share the following characteristics:

• understand that language learning is a necessary, life-enhancing, reflective process

• communicate – that is, read, listen, view, speak, write, and represent – effectively and with confidence

• make meaningful connections between themselves, what they encounter in texts, and the world around them

• think critically

• understand that all texts advance a particular point of view that must be recognized, questioned, assessed, and evaluated

• appreciate the cultural impact and aesthetic power of texts

• use language to interact and connect with individuals and communities, for
  personal growth, and for active participation as world citizens

This curriculum organizes the knowledge and skills that students need to become literate in four strands, or broad areas of learning – Oral Communication, Reading, Writing, and Media Literacy. These areas of learning are closely interrelated, and the knowledge and skills described in the four strands are interdependent and complementary.