Perhaps the most distinctive aspect of the English curriculum is the use of trimester electives in the Junior and Senior years to extend the student's experience of literature and to inspire student and teacher alike to explore areas of particular interest. While Freshmen and Sophomores take year long, full credit courses, the final two years of English consist of full year, half-credit courses coupled with a bank of specialized, focused trimester long electives of the student's own choosing. This shared exploration of literature and ideas lends intensity and excitement to the final two years of English at Westover.

Course Sequence
The study of English begins with English I in the Freshman year, starting with an introduction to drama and epic poetry from the mythological and classical past. As students focus on basic skills of grammar, spelling, and punctuation and write both expository and expressive essays, students learn to construct unified, orderly, and well developed paragraphs. English II in the Sophomore year builds on and reinforces the skills learned in English I and provides an introductory study of literary form. Separate units contrast poetry, drama, novels, and short stories. Students learn to think and to write about the characteristic elements of each literary genre. The intensive study of grammar continues through the Fall and Winter terms. English III and IV are full year, half-credit courses which meet less often than English I and II. In these courses students write progressively longer and more sophisticated papers. The study of grammar and of Common Errors continues. In English IV, seniors explore a variety of 20th century literature. Students with permission of the Department may take AP English Composition and Literature in place of English IV.

The Electives
To complete the four credits required for graduation, Juniors and Seniors are required to take a minimum of three trimester long English electives. The breadth and variety of these offerings is clear from the course catalog. Some, like "Joyce and Dostoyevsky", concentrate on the work of a single author. Some, like "Moby-Dick", examine a single work in great detail. Others, like "Inner and Outer Nature" or "Truth, Beauty, and Justice", focus on a particular theme. Still others, like "Journalism", are more practical in nature. Thus a student can begin to discover and concentrate on her own areas of interest. Trimester elective courses allow teachers to share a special enthusiasm about works, ideas, and genres that particularly interest them, and allow students to share in that interest and the enthusiasm of the instructor.