Ontario · Grade 12

English, Grade 12, College Preparation

  • ENG4C

Ontario’s Grade 12 English course, from Oral Communication to Media Studies.

Units
4
Lessons
8
Skills
61
Provincial exam
None

Unit by unit

Every skill in the course, numbered by unit.

Unit 1 · 16 skills

Oral Communication

Listening to Understand

  • Setting a purpose and goals for listening

    I can identify my purpose for listening to an academic text and set a clear goal.

  • Using active listening strategies

    I can use active listening strategies during discussions.

  • Listening comprehension strategies for complex texts

    I can use before, during, and after strategies to understand increasingly complex or difficult texts.

  • Identifying the important ideas in oral texts

    I can identify the important information and ideas in increasingly complex or difficult texts.

  • Interpreting oral texts with evidence

    I can interpret increasingly complex or difficult texts and support my interpretation with evidence.

  • Extending understanding by making connections

    I can extend my understanding of increasingly complex or difficult texts by making connections.

  • Analyzing how oral texts communicate

    I can analyze how increasingly complex or difficult texts communicate ideas and influence the listener.

  • Identifying perspectives and bias in oral texts

    I can identify and analyze perspectives and bias in increasingly complex or difficult texts.

  • Evaluating presentation strategies

    I can evaluate presentation strategies in increasingly complex or difficult texts and suggest better ones.

  • Communicating orally for a purpose and audience

    I can communicate orally for a purpose using language suited to my audience.

  • Adapting interpersonal speaking strategies

    I can adapt interpersonal speaking strategies to the situation and audience.

  • Communicating a clear, structured argument

    I can present a clear, coherent argument with point-by-point development.

  • Word choice and stylistic devices in speaking

    I can use precise words and stylistic devices to engage my audience when speaking.

  • Using vocal strategies effectively

    I can use vocal strategies like tone, pace, pitch, and volume appropriately.

  • Using non-verbal cues

    I can use non-verbal cues like expression, gesture, and eye contact appropriately.

  • Using audio-visual aids to support a presentation

    I can use audio-visual aids to support and enhance a presentation.

The official wording · 16 outcomes
1.1
identify the purpose of a range of listening tasks and set goals for specific tasks
1.2
select and use the most appropriate active listening strategies when participating in a range of situations
1.3
select and use the most appropriate listening comprehension strategies before, during, and after listening to understand oral texts, includ- ing increasingly complex or difficult texts
1.4
identify the important information and ideas in oral texts, including increasingly complex or difficult texts, in a variety of ways
1.5
develop and explain interpretations of oral texts, including increasingly complex or diffi- cult texts, using evidence from the text and
1.6
extend understanding of oral texts, including increasingly complex or difficult texts, by mak- ing effective connections between the ideas in them and personal knowledge, experience, and insights; other texts; and the world around them
1.7
analyse oral texts, including increasingly com- plex or difficult texts, focusing on the ways in which they communicate information, ideas, issues, and themes and influence the listener’s/ viewer’s response
1.8
identify and analyse the perspectives and/or biases evident in oral texts, including increas- ingly complex or difficult texts, and comment with growing understanding on any questions they may raise about beliefs, values, identity, and power
1.9
evaluate the effectiveness of a variety of pres- entation strategies used in oral texts, including increasingly complex or difficult texts, and suggest other strategies that could be used effectively
1.10
communicate orally for a range of purposes, using language appropriate for the intended audience
1.11
demonstrate an understanding of a variety of interpersonal speaking strategies and adapt them to suit the purpose, situation, and audi- ence, exhibiting sensitivity to cultural differ- ences
1.12
communicate in a clear, coherent manner, using a structure and style effective for the purpose, subject matter, and intended audi- ence
1.13
use appropriate words, phrases, and terminolo- gy, and a variety of stylistic devices, to effec- tively communicate their meaning and engage their intended audience
1.14
identify a variety of vocal strategies, including tone, pace, pitch, and volume, and use them effectively and with sensitivity to audience needs and cultural differences
1.15
identify a variety of non-verbal cues, including facial expressions, gestures, and eye contact, and use them effectively to help convey their meaning and with sensitivity to audience needs and cultural differences
1.16
use a variety of audio-visual aids effectively to support and enhance oral presentations and to engage an audience

Unit 2 · 14 skills

Reading and Literature Studies

Reading for Meaning

  • Reading diverse texts with a purpose

    I can read academic and literary texts from diverse cultures with a clear purpose.

