Beyond English Language and Literary Arts
Ages 11-15

Grade 7-9
Introduction
BELLA is an advanced course designed for students who are operating at a high level intellectually and whose English is effectively native for educational purposes.

‘Effectively native’ means that a student’s English does not usually interfere with their ability to reach their intellectual and creative potential when the language of instruction is English, in lessons as taught in native English speaking countries.

In practice, this means three things: the ability to understand a teacher’s verbal explication without language supports; grade level reading level (native-English grade level) or higher; and the ability to express complex and creative ideas accurately, first time and most of the time, in speech and writing.

BELLA Part I, takes students beyond ordinary grade level knowledge through Studio’s trademark focus on deep cultural and historical immersion, broad skills development, and higher order thinking skills. Students can expect to go deeper, into history and philosophy; broader, into the expressive skills of oral presenting and digital publishing; and higher, into the thinking skills of analysis, synthesis, and evaluation, the building blocks necessary for cultivating creativity. All of this work will be chronologically organized, beginning with Beowulf and ending with Shakespeare. After completion of Part I, students are invited to join BELLA Part II (another 10-sessions) of the course examining The Romantics.