English
Read and Think Critically
The English department believes that the ability to think, read, and write through both critical and creative lenses is vital for success. The progression of our curriculum is designed to introduce and develop these skills in a manner that aligns with the intellectual and emotional growth of boys during their teenage years. Our goal is that students, upon graduating from Salisbury, possess the tools needed to succeed in the next chapter of their education as well as in the world beyond the classroom.
All courses include continual practice in writing, with emphasis on the expository essay as well as opportunities for creative and personal writing. Vocabulary development is stressed throughout the program.
Advanced Placement English Language and Composition is available to qualifying Fifth Form students, while exceptional Sixth Form students may apply for Advanced Placement Literature and Composition. The English Department also offers honors sections in the fourth, fifth, and sixth forms, which motivated and capable students may apply to take.
English Offerings at Salisbury:
- Third Form Courses
- Fourth Form Courses
- Fifth Form Courses
- Sixth Form Year-long Courses
- Sixth Form Trimester Elective Courses
- Honors English
- English Department Requirements for Advanced Placement Study
Third Form Courses
E112 Foundations in Language and Literature
Foundations in Language and Literature has four goals: to instill the basics of grammar and rhetoric; to teach students how to approach the study of short fiction, poetry, drama and longer fiction through annotation and reader response; to expose students to one longer work of fiction per trimester; and to present word skills for vocabulary building.
E113 Foundations in Language and Literature
Similar in structure and content to English 112, this course provides English language learners additional reinforcement in the basic skills of English, including grammar, organization of essays, spelling, and vocabulary. Daily activities foster conversational English and center around life at Salisbury, especially community experiences such as chapel and school meetings.
Fourth Form Courses
E221 The Writer’s Journey – Honors
In the honors level English II course, the instructor augments the English 222 syllabus with works appropriate to this level of critical reading, thinking, and writing. (Permission of the English Department Chair and the Director of Studies is required.)
E222 The Writer’s Journey
The Writer’s Journey will focus on the building blocks of reading and writing for all boys of the Fourth Form. Students will read and respond to short nonfiction readings in order to reach the following course goals: to understand and to imitate how writers operate within various rhetorical modes; to learn and apply the grammatical, syntactical, and stylistic rules of standard written English; to successfully analyze one longer work of literary fiction per trimester; and to incorporate supporting evidence into a student’s own writing. Students will also study classic and contemporary works of fiction to build and develop critical reading skills.
Fifth Form Courses
E331A Advanced Placement English Language & Composition
This course prepares students for the Advanced Placement Examination in English Language and Composition through the study of non-fiction in American literature. The reading list in AP English Language is drawn from a body of non-fiction that dates back to Colonial times and includes such genres as sermons, journals, slave narratives, autobiography, speeches, political documents, and journalism. Students continue to develop reading comprehension and writing skills, while preparing for the AP Exam, which requires their analyzing non-fiction passages in terms of such stylistic elements as diction, syntax, tone, rhetorical techniques, and figurative language. (Permission of the English Department Chair and the Director of Studies is required, as is additional summer reading.)
E331H Modes of Written Expression – Honors
In the honors level English III course, the instructor augments the English 332 syllabus with works appropriate to this level of critical reading, thinking, and writing. (Permission of the English Department Chair and the Director of Studies is required.)
E332 Modes of Written Expression
Modes of Written Expression is a yearlong course that explores various themes and genres within American literature. Student writing in the course revolves around personal, persuasive, and expository essays. While the focus of each trimester will vary according to the instructor, all sections will investigate rhetorical devices, subtext, and context. Students will be asked to consider the author’s audience while integrating evidence into their own writing. During this year, students will refine analytical and discussion skills by questioning and presenting to their peers. In addition to working towards mastery of grammatical rules, students develop voice in their writing as they learn more about how a text’s purpose informs its design.
Sixth Form Year-long Courses
E441A Advanced Placement English Literature and Composition
This yearlong course will prepare students to take the Advanced Placement Test in English Literature and Composition. It is a course for students with a serious interest in reading, thinking, talking, and writing about some of the English-speaking world’s greatest literature. The Norton Anthology of English Literature, our principal text, will provide most of the material for a selective survey of literature in English from Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales to contemporary writers such as Derek Walcott, Seamus Heaney, Brian Friel, Nadine Gordimer, and J.M. Coetzee. Shakespeare will be an important focus in the course. In addition to Hamlet, students will study closely a selection of Shakespearean sonnets. In recent years, the AP class has also read Henry IV: Part One. Other key texts will include Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations, Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre, James Joyce’s Dubliners, Samuel Beckett’s Endgame, and Martin Amis’s The Rachel Papers. Projects assigned throughout the year give students a high degree of responsibility to make presentations and lead discussions. Some of these projects engage students with critical resources about a particular writer or work, which material is then incorporated in both presentations and essays. Students will also practice writing essays following the AP format and rubric as well as becoming familiar with the multiple-choice component of the test. Whether or not a student continues to explore literature in college, he will develop skills in this course that will serve him well in a variety of disciplines throughout the humanities. (Permission of the English Department Chair and the Director of Studies is required, as is additional summer reading.)
