English 12: African Heritage

Course Outline

English 12: African Heritage, an academic course, addresses the full range of English 12 curriculum outcomes while encompassing the experience, study, and appreciation of language, literature, media, and communication from an African heritage perspective.

English 12: African Heritage fulfills the grade 12 English language arts requirement for graduation. Like their counterparts enrolled in English 12, students enrolled in English 12: African Heritage will write the NSE English 12. English 12: African Heritage is to be accorded the same recognition by universities and other post-secondary institutions as English 12.

English 12: African Heritage will engage students in experiencing and examining numerous literary texts, with a major focus on African Heritage, including short fiction, the novel, poetry, spoken word, and various elements of African oral traditions. Drawing on recent advances in theory and practise that have shown the important relationship between the reader, the text, and the context, English 12: African Heritage fuses text-centred and reader-centred approaches to the study of language arts, and provides opportunities for both personal and critical response.

English 12: African Heritage provides a particular focus on writers and artists of African descent and their contributions. The writers and artists and their works, the history and culture depicted in and reflected by their works, and the ideas and values inherent therein can all contribute to the intellectual growth of our students and to their appreciation of African heritage.

English 12: African Heritage provides opportunities for students to

  • experience a wide range of literature from the African consciousness
  • appreciate the richness of literature rooted in African heritage
  • explore and reflect upon the cultural diversity represented in African heritage literature within Africa and throughout diaspora

Updated January 10, 2024