Philosophy | Form III | Presentation Skills | Form IV
Form V: Themes in American Literature | Form VI

Philosophy

The English program is based on two assumptions. The first is that mastery of one’s own language is essential to an individual’s personal development; he must be able to express himself clearly, communicate with and persuade others. The second assumption has three parts: that the experience of great literature allows us to enlarge our experience of and ability to deal with the world we live in, that contact with the best thoughts of the best minds can be a source of wisdom and delight, and that the individual can better appreciate his own values and those of his culture if he is familiar with the process by which they have evolved.

No Upper School English program can possibly provide students with all the instruction in language and literature that they will ever need. Properly understood, education is a lifelong process. An effective English program equips the student with the skills he will need to pursue formal study and to continue the self-educational effort which marks and makes the well-rounded individual.

Form III

Form III English exposes students to a variety of literary works, including novels, short stories, plays, and poems. Building on the work of the Middle School, more literary terms are introduced, and the structure and function of literary forms are examined. The reading of literature provides a foundation for the integration of grammar, spelling, and vocabulary lessons within the framework of a comprehensive study of the writing process. Considerable time is spent on planning, writing, evaluating, and revising essays in order to produce writing that is clear, concise, and persuasive. Time is devoted to developing better study skills and habits, with emphasis on organizational, reading, and analytical skills. Students will use the Sadlier-Oxford Vocabulary Workshop, Level E, and Hacker’s Pocket Style Manual for technical studies and vocabulary enrichment.

Fall Term: Heroic Figures: Texts include Achebe, Things Fall Apart; Hilton, Lost Horizon; Homer, The Odyssey; and selected stories.

Winter Term: Heroic Choices: Hansberry, A Raisin in the Sun; Shakespeare, Julius Caesar; Poetry: terms and structure.

Spring Term: Heroic Consequences: Mishima, The Sound of Waves; Salinger, The Catcher in the Rye.

 

Presentation Skills

This three-term Form III requirement helps to develop excellent oral communication skills in students and to teach them to express themselves in a clear and articulate manner in all circumstances, including debates, interviews, and other public speaking occasions. Students are encouraged to develop confidence and poise when they present themselves in their public and personal lives. One term is devoted to learning how to make effective use of computer programs when making presentations. In the second and third term, focus is on original oratory and the oral interpretation of literature. Emphasis is placed on content as well as nonverbal communication, with particular focus on persuasive and inspirational speeches.

Form IV

Form IV English provides an introduction to the history and development of the English language and a survey of the various literary forms. The reading is chosen to encourage discussion of such themes as maturity, the dignity of the individual, friendship, fate, and moral integrity. Strategies for approaching, reading, and retaining a knowledge of challenging texts are discussed and implemented. The reading covers a wide range of material from Sophocles to Shakespeare, from Geoffrey Chaucer to Phillip Larkin. Some memorization is required. The writing of organized, supported, and persuasive essays finds emphasis in reading and in practice. Planning and revision merit special attention. Grammar study and vocabulary are pursued in textbook exercises and in the context of reading and writing assignments. Students will use the Sadlier-Oxford, Vocabulary Workshop, Level F, and Lafarge, Usage, a Workbook for Students, for technical studies and vocabulary enrichment.

Fall Term: The Poet and the Satirist. An examination of the increasing complexity and flexibility of the English language. Texts may include selections from Beowulf; a selection of ballads; selections from Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales; Shakespeare’s sonnets; Vonnegut, Cat’s Cradle; Swift, A Modest Proposal.

Winter Term: Finding Order. Man and the mysteries of his world. Shakespeare, Macbeth; Stoker, Dracula; poetry of Blake, Wordsworth, Byron, Shelley, Tennyson.

Spring Term: Romanticism and its Legacy. Dickens, Great Expectations. Poets studied include, Blake, Wordsworth, Tennyson, Browning, Arnold, Housman, Yeats, Thomas, and Larkin.

Form V: Themes in American Literature

Students will approach selected works of American literature not only as sovereign texts but also as products of the developing culture of the United States and expressions of concerns uniquely American which can be traced through our literature from colonial days to the present. The course will be structured to encourage students to recognize the connections between the Form V American history course and the American literature they will read in this course. Students will also continue the development of their writing skills through expository and creative writing assignments on topics related to the reading.

Fall Term: Free ]]>