Page 54 - THE ONTARIO CURRICULUM, GRADES 9–12 | Classical Studies and International Languages

THE ONTARIO CURRICULUM, GRADES 9–12 | Classical Studies and International Languages
Critically literate students understand that meaning is not found in texts in isolation. People make sense of a text, or determine what a text means, in a variety of ways. Students therefore need to take into account: points of view (e.g., those of people from various cultures); context (e.g., the beliefs and practices of the time and place in which a text was created and those in which it is being read or viewed); the background of the person who is interacting with the text (e.g., upbringing, friends, communities, education, experiences); intertextuality (e.g., information that a reader or viewer brings to a text from other texts experienced previously); gaps in the text (e.g., information that is left out and that the reader or viewer must fill in); and silences in the text (e.g., the absence of the voices of certain people or groups).
In classical studies and international languages, students who are critically literate are able, for example, to actively analyse media messages and determine possible motives and underlying messages. They are able to determine what biases might be contained
in texts, media, and resource material and why that might be, how the content of these materials might be determined and by whom, and whose perspectives might have been left out and why. Only then are students equipped to produce their own interpretation of an issue. Opportunities should be provided for students to engage in a critical discussion of “texts”, including books and textbooks, television programs, movies, documentaries, web pages, advertising, music, gestures, oral texts, newspaper and magazine articles, letters, and other forms of expression. Such discussions empower students to understand the impact on members of society that was intended by the text’s creators. Language
and communication are never neutral: they are used to inform, entertain, persuade, and manipulate.
The literacy skill of metacognition supports students’ ability to think critically through reflection on their own thought processes. Acquiring and using metacognitive skills has emerged as a powerful approach for promoting a focus on thinking skills in literacy and across all disciplines, and for empowering students with the skills needed to monitor their own learning. As they reflect on their strengths and needs, students are encouraged to advocate for themselves to get the support they need in order to achieve their goals.
In the classical language courses, metacognition expectations are included in three of the four strands – Oral Communication (including one for listening and one for speaking), Reading, and Writing. Students therefore develop metacognitive skills that are specific to each strand. They use their first language to reflect on their learning of the language of study. In the Grade 12 Classical Civilization course, metacognition is emphasized in a new strand called Critical Thinking and Literacy Skills, which encourages students to think critically about what they are learning in all strands.
In the international language courses, a metacognition expectation is included in each of the four strands – Listening, Speaking, Reading, and Writing. Students therefore develop metacognitive skills that are specific to each strand. Initially, students may find themselves relying on their first language in this process. However, through ongoing modelling and practice, students will develop proficiency in using the target language to reflect on their thinking processes as well as on their skill in using the target language.
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