English 

High School English Programme

Overview

The BLIS High School English program is about more than simply exposing students to different types of literature. Our program helps students to develop reading, writing, and speaking skills which have cross-curricular applications. Through the development of their analytical skills in our courses, students will be able to understand and write about a variety of topics. Not only will they learn how to effectively “read between the lines” for academic purposes, but they will also gain an appreciation for literature.

IGCSE (Grades 9 and 10)

Students study two Cambridge syllabi during their Grade 9 and 10 years: Literature in English (0475) and English First Language (0500). Students will take formal Cambridge exams in these subjects in Grade 10. These courses enable students to learn howto analyze literature and to improve their usage of written and spoken English.

Key objectives for Grades 9 and 10 include:

• Reading critically and using knowledge gained from wide reading to inform and improve their own writing.

• Recognizing and appreciating the ways in which writers use language, structure and form to create and shape meanings and effects.

• Writing for different audiences and purposes.

IBDP English (Grades 11 and 12)

Upon successful completion of the IGCSE program, students will select one IB English course in which to focus their studies. BLIS offers the following IB English programs:

Language and Literature (SL & HL) During this course, students will explore the crucial role language plays in communication, reflecting experience and shaping the world, and the roles of individuals themselves as producers of language. Throughout the course, students will explore the various ways in which language choices, text types, literary forms and contextual elements all affect meaning.Both literary texts (plays, poems, novels) and non-literary texts (films, advertisements, editorials, etc.) are studied throughout the 2-year course.

Literature (SL & HL) Through close analysis of a range of literary texts in a number of literary forms and from different times and places, students will consider their own interpretations as well as the critical perspectives of others, to explore how such positions are shaped by cultural belief systems and to negotiate meanings for texts. Only literary texts (poems, plays, novels) are studied in this course.

Literature and Performance (SL) Literature and Performance is an interdisciplinary synthesis of literature and theatre. It brings together literary analysis, based on close reading, critical writing and discussion, with practical and aesthetic elements of theatre. In this course students engage with a range of literary works, perform dramatic texts, and transform texts into realized performances.