SHS English

UIL COACH:   Lecia Malone

Poetry Interpretation

• The purpose of this contest is to encourage the student to understand, experience and share poetry through the art of oral interpretation. The goals of this contest are to encourage the contestant's exploration of a variety of literary selections, and to enhance the performer's and audience's appreciation of literature through the performer's oral interpretation of the work.

Prose Interpretation

• This contest encourages the student to understand, experience, and share prose works through the art of oral interpretation. It encourages the contestant's exploration of a variety of literary selections and to enhance the performer's and audience's appreciation of literature through the performer's oral interpretation of the work.
  

UIL COACH:  Jan Wilson

Spelling & Vocabulary

• The UIL Spelling and Vocabulary contest promotes precise and effective use of words. The three-part contest consists of multiple choice questions of proofreading and vocabulary and words that are written from dictation. Eighty percent of the words on the test are listed in the UIL publication WordPower, which is based on the American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, third edition. The vocabulary-building and spelling components of the contest are important complements of the high school academic curriculum and are indicative of vocabulary words contained on standardized tests such as SAT, PSAT and ACT.

UIL COACH:   Amy Fischer

Literary Criticism

• The contest requires knowledge of literary history and of critical terms, and ability in literary criticism. Students are tested over material on the reading list, required to select the best answers involving judgment in literary criticism, and analyze literary passages not on the reading list. A tie-breaker is required in which the student must write a short essay dealing with a specified topic about a short literary passage.
   

UIL COACH:   Jan Wilson

Ready Writing

• In this contest, students write expository compositions. They are given a choice between two prompts, each an excerpt from literature, publications (past and present) or speeches. Expository writing explains, proves, or explores a topic in a balanced way, allowing the argument and the evidence given to be the deciding factor in the paper. The composition is judged on interest, organization and correctness of style.

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