Purpose

The effective implementation of a new curriculum requires administrative commitment and support. This bulletin provides information to enable administrators to support teachers in planning and implementing an effective English language arts program at the Secondary Level. In particular, this bulletin:

• provides an overview of the English language arts curricula at the Secondary Level and credit requirements
• outlines the philosophy and important components of the new English Language Arts A30 and B30 courses
• describes considerations for implementation including time, resources, and the role administrators can play to support curriculum implementation.

English Language Arts

Background

In 1984, Directions identified language arts as one of the Required Areas of Study for all kindergarten to grade 12 students. As well, the importance of language learning and use across the curriculum from kindergarten to grade 12 was emphasized in the Common Essential Learning of Communication.

The English Language Arts Curriculum Advisory Committee was established in 1986. In June 1989, the committee finalized the Policy for English Language Arts: Kindergarten to Grade Twelve. This policy guides curriculum development from K-12.

In addition to the policy, the English Language Arts Curriculum Reference Committee, formed in 1994, considered recommendations of the Saskatchewan

High School Review Advisory Committee and the Minister’s Response to the High School Review Advisory Committee Final Report (1994). The Minister’s Response recommended that:

• Saskatchewan Education develop three courses in a 10, 20, and 30 sequence that use language as the basis for all learning including the study of literature and other forms of communication
• Saskatchewan Education develop two issue-oriented courses that integrate the English language arts and focus on practical communication skills, information processing, critical and creative thinking, and problem solving.

As well, Saskatchewan Education participated in the Western Canadian Protocol for Collaboration in Basic Education to develop the Common Curriculum Framework for English Language Arts, Kindergarten to Grade 12 (1998). This framework also informs the curriculum development process.

Secondary Level

English language arts is a Required Area of Study. Each of the courses in the Secondary Level English language arts program is a 100-hour course for one credit.

Credit Requirements

Students graduating before January 2000 require six English language arts credits. To meet the new credit requirements for graduation effective in the year 2000, students are required to take five compulsory English language arts (ELA) courses at the Secondary Level. These compulsory courses include three theme-based courses in a Grade 10, 11 and 12 sequence (ELA A10, 20, A30). In addition, two issue-oriented courses designated as "B" courses are required at the Grade 10 and 12 levels respectively.

• ELA A10, 20 and A30 are a prerequisite series and are to be taken sequentially.
• Students need ELA A10, B10 and 20 for grade eleven completion.
• Students need ELA A10 or B10 before enrolling in an ELA 20 elective course (Communication Studies 20, Creative Writing 20, Journalism Studies 20, Media Studies 20).
• ELA B10 is a prerequisite for B30.

Curriculum Documents

The English Language Arts A30 and B30 courses will be printed along with the ELA A10, B10, and ELA 20 objectives and sample units in English Language Arts A10, B10, 20, A30, B30: A Curriculum Guide for the Secondary Level (1999). The following documents will also be available to support the implementation of the 30-level English language arts courses:

• English Language Arts 30: A Bibliography (1999)
• Guidelines for Developing Modified Courses: English Language Arts A31, B31 (Basic), English Language Arts A30A, B30A (Advanced)(1999).

In addition, Saskatchewan Education will produce a resource of listening activities and assessments for English Language Arts A30 and B30. This resource will address the listening objectives for the courses and will be accompanied by an audiotape. It will be available through the Learning Resources Distribution Centre.

Curriculum Overview

The Secondary Level English language arts curriculum is centred on the philosophy of language as the base for communicating, learning, and thinking. It promotes language growth by giving students opportunities to:

• learn language through experiences with the English language
• learn about language including its processes and conventions
• learn through language as they use it to learn about life, literature, the media, and language itself.

The aim of the English language arts program is to graduate a literate person who is competent and confident in using language for both functional and aesthetic purposes.

The grade twelve courses:

• recognize language as a base for each course and acknowledge the importance of learning language in context.
• identify key foundational and specific learning objectives for speaking, listening, writing, and reading as well as identifying important objectives for representing and viewing.
• acknowledge the importance of integration and the interrelation of the processes of speaking, writing, and representing; and listening, reading, and viewing.
• acknowledge the importance of using language for specific purposes and for particular audiences and contexts.
• acknowledge the importance of selecting resources (contemporary and traditional texts, print and nonprint; community resource personnel) to match objectives and students’ needs and interests.
• stress the importance of students using and applying their language strategies.
• stress the role of the teacher and the importance of reflecting on practice.

