To participate fully in society and workplace of the twenty-first century, our students need to be able to use language skilfully and confidently. The English department recognizes the central importance of reading and writing skills in learning across the curriculum and in everyday life, and prepares our students for the literacy demands they will face in their post secondary and workplace endeavors.

We understand that in order to promote the growth in reading and writing skills of our students taking English courses our teachers work towards:
• provide opportunities for frequent diagnostic assessment before the introduction of new learning (e.g., review of the OSSLT Individual Student Report [ISR]; reading and writing interviews; observation of students at work);
• provide varied, frequent, targeted, and ongoing feedback about students’work, including teacher-student conferences;
• provide multiple opportunities for students to practice skills, demonstrate achievement, and receive feedback before evaluation takes place;
• provide students with models of quality reading responses and writing pieces to guide them in improving their own work.

Our French program aims to develop students’ oral communication (listening and speaking), reading, and writing skills in the French language. Our Core French program provides students with fundamental communication skills in French and an understanding of the nature of the language and its culture. Core French program offers students the chance to develop a usable command of the French language that can be expanded through further study or through contact with French speaking people.

As students study French, they gain an appreciation of French literature and an understanding of French societies around the world. Since language and culture are inseparable, the cultural study of French-language regions will be integrated into daily instruction rather than presented in an isolated fashion or on an occasional basis.