E441H English IV Honors: A Survey of English Literature
English IV Honors is an intensive (but not comprehensive) survey of British literature. The curriculum spans from the 14th to 19th centuries, with a few anachronistic but thematically relevant detours. Students will study many of the canonical works of the English language in order to develop an understanding of the social, political, and literary evolution of British society. As an honors course, this class will move a brisk pace. Students should expect a rigorous workload in terms of nightly reading assignments. Furthermore, students will write frequently in order to demonstrate their grasp of the material and develop their composition skills. (Permission of the English Department Chair and the Director of Studies is required.)
Sixth Form Trimester Elective Courses
Fall Electives
All senior English students will sharpen their descriptive and personal narrative skills through dedicated work on the college essay to start the Fall Trimester.
In the Fall English electives, students will deepen their understanding of the art of articulation, cementing strong foundational writing skills.
The recurring “Journalism” and “The Art of Argument & Persuasion” electives are distinct classes each term, students may take these in multiple trimesters if space allows.
E442CS-F Composition & Synthesis: Thinking in Writing
Students graduating from Salisbury will need to write for the rest of their lives. This course will introduce, strengthen, and enrich writing skills by identifying the aptitude of each boy and providing him with a spectrum of opportunities.
Sentence-level competence, achieved through trial and editing, serves as scaffolding for success in this course’s privileged modes of expression: description, narration, persuasion.
E442J-F Journalism: News & Reviews
Through stewardship of Salisbury’s school newspaper, The Cupola, this elective provides an overview of the basics of journalism. Students will learn how to assess the news value of an event or situation, how to develop story ideas, and how to craft an informative, thought-provoking article.
In the Fall Term, students will focus on the “News & Reviews” forms of Journalism: relaying facts, events, and information about the community in a vivid but unbiased manner; and delivering informed opinions about topics of interest to the community.
E442AA-F The Art of Argument & Persuasion: Debate
In this class, students will learn how to write, organize, prepare, and deliver quality public speeches. Students will study how to actively persuade, inspire, inform, and engage an audience through the art of debate and public speaking. Crafting persuasive arguments will be a theme that resonates throughout the year, but each season will cultivate a unique tool for the art of argument. Ultimately, students will develop enduring skills for having healthy discussions, thinking quickly, and speaking extemporaneously.
The fall trimester will explore competitive debate in various modes, including parliamentary debate, impromptu oration, after-dinner speaking, and persuasive argument.
Winter Electives
In the winter English electives, most students will explore literature through a thematic lens. Special attention will be given by all classes to William Shakespeare's classic work, Hamlet. Focus on this play will differ depending on class themes.
The recurring “Journalism” and “The Art of Argument & Persuasion” electives are distinct classes each term, students may take these in multiple trimesters if space allows.
E442CS-W Composition & Synthesis: Echoes in Literature
“Where have I heard that before...?" Trace the provenance of English Literature’s most head-scratching dilemmas, most jaw-dropping plot twists, and its most poignant heartbreaks; nearly all of them trace back to a foundational text that started it all. This course will explore the arc of a seminal literary work and its reincarnation over the centuries. Potential texts include: The Canterbury Tales, The Iliad, Shakespeare's plays, and others.
The experience will culminate with boys producing their own creative, derivative interpretations.
E442J-W Journalism: Columns
Through stewardship of Salisbury’s school newspaper, The Quill, this elective provides an overview of the basics of journalism. Students will learn how to assess the news value of an event or situation, how to develop story ideas, and how to craft an informative, thought-provoking article.
In the Winter Trimester, students will focus on the “Columns” form of Journalism: developing distinct, often humorous, voices and presenting events against a backdrop of personal anecdotes.
E442AA-W The Art of Argument & Persuasion: Rhetoric
In this class, students will learn how to write, organize, prepare, and deliver quality public speeches. Students will study how to actively persuade, inspire, inform, and engage an audience through the art of debate and public speaking. Crafting persuasive arguments will be a theme that resonates throughout the year, but each season will cultivate a unique tool for the art of argument. Ultimately, students will develop enduring skills for having healthy discussions, thinking quickly, and speaking extemporaneously.
