Page 10 - The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 11 and 12: English, 2007 (Revised)

OVERVIEW OF THE PROGRAM
The English program in Grades 9 to 12 includes compulsory courses and optional courses.
The compulsory courses emphasize strong core competencies in oral communication, reading and literature studies, writing, and media studies. As part of their program in Grades 11 and 12, students must take one compulsory course in English in each grade. They may choose their compulsory courses from three types of courses in Grades 11 and 12: university preparation, college preparation, and workplace preparation.
Optional courses provide students with opportunities to explore individual interests and to deepen or extend some of the knowledge and skills acquired in the compulsory courses. Optional courses may be taken to fulfil optional credit requirements or the Group 1 addi- tional compulsory credit requirement for the Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD). An optional course may also be used, at the principal's discretion, as a substitution for a compulsory credit required in English. Four types of optional courses are offered: univer- sity preparation, university/college preparation, college preparation, and open.
Students choose between course types on the basis of their interests, achievement, and postsecondary goals. The course types offered in Grades 11 and 12 are defined as follows:
University preparation courses are designed to equip students with the knowledge and skills they need to meet the entrance requirements for university programs.
University/college preparation courses are designed to equip students with the knowledge and skills they need to meet the entrance requirements for specific programs offered at universities and colleges.
College preparation courses are designed to equip students with the knowledge and skills they need to meet the requirements for entrance to most college programs or for admission to specific apprenticeship or other training programs.
Workplace preparation courses are designed to equip students with the knowledge and skills they need to meet the expectations of employers, if they plan to enter the workplace directly after grad- uation, or the requirements for admission to many apprenticeship or other training programs.
Open courses are designed to broaden students‘ knowledge and skills in subjects that reflect their interests and to prepare them for active and rewarding participation in society. They are not designed with the specific requirements of universities, colleges, or the workplace in mind.
THE PROGRAM IN ENGLISH