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How much homework is in English Language & Composition?

We estimate that the course workload will take 10+ hours per week. During a typical week in this course, students will complete the following:

  • 60–90 minutes of live class instruction
  • 5–10 minutes of video or audio lecture
  • 1–2 short writing assignments, which may include half-page or one-page essays, paragraph rewrites, timed essay writing, essay analysis quizzes, or discussion forum posts
  • 30–40 pages of textbook reading
  • 10 pages of nonfiction selections for reading comprehension and analysis
  • 1 vocabulary quiz
One key feature is a required essay at the start of the course, graded only as complete/incomplete, but given detailed instructor feedback. The goal of this assignment is to show students how to apply instruction in their own writing. At the end of the course, students rewrite or revise this first essay to serve as their final essay for the course, allowing them to observe the growth of their reading and writing skills. Other assignments throughout the year include vocabulary quizzes that prepare students for the multiple choice section of the AP exam, and six timed practice AP essays assessed in the style of the AP exam.