  • Using reading comprehension strategies

    I can use before, during, and after strategies to understand increasingly complex or difficult texts.

  • Identifying important ideas and supporting details

    I can identify the most important ideas and supporting details in increasingly complex or difficult texts.

  • Making and explaining inferences

    I can make and explain inferences about increasingly complex or difficult texts using textual evidence.

  • Extending understanding by making connections

    I can extend understanding of increasingly complex or difficult texts by making connections.

  • Analyzing how texts develop ideas and themes

    I can analyze how a text's parts contribute to its ideas and themes.

  • Evaluating the effectiveness of texts with evidence

    I can evaluate the effectiveness of increasingly complex or difficult texts using evidence from the text.

  • Identifying perspectives and bias in texts

    I can identify and analyze perspectives and bias in increasingly complex or difficult texts.

Understanding Form and Style

The official wording · 14 outcomes
2.1
read a variety of short, contemporary student- and teacher-selected texts from diverse cultures, identifying specific purposes for reading
2.2
select and use the most appropriate reading comprehension strategies to understand texts, including increasingly complex or difficult texts
2.3
identify the most important ideas and sup- porting details in texts, including increasingly complex or difficult texts
2.4
make and explain inferences about texts, including increasingly complex or difficult texts, supporting their explanations with well- chosen stated and implied ideas from the texts
2.5
extend understanding of texts, including increasingly complex or difficult texts, by making appropriate and increasingly rich connections between the ideas in them and personal knowledge, experience, and insights; other texts; and the world around them
2.6
analyse texts in terms of the information, ideas, issues, and themes they explore, exam- ining how various aspects of the texts con- tribute to the presentation or development of these elements
2.7
evaluate the effectiveness of texts, including increasingly complex or difficult texts, using evidence from the text effectively to support their opinions
2.8
identify and analyse the perspectives and/or biases evident in texts, including increasingly complex or difficult texts, commenting with growing understanding on any questions they may raise about beliefs, values, identity, and power
2.9
identify a variety of characteristics of informa- tional, literary, and graphic text forms and explain how they help communicate meaning
2.10
identify a variety of text features and explain how they help communicate meaning
2.11
identify a variety of elements of style in texts, including increasingly complex or difficult texts, and explain how they help communicate meaning and enhance the effectiveness of the texts
2.12
automatically understand most words in a variety of reading contexts
2.13
use appropriate decoding strategies to read and understand unfamiliar words, including words of increasing difficulty
2.14
use a variety of strategies, with increasing regularity, to explore and extend vocabulary, focusing on the precision with which words are used in the texts they are reading

Unit 3 · 19 skills

Writing

Developing and Organizing Content

Using Knowledge of Form and Style

  • Writing in a variety of forms for purposes and audiences

    I can write in academic and literary forms for different purposes and audiences.

  • Establishing voice in writing

    I can establish a distinctive voice, modifying language and tone skilfully to suit the writing.

  • Choosing vivid, precise words

    I can choose descriptive, precise words to make my writing clear and vivid.

  • Varying sentences and making smooth transitions

    I can vary my sentences skilfully and use smooth transitions to communicate clearly.

  • Recognizing beliefs and values in your writing

    I can explain how my beliefs, values, and experiences show up in my writing.

  • Revising drafts to improve content and style

    I can revise a draft to improve content, organization, clarity, and style.

  • Producing revised drafts to criteria

    I can produce a revised draft of increasingly complex or difficult texts that meets set criteria.

Applying Knowledge of Conventions

  • Spelling correctly using rules and resources

    I can use spelling rules and resources to correct spelling errors.

  • Building and refining word choice for writing

    I can build vocabulary and refine my word choice for writing.

  • Using punctuation correctly

    I can use punctuation (dashes, quotation marks, italics, parentheses, ellipses) correctly to communicate my intended meaning.