The English language arts curriculum guide outlines objectives for each course and includes suggestions for organizing an English language arts program and offers specific course planning and classroom routines. It provides specific and practical teaching and learning strategies as well as assessment, evaluation, and reporting suggestions related to the foundational and specific learning objectives.

Objectives

The focus of the Secondary Level English language arts curriculum is on the development of speaking and listening, writing and reading, and representing and viewing knowledge, skills, and strategies.

The foundational objectives expect students to:

• recognize oral communication as an important tool for communicating, thinking, and learning
• practise the behaviours of effective speakers
• speak fluently and confidently in a variety of situations for a variety of purposes and audiences.

• recognize listening as an active, constructive process
• practise the behaviours of effective listeners
• listen effectively in a variety of situations for a variety of purposes.

• recognize writing as a constructive and recursive process
• practise the behaviours of effective writers
• write fluently and confidently for a variety of purposes and audiences.

• recognize reading as an active, constructive process
• practice the behaviours of effective, strategic readers
• read fluently and confidently a variety of text for a variety of purposes.

• create appropriate nonverbal and visual images to communicate.

• recognize nonverbal and visual representations as tools for communicating and learning.

The specific learning objectives describe knowledge, skills, and attitudes designed to extend students’ abilities to achieve each foundational objective. The specific learning objectives guide the planning, instruction, and assessment of students’ daily language experiences and assist teachers in selecting appropriate resources.

Speaking and Listening

Speaking and listening are important processes in the new English language arts curriculum. Speaking and listening provide the basis for growth in reading and writing. Talk extends students’ thinking and understanding by offering them opportunities to express and explore ideas, and to make connections between what they know and what they are beginning to know. Listening opportunities help students to develop effective interactive behaviours and to access others’ ideas and information.

Learning and the effective use of oral language are closely related, so the classroom should be a place where students feel safe to take risks, where the use of spoken language is sensitively supported, and where effective listening behaviours are developed and valued.

The curriculum provides teachers with suggestions for developing students’ oral language abilities and for integrating the speaking and listening processes with the writing, reading, representing, and viewing processes in authentic, productive ways. Included are suggestions for instruction, assessment, and evaluation.

As teachers begin to use the new curriculum, an observer in the classroom should see students engaged in a variety of integrated listening and speaking activities and experiences. Some of these activities and interactions are included in the following lists.

• the teacher modelling standard English language usage
• the teacher using mini-lessons to instruct students about language usage and formats for a variety of speaking situations (e.g., informal and formal individual, small group, and large group situations) and purposes (e.g., to inform, to persuade, to share feelings, to respond, to entertain)
• the students speaking for a variety of purposes and situations (e.g., small group discussion, conversation, formal speeches, drama, debates, storytelling)
• the students developing social skills by interacting in a variety of small group situations (e.g., reader response pairs or triads, or collaborative and co-operative groups)
• the students facilitating and participating in group discussions
• the students and the teacher assessing speaking abilities and practices using checklists, rubrics, or rating scales.

• the teacher modelling effective listening behaviours for students
• the teacher using mini-lessons to instruct students about effective listening
• strategies for a variety of situations and purposes
• the students listening in a variety of situations for a variety of purposes (e.g., one-on-one conversations, group discussions, formal speeches, oral readings, student presentations)
• the students developing their social skills through listening (e.g., attending to speaker, questioning for clarification, using and interpreting nonverbals, summarizing and paraphrasing to demonstrate understanding)
• the students using listening effectively as a means of learning
• the students and the teacher assessing listening practices and behaviours using checklists, rubrics, or rating scales.

Writing and Reading

Writing and reading are integral to learning in all subject areas. A process approach to writing helps students to write as authors in real life do, often choosing their own topics and formats, and writing from their experiences or observations. As readers interact with text, they make meaning by constructing or generating relationships between what is written in the text and what they already know. Through discussion and written response before, during, and after reading, students explore and extend their understanding and knowledge about language and language use. Becoming effective, independent writers and readers takes time and continual practice. As students engage in the writing process and develop strategies for making sense of what they read, they develop their abilities to communicate effectively.

The curriculum provides teachers with suggestions for developing students’ writing and reading knowledge, skills, and strategies, and gives suggestions for integrating the language processes in ways that allow each process to support the development of the others. Included are suggestions for instruction, assessment, and evaluation.

