What are the English courses at U.S. High School? What kind of writing do you usually learn?
The English courses at American high schools will study English literary works and conduct in-depth analysis of them, including analysis of plots, characters, backgrounds, etc., but the most difficult analysis mainly involves two aspects, one is rhetorical techniques and the other is theme.
Students not only need to understand the literal meaning of these literary works, but also find various rhetorical techniques, analyze the meaning and function of these rhetorical techniques, and analyze the deep themes that the author wants to express through the works. A single work may cover multiple rhetorical devices and themes.
Students need to read literary works before class and discuss during class. The content of the discussion is the main direction of the analysis mentioned above. In addition to reading after class, teachers will also ask students to complete other forms of homework, such as reading comprehension questions. Writing plays a very large role in GPA. Not only the assignments will be in the form of writing, but the exams will also basically require students to write.
95% of the English literature courses in grade 9 and 10 of American boarding schools involve writing called \"analytical essay\". Only 5% of teachers cover other writing categories, such as argumentative essays, persuasive essays, research papers, narratives, etc.
Even comprehensive humanities courses, such as St. Paul\'s, Peddie, Cate and other schools, comprehensively study English, history and other content, and the writing involved is all analytical argumentative essays. What is even more special is that Exeter will ask students to mainly write narratives and personal essays, but this situation is very special.
The so-called analytical argumentative essays have two important points: First, the writing of analytical argumentative essays is based on the discussion of literary works, unlike TOEFL writing, speeches and other literary styles, which use everyday topics. Topics to make propositions. Analytical argumentative essays involve topics that are likely to be unfamiliar to students, such as life and death, religion, etc.
For example, in grades 9 or 10 of many American high schools, students are asked to read Shakespeare\'s \"Macbeth\" for discussion in class and writing after class. Teachers often ask this question: \"The character Macbeth is very ambitious. , but why is the subject of ambition important?”
Second, the writing of analytical argumentative essays must have an argumentative essay framework. This is the same as other argumentative essays, but it is much more difficult than other types of argumentative essays because analytical argumentative essays require students to conduct research on literary works. In-depth analysis, the key to scoring also lies in the depth of students\' analysis.
For example, in the example of Macbeth above, if students just write that the character Macbeth is ambitious, they will definitely not get high marks, because this conclusion is something that most people can come to after reading the book. If students want to get high scores, they must analyze more deeply why Macbeth is ambitious, where his ambition is reflected, why the topic of ambition is important to this work, and Shakespeare uses the character Macbeth to tell readers about ambition. What it is, what it means, how we should think about ambition, etc.
Therefore, analytical argumentative essays not only require students to learn the framework and structure of conference papers, but also require students to use evidence from literary works to conduct in-depth analysis of literary works, which will improve students\' reading, comprehension, and analysis abilities. There are extremely high requirements for academic ability and writing ability.
In U.S. high schools, English courses typically follow a progression through different levels, starting from freshman (9th grade) to senior (12th grade) year. Here's a general breakdown:
1. **Freshman English (9th Grade)**:
- Focus on building foundational reading, writing, and analytical skills.
- Introduction to various literary genres like fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and drama.
- Basic essay writing skills, including descriptive, narrative, and expository essays.
- Emphasis on grammar, punctuation, and vocabulary development.
2. **Sophomore English (10th Grade)**:
- Continued exploration of literary genres with deeper analysis.
- Introduction to classic literature and literary analysis techniques.
- Development of critical thinking and research skills.
- More advanced essay writing, including argumentative essays.
- Continued focus on grammar, style, and vocabulary enhancement.
3. **Junior English (11th Grade)**:
- American Literature: Study of works by American authors throughout history.
- In-depth analysis of themes, characters, and literary techniques.
- Exploration of historical context and its influence on literature.
- Advanced writing skills, including research papers and literary analysis essays.
- Preparation for standardized tests like the SAT and ACT, which often include reading comprehension and writing sections.
4. **Senior English (12th Grade)**:
- British Literature: Study of works by British authors from different periods.
- Focus on critical interpretation and independent analysis.
- Exploration of complex themes and philosophical ideas.
- Advanced writing, including longer research projects and literary criticism.
- Preparation for college-level writing and critical thinking.
In these courses, students learn various forms of writing, including:
- **Descriptive Writing**: Painting a vivid picture with words.
- **Narrative Writing**: Telling a story with characters, plot, and setting.
- **Expository Writing**: Presenting information or explaining an idea.
- **Argumentative Writing**: Presenting a claim and supporting it with evidence.
- **Analytical Writing**: Examining literature or other texts in detail, analyzing themes, characters, and literary devices.
Overall, the goal is to equip students with strong communication skills, critical thinking abilities, and a deeper appreciation for literature and language.