  • Using grammar conventions correctly

    I can use grammar conventions (a variety of sentence types, parallel structure and balance, and unconventional grammar for effect) correctly to communicate my meaning.

  • Proofreading and correcting writing

    I can proofread and correct my writing using agreed guidelines.

  • Using presentation features to publish

    I can use presentation features to make my published work clear and appealing.

  • Producing published work to criteria

    I can produce a finished, published piece that meets set criteria.

The official wording · 19 outcomes
3.1
identify the topic, purpose, and audience for a variety of writing tasks
3.2
generate, expand, explore, and focus ideas for potential writing tasks, using a variety of strategies and print, electronic, and other resources, as appropriate
3.3
locate and select information to effectively support ideas for writing, using a variety of strategies and print, electronic, and other resources, as appropriate
3.4
identify, sort, and order main ideas and supporting details for writing tasks, using a variety of strategies and selecting the organi- zational pattern best suited to the content and the purpose for writing
3.5
determine whether the ideas and information gathered are accurate and complete, interest- ing, and effectively meet the requirements of the writing task
3.6
write for different purposes and audiences using a variety of informational, literary, and graphic forms
3.7
establish a distinctive voice in their writing, modifying language and tone skilfully and effectively to suit the form, audience, and purpose for writing
3.8
use appropriate descriptive and evocative words, phrases, and expressions imaginatively to make their writing clear, vivid, and interest- ing for their intended audience
3.9
write complete sentences that communicate their meaning clearly and effectively, skilfully varying sentence type, structure, and length to suit different purposes and making smooth and logical transitions between ideas
3.10
explain how their own beliefs, values, and experiences are revealed in their writing
3.11
revise drafts to improve the content, organiza- tion, clarity, and style of their written work, using a variety of teacher-modelled strategies
3.12
produce revised drafts of texts, including increasingly complex texts, written to meet criteria identified by the teacher, based on the curriculum expectations
3.13
use knowledge of spelling rules and patterns, a variety of resources, and appropriate strat- egies to recognize and correct their own and others’ spelling errors
3.14
build vocabulary for writing by confirming word meaning(s) and reviewing and refining word choice, using a variety of resources and strategies, as appropriate for the purpose
3.15
use punctuation correctly and effectively to communicate their intended meaning
3.16
use grammar conventions correctly and appro- priately to communicate their intended mean- ing clearly and effectively
3.17
regularly proofread and correct their writing
3.18
use a variety of presentation features, includ- ing print and script, fonts, graphics, and lay- out, to improve the clarity and coherence of their written work and to heighten its appeal and effectiveness for their audience
3.19
produce pieces of published work to meet cri- teria identified by the teacher, based on the curriculum expectations

Unit 4 · 12 skills

Media Studies

Understanding Media Texts

  • How media texts suit purposes and audiences

    I can explain how increasingly complex or difficult texts are created to suit particular purposes and audiences.

  • Interpreting overt and implied media messages

    I can interpret increasingly complex or difficult texts, explaining their overt and implied messages.

  • Evaluating how effectively media texts communicate

    I can evaluate how effectively increasingly complex or difficult texts communicate and whether they achieve their purpose.

  • Why media texts prompt different responses

    I can explain why the same media text prompts different responses from different audiences.

  • Identifying perspectives and bias in media texts

    I can identify perspectives and bias in increasingly complex or difficult texts and the questions they raise.

  • How production factors shape the media industry

    I can explain how production, marketing, and distribution factors shape the media.

Media Forms, Conventions, and Creating Media Texts

  • Characteristics of media forms

    I can identify characteristics of media forms and how they shape content and meaning.

  • Conventions and techniques in media forms

    I can identify media conventions and techniques and explain how they influence the audience.

  • Planning a media text: topic, purpose, audience

    I can describe the topic, purpose, and audience for a media text I plan to create.

  • Selecting an appropriate media form

    I can select a media form suited to my topic, purpose, and audience and justify it.

  • Planning conventions and techniques for a media text

    I can plan the conventions and techniques for my media text to communicate my meaning.