As teachers begin to use the new curriculum, an observer in the classroom should see students engaged in a variety of integrated writing and reading activities and experiences. Some of these activities and interactions are included in the following list.

• the teacher modelling the writing process and sharing his/her own written work with students
• the teacher providing instruction about the recursive nature of writing and the components of a writing process (e.g., pre-writing, planning, drafting, conferencing, revising, editing, sharing/publishing)
• the students engaging in writing for a variety of audiences and purposes and in a variety of formats
• the teacher encouraging and instructing students about how to use writing as a means of thinking, responding, and learning (e.g., jotting notes, creating idea webs)
• the teacher using mini-lessons with individuals, small groups, or the whole class, as needed, to help students review or acquire the language skills and concepts in the context of their own writing
• the students using a variety of available tools (e.g., dictionary, thesaurus, computer word processor, language usage handbook) to assist them during writing
• the teacher conferring regularly with individual students about their writing, responding with encouraging, useful suggestions and providing assistance on a regular basis
• the students engaging in conferences during the writing process (e.g., during revising and editing)
• the teacher and students displaying and publishing their writing
• the teacher and students selecting and collecting portfolio assessment data (e.g., samples of writing in various stages, journal entries) according to criteria set by the teacher in collaboration with students
• the teacher using writing folders, portfolios, checklists, and anecdotal notes to guide instructional decisions.

• the teacher modelling and sharing reading strategies, as well as a personal pleasure in reading
• the teacher providing opportunities for student choice of novel, reading selection, activity, etc.
• the students and the teacher reading and discussing a variety of genres (e.g., novels, poetry, short stories, essays, editorials, biographies, informational articles, books)
• the students independently selecting and reading a variety of resources
• the teacher reading aloud to students on a regular basis
• the students developing their reading skills and strategies within meaningful contexts, rather than in isolation
• the students engaging in reading activities that activate and access students’ prior knowledge and reading strategies before, during, and after reading
• the teacher using instructional strategies that promote reflection, discussion, and critical thinking (e.g., literature circles, reader response)
• the students willing to take risks and offering diverse responses to literature
• the teacher using a variety of learning situations for instruction (e.g., individual/independent activities, whole class, flexible small groups, partners)
• the students and teacher assessing reading skills and strategies using checklists, rubrics, conferences, and anecdotal notes, and using the data to inform future learning.

Representing and Viewing

Representing and viewing are processes that support speaking, listening, writing, and reading. They broaden the ways in which students can learn and communicate their learning.

While the emphasis of the language arts is on representing thoughts, ideas, information, and feelings in written or spoken forms, students also may use visual, dramatic, and multimedia formats to support their written and spoken messages, or to convey meaning.

Students also receive thoughts, information, ideas, and feelings through viewing a variety of visual, dramatic, and multimedia formats. As students read and listen, they encounter visual messages which require response, interpretation, and critical assessment.

By accommodating a variety of learning styles, representing and viewing help students achieve the English language arts objectives. Incorporating representing and viewing into language experiences encourages students to explore and expand the depths of their knowledge and understanding. They also expand the ways in which students may communicate their ideas.

As teachers begin to use the new curriculum, an observer in the classroom should see students engaged in a variety of integrated representing and viewing activities and experiences. Some of these activities and interactions are included in the following lists.

• the teacher using representing skills to extend and complement students’ speaking and writing skills and strategies
• the students using written and spoken communication in combination with visual, dramatic, and multimedia formats
• the students using a variety of ways to learn including oral, print, visual, dramatic, and multimedia formats
• the students using oral, print, visual, dramatic, and multimedia formats to represent their understanding.

• the teacher using viewing skills to extend and complement students’ listening and reading skills and strategies
• the students responding to, interpreting, and critically evaluating visual, dramatic, and multimedia texts.

Integrated Language Study

In addition to developing the knowledge, skills, and strategies needed to communicate effectively through speaking, listening, writing, reading, representing, and viewing, students need to develop an understanding and appreciation of the English language and how it is used. As Secondary Level students gain control of their language processes and strategies, they increase their understanding of three broad concepts of language:

• language varies according to audience, purpose, and situation (context)
• language has structural patterns and conventions
• language changes over time.

Whenever students are speaking, listening, writing, reading, representing, or viewing, they are using language for specific purposes. As they speak, write, and represent their thoughts and ideas about life, literature, and the media, they are using language for specific purposes, audiences, and situations. When they listen, read, and view, they are seeing language used in a variety of ways for a variety of purposes. Through these experiences, they are learning about the English language, its use, its conventions, and its elements. The study of language, its nature and its elements, is an important component of each language arts course.

