language arts

[ lang-gwij ahrts ]

noun

1. (used with a plural verb) the skills, including reading, composition, speech, spelling, and grammar, taught in elementary and secondary schools to give students a thorough proficiency in using the language.
2. (used with a singular verb) a core course of instruction in an elementary or secondary school where students develop these skills. ELA ( def 1 ).

Word History and Origins

Origin of language arts¹

First recorded in 1945–50

Example Sentences

For a language arts lesson on persuasion, she gave her class the details of the then-pending Willow oil drilling project in Alaska.

From Los Angeles Times

The foundation developed the curriculum for outdoor learning, Hall said, which is integrated into regular classroom science lessons as well as other subjects, particularly language arts.

From Los Angeles Times

Regardless of the board action, state testing in math and English Language Arts remains required of students in grades 3 through 8 and grade 11.

From Los Angeles Times

Currently, high school students need 24 credits to graduate, and many of those credits are in core subjects such as language arts, social studies, math and science.

From Seattle Times

Quote: “Nearly 60% of our students do not meet performance standards in language arts and over 70% of our students do not meet performance standards in mathematics. And for District 1 schools the performance is far worse. We must do better than that.”

From Los Angeles Times