This course enables students to continue to develop and consolidate the foundational knowledge and skills that they need for reading, writing, and oral and visual communication. Throughout the course, students will continue to enhance their media literacy and critical literacy skills, and to develop and apply transferable skills, including digital literacy. Students will also make connections to their lived experiences and to society and increase their understanding of the importance of language and literacy across the curriculum.

This curriculum policy presents the compulsory Grade 9 English course, 2023 (ENL1W). This course supersedes the two Grade 9 courses outlined in The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 9 and 10: English, 2007. Effective September 2023, all English programs for Grade 9 will be based on the expectations outlined on this site.

The Grade 9 English course is grounded in the belief that all students can succeed when they develop knowledge and skills in language and literacy. Strong foundational knowledge and skills in both oral and written language are necessary to support more complex skills such as critical thinking and problem-solving. This curriculum provides educators with a comprehensive guide to supporting the development and consolidation this essential knowledge and skills in every student.