The English language arts curriculum guide outlines specific language understandings that students should have of language in general (e.g., language varies according to audience, purpose, and context; language has structures and conventions; and language develops and changes over time) and of its structures and conventions in particular.

The guide advocates students learn "a minimum of grammar for maximum benefits" (Weaver, 1996). To this end, Secondary Level students should have an understanding of:

• the concepts of subject, verb, clause, and basic sentence patterns
• sentence combining (and decombining) and sentence generating
• usage and usage issues
• dialects and dialects of power
• punctuation and mechanics for clarity and style.

Teachers are encouraged to address the language concepts as they become useful in the context of what the students are trying to do (e.g., write, disentangle the syntax of literature). Instruction about language knowledge and skills (including spelling, syntax, usage, and mechanics) is provided in the context of the students’ daily language use and experience. Short, to-the-point mini-lessons, for example, are immediately useful because they connect the language concept or skills directly to the students’ current speaking, listening, writing, reading, representing, and viewing experiences.

Media and Technology

Media and technology play an important role in the language arts. Students live in an information age filled with a variety of technology and multimedia learning tools. In addition to books, newspapers, radio, and television, students have access to a range of media and "new" communication and personal technologies (e.g., voice mail, electronic mail, fax, Internet, CD-ROMs, laptop computers, camcorders). These texts and tools are useful to achieve the English language arts speaking, listening, writing, and reading objectives, and offer students opportunities for representing their ideas and for critical viewing.

Assessment and Evaluation

Assessment and evaluation are integral components of the teaching-learning cycle. The main purpose is to guide and improve learning and instruction. Assessment and evaluation should provide students with constructive feedback and encourage them to reflect upon their own learning.

The curriculum expects teachers to:

• use the assessment data to make diagnostic and formative judgements about student language abilities and instructional needs
• conduct summative evaluations that are related to the identified objectives
• communicate assessment and evaluation criteria and strategies to students in advance, informing them of the objectives and assessment procedures related to the objectives
• provide students with opportunities to self-assess using known criteria and to have input into the evaluation process.

Throughout the curriculum, teachers are supported as reflective practitioners using their knowledge of language and individuals’ learning needs to guide their decisions about classroom instruction, activities, and resources.

English Language Arts A30 and B30

English Language Arts A30 and B30 employ a unit approach to instruction and suggest themes (A30) and issues (B30) as organizing frameworks for the integration and interrelation of the speaking, listening, writing, reading, representing, and viewing objectives. These themes and issues are of interest and concern to students at the Secondary Level, and encourage students to learn about and through language, as they use language in purposeful and challenging ways.

English Language Arts A30 focuses on Canada and Canadian society. The suggested thematic units for this course are:

• Canada—Diverse Landscapes and Peoples [Suggested sub-themes include: A Vast and Varied Land, Nature and the Seasons, Regional Landscapes, Identity and Diversity, Personalities and Values]
• Canada—Diverse Voices [Suggested sub-themes include: Aboriginal Voices, Voices through Time, Regional Voices, Multicultural Voices, Female and Male Voices, Marginalized Voices]

Teachers are expected to teach two 50-hour units based on the stated learning objectives for the course. A 50-hour sample unit is presented in the curriculum guide for the Canada—Diverse Landscapes and Peoples theme.

Students require English Language Arts A10 and English Language Arts 20 as prerequisites for English Language Arts A30.

English Language Arts B30 focuses on human concerns in a global society. The course is organized around global issues and perspectives, and uses traditional and contemporary world literature to examine these issues. The suggested issue-based units for this course are:

• The Human Condition—In Search of Self [Suggested sub-issues include: Identity and Sense of Self, Human Qualities and Ideals, Human Relationships, Joy and Fulfillment, Doubt and Fear]
• The Social Experience—Beyond Personal Goals [Suggested sub-issues include: Individual and Social Responsibility; Truth and Justice; Ambition, Power, and the Common Good; Social Criticism; Causes and Crusades.]

Teachers are expected to teach two 50-hour units based on the stated learning objectives for the course. A 50-hour sample unit is presented in the curriculum guide for The Human Condition—In Search of Self.

Students require English Language Arts B10 as a prerequisite for English Language Arts B30.