English: Advanced Level

Students who have completed the Advanced Level will have the skills necessary to enter Provincial Level courses and some vocational, career, and technological programs.

Required Learning Outcomes

1. Critical and Creative Thinking

• recall and interpret information (identify subject/topic, main ideas, supporting ideas, and sequence)
• summarize information
• make inferences
  • using prior knowledge
  • identifying purpose and audience
  • evaluating information for accuracy, relevance, and importance
  • recognizing underlying assumptions (bias and tone)
  • synthesizing information
• compare and contrast
• classify
• define
• draw conclusions
• respond to information (create solutions, identify impact of solutions, modify solutions)
• identify and discuss examples of fact and opinion

2. Speaking and Listening

• ask questions to clarify meaning
• demonstrate effective listening skills and respond appropriately to listener feedback
• effectively use voice and body language
• provide useful input and feedback in a variety of situations (peer editing, group discussion, classroom participation)
• respond appropriately to thoughts, opinions, and work of others
• paraphrase ideas
• deliver an effective oral presentation to inform or persuade

3. Reading, Research, Reference

• use context clues and word structure analysis (prefix, suffix, root) to determine meaning
• use a dictionary and a thesaurus to expand vocabulary and to learn homonyms, antonyms and synonyms
• use in-book reference tools (index, table of contents, glossary)
• use skimming and scanning techniques
• read to locate specific information
• recognize point of view, illogical argument, fallacies, stereotypes, bias and propaganda
• use variety of reference materials
• develop note-taking skills
• develop research skills (internet and library catalog searches)
• critically evaluate, make inferences, and draw conclusions

4. Written Communication

• use the steps of the writing process (prewrite, outline, draft, revise, edit)
• write paragraphs and essays in a variety of rhetorical modes including exposition and persuasion
• write a summary
• adjust content and style of writing to suit purpose, audience, and situation
• revise and edit work to improve content, organization, word choice, phrasing, grammar, sentence and paragraph structure, spelling, and punctuation
• recognize and edit for clichés, jargon, slang, and wordiness
• use complex and compound sentence structures
• use parallel constructions and correct misplaced or dangling modifiers
• develop advanced spelling strategies
• write a review of a book, movie, play, television program, documentary, piece of music, or other non-print material
• write paragraphs and essays on demand
• identify, discuss, and evaluate literary elements (plot, theme, character, setting, conflict)
• analyze and respond to editorial comment, magazine articles, technical or investigative writing, or advertising
• gather, evaluate, and organize information into a research assignment using appropriate documentation (MLA or APA)
• understand and avoid plagiarism

Recommended Learning Outcomes

5. Co-operative Communication

• establish co-operative working relationships with others
• recognize and respect diversity and individual differences
• recognize non-verbal cues
• problem-solve
• challenge assumptions constructively

6. Media Literacy

• identify and track a theme, topic, or specified content from a variety of media
• interpret common graphics (graphs, charts, tables)
• critique a variety of media messages

7. Computer Literacy

• use computer programs to create, edit, and publish
• format assignments appropriately
• use electronic communication

8. Creative Writing

• write a creative piece (poetry, blog, journal, story)