English 11

Our English 11 online course is meticulously crafted to extend beyond the boundaries of traditional learning, aiming to deepen students’ understanding of literature and language within a personalized, one-to-one educational environment. Building off the skills honed in English 10, this course ventures into the complexities of advanced literary analysis, emphasizing rhetoric, narrative techniques, and thematic development. Each student’s experience is uniquely tailored, with courses custom-built around your academic level, interests, and passions, ensuring a learning journey that is both engaging and transformative.

How Our English 11 Online Course Works

You will collaborate closely with your own private English teacher, meeting online 1-3 times per week for live sessions that encompass close reading, deep discussion, and analysis. Typically, at the end of 11th grade students who are college bound begin writing their college essays; as a result, this course usually focuses pretty heavily on writing in order to set you up to succeed in college and beyond. The interactive approach of this course allows for a dynamic and iterative development of the syllabus, adapting to your progression, and focusing deeply on areas of particular interest or need. We meet you where you are, and accelerate you.

Our English 11 Course at a Glance

The curriculum, while flexible, aims to cover all core concepts integral to an English 11 course, including but not limited to:

• In-depth literary analysis, exploring themes, characters, and narrative structures. The subtleties of language and its stylistic nuances. Advanced writing and argumentation, emphasizing clarity, coherence, and persuasive techniques. The iterative process of writing, focusing on continuous improvement and revision.

Amazing Books

In this more advanced course, you should be ready to read some challenging and life changing books. In recent junior year courses Cicero students have read:

• Beloved by Toni Morrison
• The Stranger by Albert Camus
• Hamlet by Shakespeare
• Giovanni’s Room by James Baldwin
• Poetry by Maya Angelou, Sylvia Plath, and Pablo Neruda

Depth of Literary Analysis

A key piece of any English 11 course is the exploration of complex themes and the development of characters and ideas. We’ll spend a bit of time with these weighty, difficult books, aiming to guide you to recognize and appreciate the craft behind narratives that convey nuanced messages and evoke profound responses from readers.

Subtleties of Language and Style

We will also strive to immerse ourselves in the intricacies of language—its figurative, connotative, and literal meanings—and understand the impact of an author’s word choices on the tone, mood, and interpretation of a text.

Advanced Writing and Argumentation

Looking ahead to college, we’ll also ensure that you emerge from this course as a strong writer, ready to put together an amazing college essay and then succeed beyond that as a more than competent writer. With your private teacher you will focus on the articulation of complex ideas and arguments, developing your ability to construct well-reasoned, evidence-based positions, and skill in narrative and explanatory writing.

Continuous Improvement and Revision

The iterative process of writing—planning, drafting, revising, and editing—is typically a big part of writing instruction at this leel, underscoring the importance of refining thought and expression to improve the overall quality of written work.

Learning Goal

The goal of this course is to shake up the complacent student and challenge them with challenging books, all the while modeling advanced analytical thinking about texts and developing solid writers. You should expect to emerge from this course in love with great writing and able to craft some pretty compelling prose yourself.