English

At Emma, English courses ask students to grapple with big questions: What does it mean to be a member of a diverse community? What kind of person do I want to develop into? How does the representation of groups of people in books and films affect how I understand them?

Our students read and analyze works of literature ranging from Sophocles’ Antigone to F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby. Books from the traditional canon of Western civilization are juxtaposed with works representing the experience of other cultures. In addition to extensive work in vocabulary, grammar, and expository writing, students learn to craft personal and creative pieces. The English Department provides the groundwork for university study in writing and literature and develops students’ skills as language artists.

Download our course catalog for more details and graduation requirements.

Course Catalog

Core Curriculum

Emma Willard students must take four years of English to graduate, including our core curriculum of English I–III. At each of these levels, students can expect to study poetry, drama, fiction, and nonfiction texts as they hone their personal, creative, and analytical writing and to develop their vocabulary and grammar skills. English I is focused around questions of identity and what it means to have individual responsibility within a community. English II explores the relationship between language and power, exploring stories told (or re-told) by marginalized voices. Students in English III study American literature with a particular focus on cultural values and racial identity.

Support

We have two support classes in English. Incoming students are placed in English Support, which is taught by an ESL/ENL specialist, based on their TOEFL/Duolingo scores and application materials alongside their core English course. After (or in place of) English Support, students take Writing Support, a course designed to offer support for writing assignments in English and history classes as well as to help students develop the writing skills they’ll need to succeed. Our student English and history tutors, the Humaniteam, are also available to help students with their writing.

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Electives

There are a number of exciting electives offered in the English Department. In 10th and 11th grades,, students can choose to take a credit/no-credit fiction writing workshop class that meets weekly. At any level, students can enroll in our rotating Sides Visiting Writer class, the teacher and subject of which change each year. Last year, for example, local poet D. Colin taught a course called “Writing Poetry for Social Change,” and in the spring of 2024, investigative journalist Keshia Clukey will teach “Women in Journalism.” In 11th and 12th grades, students may enroll in any of our semester-long 400-level electives. These offerings vary from year to year to meet student interest, but some recurring courses include “Reading Film,” “Creative Nonfiction Workshop,” “Literature and Film,” and “Gothic Literature.” We also offer yearlong Advanced Studies courses, currently “The Good Life” and “Modernism.”

Beyond the Classroom

There are many opportunities to explore your love of reading and writing outside the English classroom at Emma! Stop by the Starzinger Writing Center for support with any and all kinds of writing, whether it be an essay or lab report for class, your college application essay, or your own creative work. Be sure to also check out the Writing Center’s many special events! Consider joining the editorial board and/or submitting your writing to Triangle, our literary and arts magazine. You can also become a writer or editor for our newspaper, The Clock.