - 12th year, Elective
Open to juniors and seniors, Philosophy and Literature stimulates abstract thinking and facilitates an intellectual deepening intended to prepare students for college. Focusing on writers and philosophers both ancient and modern, the course helps students to understand themselves and their world, and encourages them to weigh their own values in light of society's and of their peers.

Modern American Fiction - 12th year, Semester Elective
Novels are considered that present major themes in the American experience of this century, with an exploration of the moral responses to those issues. Emphasis is placed on the distinguishing strengths of modern narrative forms, with special attention paid to the ways in which American fiction conveys human spirituality during troubled times.

Modern Drama - 12th year, Semester Elective
This course will be an examination of multicultural modern drama from both literary and performance standpoints. Looking at drama as a genre of literature, students will examine the literary elements of plays -- realism, tragedy, comedy, setting, characters, plot, style, theme, etc. These topics will be discussed and analyzed through topical papers.

Writing Fiction and Poetry - 12th year, Semester Elective
The semester elective in writing is offered to students in senior year on an approval basis. Study of selected short stories engages the student in analysis of the elements of fiction, emphasizing structure, narration, description, dialogue, and the concrete use of language. Study of various poetic forms, including Haiku, Cinquain, Sonnet, and Free Verse, develops appreciation for figurative use of language. Reading of appropriate articles from professional writing magazines complements student understanding of fictional and poetic elements with practical suggestions as to the methods best suited to realizing the student's writing goals. Students maintain a journal in which they record their ideas and initial drafts. Classwork combines discussion of the art and craft of writing with practical exercises in the journals. Students submit short stories and poems as their final examination.

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