Welcome

 

 

English Office: 978-341-2951
Department Chairperson: Kate Fleming
kfleming@concordcarlisle.org

Successful completion of a four-year English program is a requirement of Concord-Carlisle High School. All courses are designed to strengthen skills in reading, writing, listening, and speaking. Areas of major emphasis are language development, critical thinking, composition, literature study, drama, and media. Through the study of literature, students gain access to other worlds, experiences, emotions, and ideas. As they learn to explore and analyze texts, they develop their understanding of language as a medium and grow as writers themselves.   Technology serves as a tool in each course to develop writing and presentation skills, and to explore thematic issues in the course readings. A student who fails English must either repeat the course or take an appropriate summer school alternative that both cover the same general literary themes and requires the student to continue improving writing skills in a manner consistent with the expectations of our courses.

For the freshman, sophomore and junior years, and the fall semester of the senior year, each student is recommended for a level, Honors or College Preparatory, following a review of the previous year’s performance and the recommendation of his or her current English teacher.   During the junior year, English is separated into two semesters. During Semester I, students take the literature-based Junior English, at either the Honors or College Preparatory level.   During Semester II, students take students take a writing-based course—either Rhetoric (Honors) or Writing Workshop (College Preparatory)—both to ensure that they have the writing skills necessary for senior year work and to give them the opportunity to work on their personal narrative writing in preparation for college applications. All seniors choose their Semester II course from four high interest, senior-only electives, designed to be accessible and challenging to students of all abilities.   

**Juniors who have consistently earned grades in the A range in their English classes and have enrolled in Rhetoric are encouraged to consider taking the English Language and Composition Advanced Placement Test.   

**Seniors who have consistently earned grades in the A range in their English classes and have enrolled in Senior Honors English are encouraged to consider taking the English Literature Advanced Placement Test.

Information is available for students interested in taking AP exams through the English Department.

Courses Offered:
Freshman English (CP, H)
Sophomore English (CP, H)
Junior English (CP, H)
Twice Told Tales (CP, H)
Rhetoric and Advanced Language (H)
Writing Workshop (CP)
Senior English (CP, H)
Creative Writing
Literature & Literacies in a Digital Age
Visions of the Future
World Literature