The Winter Trimester will explore rhetoric in various modes, as students learn to exploit context, audience, and use the tools of English to accomplish a purpose.
Spring Electives
In the spring English electives, students will have the opportunity to pursue an in-depth exploration of their choosing. The courses offered allow students to focus on their preferred mode of expression. These courses will all involve a capstone project to culminate the school year and their Salisbury experience.
The recurring “Journalism” and “The Art of Argument & Persuasion” electives are distinct classes each term, students may take these in multiple trimesters if space allows.
E442CS-S Composition & Synthesis: Capstone Project
In this class, Salisbury students will synthesize the cumulative lessons of high school English with an authentic, passion-driven exploration. For this spring project, students will propose their own topics, work with teachers to design a unique scope and sequence and tap into the intrinsic motivation of genuine curiosity.
Each student's unique curriculum will build towards a summative presentation before a panel of community members: a chance to demonstrate what they have learned and celebrate that journey with others. To consummate the project, students will produce a written reflection on their experience.
E442J-S Journalism: Features
Through stewardship of Salisbury’s school newspaper, The Quill, this elective provides an overview of the basics of journalism. Students will learn how to assess the news value of an event or situation, how to develop story ideas, and how to craft an informative, thought-provoking article.
In the Spring Trimester, students will focus on the “Features” form of Journalism: thoroughly investigating a topic through deep research, cultivating and presenting a unique perspective on an event, issue, or person.
E442AA-S The Art of Argument & Persuasion: Speechcraft
In this class, students will learn how to write, organize, prepare, and deliver quality public speeches. Students will study how to actively persuade, inspire, inform, and engage an audience through the art of debate and public speaking. Crafting persuasive arguments will be a theme that resonates throughout the year, but each season will cultivate a unique tool for the art of argument. Ultimately, students will develop enduring skills for having healthy discussions, thinking quickly, and speaking extemporaneously.
The Spring Trimester will explore speechcraft in various modes, as students practice written and practical preparation for effectively commanding themselves in front of an audience. Potential scenarios include TED Talks, sales pitches, eulogies, and many others.
Honors English
Honors English
GRADE: Current Honors & AP Students: Eligible applicants must have an A- or higher in Honors English or AP English Composition. If a student does not meet this requirement, he must pass the placement test to be eligible for an Honors or AP section.
Current Regular English Students: Eligible applicants must have an A or higher in a regular English section through the winter trimester. Any student currently in a regular English section must also pass a placement test to be eligible for an Honors or AP section.
RECOMMENDATION: In consultation with the Honors teachers, the applicant’s current teacher will make a recommendation based on the applicant’s performance, ability, work ethic, and in-class behavior.
** Opportunity to supersede initial placement: If a student does not meet the grade requirement but has demonstrated a strong work ethic and genuine desire to study English at a more rigorous level, he can sit for a 40-minute placement test that will be administered toward the start of the spring trimester (April 4th). This test will be evaluated by the appropriate Honors teacher who will consult with the applicant’s current teacher to make a final decision before the end of the spring trimester.
English Department Requirements for Advanced Placement Study
GRADE: Eligible applicants must have an A- or higher in Honors English or AP English Language & Composition or an A or higher in a regular English section through the winter trimester.
FORMAL APPLICATION: To be considered for an AP English course, a student must write a formal application letter indicating to the appropriate teacher his interest in being considered. In this letter, the applicant will share something about his experiences with literature that will help the teacher gauge both the applicant’s readiness to meet the challenges of the course and the contributions the applicant is likely to make toward the effective growth of the group. The applicant will submit the letter to the appropriate AP English teacher upon returning from mid-winter break. (Feb. 9)
RECOMMENDATION: In consultation with the AP English teachers, the applicant’s current teacher will make a recommendation based on the applicant’s performance, ability, work ethic, and in-class behavior. (Feb. 16)
WRITING SAMPLE: In consultation with his current teacher, the applicant will choose a writing sample to revise and submit to the appropriate AP English teacher for consideration upon returning from spring vacation. (March 29)
MINI-AP EXAM: Applicants are required to sit for a 55-minute exam. This exam will replicate the AP English Language or AP English Literature exams by presenting students with one passage for multiple-choice responses (15 min.) and one passage for written analysis (40 min.). These exams will be evaluated by the AP teachers. This exam will be administered at the start of the spring trimester, conditional on the completion and evaluation of the formal application, the recommendation, and the writing sample (as described above). (March 28)