Language And Literature
The study of English equips every student with lifelong skills that encourage a love of reading, an appreciation of literature and the ability to communicative effectively, through both the written and spoken word.
By the Middle Years students at The British International School of New York will have consolidated their learning in five key areas; reading, creative writing, grammar, comprehension and speaking & listening.
During their three year course, students read a range of studied literature including “Macbeth,” “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time”, "The Hunger Games", and a range of poetry spanning pre 1800s to the 20th Century, which are taught through weekly lessons of comprehension, creative writing and discrete grammar workshops. Strategies in Persuasive Writing are introduced, supporting students as they work through the different phases of writing from the brainstorm through to a finished piece ready for submission.
Beyond the classroom, we also offer a wealth of opportunity for creative writing: students write for publications such as “The Guardian” newspaper and “World Student” magazine as well as successfully competing in both national and international competitions.
At BIS-NY we firmly believe that engagement with many different learning experiences within the subject will develop a life long love of English for all our students, and with that comes unending potential for incredible cultural experiences and imaginative adventures.
‘Real life is a story, too, only much more complicated. It’s still got a beginning, a middle, and an end. Everyone follows the same rules…it’s just that there are more of them. Everyone has chapters and cliffhangers. The world is a library…and you’ll never get to read the same book twice.’
Chris Wooding, Poison
This extract from “Poison” by Chris Wooding best illustrates the journey our middle school students make into the wonderful world of Language and Literature. At BIS-NY, our students are not only exposed to explore and discuss the many quirks and idiosyncrasies of the English language; they are encouraged to view stories as windows to the world.
Thank you for pushing me to the best of my ability in English class and helping me become a confident writer. You always had the most entertaining classes where I wasn't afraid to voice my opinion because you created a safe space.