Page 208 - The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 11 and 12: English, 2007 (Revised)

issues related to fairness, equity, and social justice. Critically literate students adopt a critical stance, asking what view of the world the text advances and whether they find this view acceptable.
critical thinking. The process of thinking about ideas or situations in order to understand them fully, identify their implications, and/or make a judgement about what is sensible or reasonable to believe or do. Critical thinking skills used in reading include: examining opinions, questioning ideas, interpreting informa- tion, identifying values and issues, detect- ing bias, detecting implied as well as explicit meanings. Critical thinking skills used in writing include: questioning, hypothesizing, interpreting, inferring, analysing, comparing, contrasting, evalu- ating, predicting, reasoning, distinguish- ing between alternatives, making and supporting judgements, synthesizing, elaborating on ideas, identifying values and issues, detecting bias, detecting implied as well as explicit meanings.
cueing systems. Cues or clues that effec- tive readers use in combination to read unfamiliar words, phrases, and sentences and construct meaning from print. Semantic (meaning) cues help readers guess or pre- dict the meaning of words, phrases, or sentences on the basis of context and prior knowledge. Semantic cues may include visuals. Syntactic (structural) cues help readers make sense of text using knowledge of the patterned ways in which words in a language are combined into phrases, clauses, and sentences. Graphophonic (phonologi- cal and graphic) cues help readers to decode unknown words using knowledge of letter–sound relationships, word pat- terns, and words recognized by sight.
cues, non-verbal. Aspects of spoken or unspoken communication that convey meaning without the use of words. Examples include: facial expressions, gestures, body language.
cues, verbal (oral language). Aspects of spoken language that convey meaning. Examples include: types of words (e.g., nouns, verbs, linking words, modifiers); prefixes and suffixes (e.g., indicators of plurals, verb tenses); sound patterns (e.g., rhyme); pauses; pace; tone of voice or intonation; volume; pitch; modulation; inflection.
culture. The way in which people live, think, and define themselves as a community.
diction. The choice of words or phrases in speech or writing; the particular words chosen to express an idea.
differentiated instruction. An approach to instruction that maximizes each student’s growth by considering the needs of each student at his or her current stage of development and then offering that stu- dent a learning experience that responds to his or her individual needs.
diversity. In reference to a society, the variety of groups of people who share a range of commonly recognized physical, cultural, or social characteristics. Categories of groups may be based on various factors or characteristics, such as gender, race, culture, ethnicity, sexual ori- entation, ability/disability, appearance, age, religion, and socio-economic level.
dramatic irony. A situation in which the significance of a character’s words or actions is clear to the audience or reader but unknown to the character.
editing. The making of changes to the content, structure, and wording of drafts to improve the organization of ideas, eliminate awkward phrasing, correct grammatical and spelling errors, and generally ensure that the writing is clear, coherent, and correct. See also writing process.
GLOSSARY
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