English 12 - Communicate Ideas and Information (Knowledge of Language)

PRESCRIBED LEARNING OUTCOMES

It is expected that students will:

• use a variety of communications technologies, including telecommunications hardware and software
• evaluate the conventions of language used in a variety of literary and non-literary forms
• adapt their use of language register and the sophistication of grammatical constructs for specific audiences and purposes

To view the prescribed learning outcomes for Communicate Ideas and Information (Knowledge of Language) in other grades click on an icon below.

SUGGESTED INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES

• Have students look at historical events through different types of artistic expression (e.g., the Spanish Civil War through Hemingway's writing, news reports, and Picasso's Guernica; World War I through news reports and poetry of the time) to examine language used to express the same ideas.
• Ask students to change ritualized language (e.g., marriage ceremony, "O Canada") into other language registers such as informal, slang, or rap.
• Have students select an article from a newspaper and suggest three key words they would use to locate the article if they were searching on the Internet.
• Provide students with a technical or specialist article and have them apply the principles of plain language to rewrite it for a popular audience.
• Suggest that students each research a topic using several technologies, such as the Internet, CD-ROM, and other appropriate databases. Invite them to report to the class on the features, problems, and benefits of each source.

SUGGESTED ASSESSMENT STRATEGIES

• As part of the requirements for writing portfolios or other collections, specify that students include evidence of work with a variety of communications technologies that are available to them and relevant to their interests and assignments.
• When students have been working with communications technologies, provide opportunities for them to demonstrate and reinforce their knowledge by having groups develop short manuals entitled "______ Made Easy." Discuss the importance of using plain language and following the conventions of technical writing. Criteria might include:
  • information is complete and accurate
  • clear; easy to understand
  • efficient; no extraneous information
  • logically organized; easy to follow
  • graphics are used effectively to clarify the information
  • information about related resources (e.g., technical support, help lines, more detailed manuals) is complete and easy to use
• Ask students to demonstrate their abilities to adjust to a variety of audiences and purposes by each preparing two presentations of the same information: one for an audience with specialized knowledge and one for a general audience. Have students brainstorm a list of potential topics and situations, then have them work independently or in pairs to each develop two oral, written, multimedia, or visual presentations. To assess the success of their work, students could present it to two or three people who represent their intended audiences.

RECOMMENDED LEARNING RESOURCES

• The 21st Century Dictionary of Acronyms and Abbreviations
• The 21st Century Dictionary of Quotations
• The 21st Century Grammar Handbook
• The 21st Century Guide to Pronunciation
• The 21st Century Synonyms and Antonyms Finder
• The Canadian Press Stylebook
• Canadian Writer's Companion
• The Communications Handbook
• Develop Your English Skills
• Horizons
• Inquiry
• Literary Terms
• The Little, Brown Handbook
• The Oxford Dictionary of Current English
• The Oxford Study Dictionary
• Print Out
• Process and Practice
• The Prose Reader
• Reflections
• Roget's Twenty-First Century Thesaurus
• Stories from Asia
• Technically-Write!
• World Literature, Signature Edition
• The Writer's Workshop
• Writing Clear Essays
• Writing for Results

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