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Words. Books. Reading. Writing. Ask anyone what they think of when you say the words "English" or "literature" and those are some of the responses you'll get. However, English represents more than just a language; it's also synonymous for an entire field of study - English language arts.
To the left is a video from the Crash Course Literature mini series by author John Green about the reason we read and study literature. Check it out! |
While English language arts does involve a lot of books and reading, it encompasses many different skills that you will learn and use in our class. English students need to be able to read and think critically, write clearly and efficiently, understand many different literary periods and traditions, and know specific and important works.
- Read and think critically: to study literature, in English you will read text closely and carefully to understand the different issues and ideas the author is addressing. You will also think critically about the text to determine what is its purpose, audience, and context. All these elements combine to convey meaning in English, and as an English student it is important to develop these skills to truly comprehend the literature you study.
- Write clearly and efficiently: to show your comprehension of text and share your own ideas with others, as an English student you will practice different elements of writing and develop your writing skills well. You will work to keep your writing clear and effective to engage your readers and express your knowledge of English.
- Understand different literary periods and traditions: English is a language that develops over time, and the literature of the English culture is no different. To understand how literature has become the subject we know today, you will study the different movements and periods and the time periods in which they came about. English is an art form greatly influenced by the events of the time, and you will come to better understand English in the present by studying how it has changed from the past.
- Know specific and important works: in English there are many different authors or works that had a huge impact on the future course of the subject. As an English student, you will study many of these iconic works and use that knowledge to connect different texts and materials together.