Changes in the English curriculum are set to take place starting in the school year of 2017-2018. The English 4 academic and honors courses will now become a full year course.

This school year 2016-2017, English IV is a half year course, meaning all students are required to take another English elective. Students have many options to chose such as British Literature, Creative Writing, Film as Literature, Public Speaking, or Ethics. Those classes will no longer be a requirement for students to take, but instead will be offered as non-English credit, similarly to acting and journalism.

Cheryl Campbell, an English teacher at Naugatuck High School, said the idea of switching English and to a full year course came from the teachers; English teachers agreed that it is difficult to put a full year’s worth learning into a half year. Mrs. Campbell was actually never in favor of making English 4 a half year, and she is glad to see things are going back to the way they were.

Raven Sauro, junior at Naugatuck High School states that English 4 switching to a full year course will not affect her.

She said, “It will not make a difference to me because that is what I am used to.”

However Campbell adds that she is sorry to see the electives go. She said, “Hopefully we will get another English teacher so that we can still offer electives for environment.”