COMMUNICATIONS 12 (COM201)

Credits: 4

Prerequisite: EN11 or COMM11

* Communications 12 allows a student to graduate from high school, but it does not qualify that student to
advance to post secondary education without upgrading. This course continues the emphasis on literacy and on practical skills for the work place begun in Communications 11.

This course focusses on the essential language skills students need to function in daily life, the workplace, and effective communication with others. The Communications 11 and 12 curriculum is designed for students who do not plan to pursue academic studies beyond Grade 12. The primary goal of the curriculum is to strengthen students' basic skills in comprehending and producing language by providing a framework intended to help students:

• use language competently to understand and respond to communications in spoken, written, and visual forms
• develop the basic reading and writing skills required of informed citizens prepared for employment in a changing workplace
• develop a foundation of communication skills necessary for life-long learning
• use language appropriate to the situation, audience, and purpose in their day-to-day lives and in the workplace
• present and respond to ideas, feelings, and knowledge
• explore literary works as a way of knowing, developing personal values, understanding our literary and multicultural heritage, and broadening experience

In our course at HCOS, we will focus primarily on developing the student's ability to communicate in written form, using the areas of his or her life that gets their adrenaline pumping. We want to see them develop the ability to communicate effectively about topics that they personally are interested in. Thus, time will be given to write about social issues, personal passion, the working out of their own wrestling with God and spiritual issues, future aspirations and dreams, or simple and inspiring creative ventures

In this creative process, we will find the weaknesses that may be occurring in the student's language arts skills, and deal with them as they arise. These times will mainly involve work in paragraph and writing structure, as well as grammar, since these areas are essential. Spelling will be addressed, but not focussed on, as students who struggle in spelling do not need constant reminders to know they struggle, and word processing tools today can look after poorly spelled words fairly easily.

Halftir awl, spelin iss perty empourtint.

In the midst of this all, we will remember that Father uses many ways to communicate with us, most of all through the written Word. And when we learn to communicate with Him, then we can learn to communicate with others better too.

Matthew 22:37-40 (The Message) "³⁷Jesus said, "'Love the Lord your God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence.' ³⁸This is the most important, the first on any list. ³⁹But there is a second to set alongside it: "Love others as well as you love yourself.' ⁴⁰These two commands are pegs; everything in God's Law and the Prophets hangs from them."

And that is why we need to learn to communicate more effectively. For the rest of our lives.