LANGUAGE ARTS

The New Western Canadian Protocol has been implemented in all schools. The goals for the new program are to encourage:

• High standards of education
• Common educational goals
• Removing obstacles to the access of educational opportunities for students, including the ease of transfer from jurisdiction to jurisdiction
• Optimum use of educational resources.

The aim of Language Arts is to enable each student to understand and appreciate language, and to use it confidently and competently in a variety of situations for communication, personal satisfaction and learning. Over their three years at St. Mark, students are expected to grow in their ability to use language in order to demonstrate five general learner expectations.

Students will read, write, speak, listen, view, and represent to:

• Explore thoughts, feelings and experiences and develop self-understanding
• Manage ideas and information
• Comprehend and respond personally and critically to oral, print and other media texts
• Enhance clarity and artistry of communication
• Respect, support and collaborate with others
• In order to meet these objectives, we emphasize a student-centred approach to language learning.

Current research into language development for young people suggests that learners must meet three qualifications in order to learn to use language well―individualization, interaction and integration.

In keeping with this philosophy, students in grades 7, 8 and 9 are given opportunities to:

• Select and sequence their own activities and materials (individualization)
• Cooperate with and teach one another (interaction)
• Experience and study the interrelationships between different modes of communication and between different subject areas (integration)
• Use technology to explore different avenues of communication (i.e., E-mail, PowerPoint presentations).

The Language Arts program at St. Mark is designed to help students become successful and confident communicators and to provide them with literacy skills that will benefit them in high school and beyond. A tremendous variety of quality literature is integrated in all parts of the program.

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