  • Producing media texts

    I can produce a media text for a purpose and audience using appropriate forms and techniques.

The official wording · 12 outcomes
4.1
explain how media texts, including increasing- ly complex or difficult texts, are created to suit particular purposes and audiences
4.2
interpret media texts, including increasingly complex or difficult texts, identifying and explaining the overt and implied messages they convey
4.3
evaluate how effectively information, ideas, themes, issues, and opinions are communicat- ed in media texts, including increasingly com- plex or difficult texts, and decide whether the texts achieve their intended purpose
4.4
explain why the same media text might prompt different responses from different audiences
4.5
identify the perspectives and/or biases evident in media texts, including increasingly complex or difficult texts, and comment on any questions they may raise about beliefs, values, identity, and power
4.6
explain how production, marketing, financing, distribution, and legal/regulatory factors influence the media industry
4.7
identify general and specific characteristics of a variety of media forms and explain how they shape content and create meaning
4.8
identify conventions and/or techniques used in a variety of media forms and explain how they convey meaning and influence their audi- ence
4.9
describe the topic, purpose, and audience for media texts they plan to create
4.10
select a media form to suit the topic, purpose, and audience for a media text they plan to cre- ate, and explain why it is a highly appropriate choice
4.11
identify a variety of conventions and/or tech- niques appropriate to a media form they plan to use, and explain how these will help com- municate a specific aspect of their intended meaning effectively
4.12
produce media texts, including increasingly complex texts, for a variety of purposes and audiences, using appropriate forms, conven- tions, and techniques

The official curriculum

This page follows Ontario’s own curriculum for English, Grade 12, College Preparation.

The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 11 and 12: English [ENG4C]Ontario Ministry of Education · edu.gov.on.ca · Read July 31, 2026

Textbooks

The textbooks Ontario Ministry of Education lists for English, Grade 12, College Preparation:

  • Nelson English Series: Between the Lines 12 and Communicate!Nelson Thomson Learning · 2002
  • Passages 12 and Gage Canadian Student Writer's GuideGage Learning Corporation · 2002

From the Trillium List, read October 27, 2026. ontario.ca

Study it in MapleMind

MapleMind teaches English, Grade 12, College Preparation one skill at a time. Each skill gets a short lesson, practice as you go and a check worth up to three stars. It remembers where you stopped.

Geography of Canada, Grade 9 in the MapleMind app on a tablet: its units, Unit 2 open, and the skills done so far with their starsGeography of Canada, Grade 9 in the MapleMind app on a phone: its units, Unit 2 open, and the skills done so far with their stars
Pictured: Geography of Canada, Grade 9, another Ontario course, partway through Unit 2.

Practise it

Course Companion

Your year in one workbook

A fun way to keep English, Grade 12, College Preparation organized, get to know your child better and see early when they need a hand. Fill it in on a screen, or print it.

Pages
31
Fillable fields
1,874
Price
$4.99
See the Course Companion

Questions about English, Grade 12, College Preparation

What is English, Grade 12, College Preparation?

Ontario’s Grade 12 English course: 4 units and 61 skills, from Oral Communication to Media Studies.

What units are in English, Grade 12, College Preparation?

1. Oral Communication, 2. Reading and Literature Studies, 3. Writing and 4. Media Studies.

Is there a provincial exam for English, Grade 12, College Preparation?

No. Ontario gives no provincial exam for English, Grade 12, College Preparation.

What textbook does English, Grade 12, College Preparation use?

The textbooks Ontario Ministry of Education lists for English, Grade 12, College Preparation: Nelson English Series: Between the Lines 12 and Communicate!, Nelson Thomson Learning and Passages 12 and Gage Canadian Student Writer's Guide, Gage Learning Corporation.

Can MapleMind help with English, Grade 12, College Preparation?

Yes. MapleMind teaches every skill of English, Grade 12, College Preparation, step by step, with practice and checks, and its tutor answers questions about any of them. It’s free with daily limits, on iPhone, Android and the web.

Get ready for English, Grade 12, College Preparation

Practise every skill of English, Grade 12, College Preparation in MapleMind, free with daily limits.