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ENGLISH - LANGUAGE B

Standard or Higher Level

Students develop their ability to use English accurately in a range of situations and for a variety of purposes. The four skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing are focussed on through the study of a wide range of oral and written texts of different styles and registers. The texts used include literature such as short stories and poems, informative texts, such as leaflets and reports and journalistic texts such as newspaper articles.

Objectives

By the end of the course, students will have developed their awareness of English speaking cultures and societies and they will be familiar with the varieties of English, spoken and written, around the world. Students will be able to communicate effectively in formal and informal situations and they will be able to express their feelings and opinions on a range of issues. They will have developed their accuracy and broadened their vocabulary and they will demonstrate variety in their use of spoken and written English.

Assessment Details

	External Assessment: Written component (70%)
	Paper 1 1 ½ hours (40%)	Text-handling Paper 1 includes several written texts, which are varied in terms of length, register, style and level of difficulty. Tasks include multiple-choice, gap-filling and short answers in section A of the exam (30%) and a longer written response in section B (10%).
	Paper 2 1 ½ hours (30%)	Written production Paper 2 includes a choice of written tasks. Students complete one task only. The task might be to write an essay, a report, a review, a formal letter, a dialogue, or some other type of text written for a particular purpose and audience. The written response is expected to be a minimum of 250 words (Standard Level) or 400 words (Higher Level).
Internal Assessment: Speaking component (30%)
Individual Oral Approximately 10 minutes (15%)		The assessed individual oral takes place in the second year of the course. Students give a presentation on a topic of their choice, the teacher then asks them some questions about the topic, and finally engages them in conversation about general issues. A cassette recording of the oral is made.
Interactive Oral (15%)		Interactive oral work is continuously assessed throughout the course. A variety of activities take place, some involving listening stimulus and some involving discussion of literature. The best mark achieved by the student is used for the final assessment.

Speaking and Listening Skills

Students listen to a wide range of material, in a variety of accents, including radio and TV documentaries, films and videos, and audio recordings of speeches, poems, plays and songs. They develop their speaking skills through discussion of listening materials and through a range of role-play and other oral activities. Oral work, involving listening and speaking, accounts for 30% of the assessment.

Reading Skills

Students’ reading skills are tested by the Paper 1 examination. To prepare for this exam students read a wide variety of texts based around topics such as The Environment. Students develop the ability to skim and scan read texts as well as to read closely, developing detailed understanding and focussing on the function of grammar and vocabulary.

Writing Skills

Students’ writing skills are tested by the final section of Paper 1 and by the Paper 2 examination. To prepare for the exams students practise writing in a variety of genres for a variety of purposes and audiences. Activities include writing texts such as, diaries, formal and informal letters, magazine articles, reviews and responses to literature.

Language Skills

Students develop the accuracy and variety of their English use through a range of language activities. They keep a record of new vocabulary and practise using a variety of verb tenses and grammatical constructions in their spoken and written work. They consider the function of different sentence types, and examine the structure of sentences, paragraphs and texts in order to structure their own written texts more accurately and effectively.

Dossier

During the course students keep a personal dossier of work. The dossier includes material they have found interesting and stimulating to read and a range of issues is represented. The dossier also includes written responses to the material they have collected. Some of the assessed orals are based on material from the student’s personal dossier.

Order of Study

Year One

Term	Topics	Activities will include
1	· The Individual, The Family, The Community, The Nation and beyond. · Sport, Hobbies and Interests · Cultural Traditions	Reading a variety of texts in relation to each topic, such as autobiography, travel brochures and newspaper articles. Writing a variety of texts in relation to each topic and for particular purposes and audiences, such as an article about a particular sport for a young people’s magazine or a letter to a newspaper about a controversial issue. Listening to a variety of material in relation to each topic, such as documentaries, interviews, songs and news bulletins. Speaking about the topics studied in a variety of ways, including in discussions, presentations, role-plays and interviews. Speaking activities will include assessed orals. Language Work based on each topic, including activities to develop vocabulary, increase grammatical variety and accuracy, improve sentence, paragraph and text structure.
2	· The Environment, Animal Rights & Globalisation · Advances in Technology and Science
3	· Advertising and The Media · Travel and Holidays

Year Two

Appreciation of the Arts: Cinema, Theatre, Literature and Art

· Social Injustice

International Concerns

Mock Examinations

Exam Skills Work and Exam Practice will take place continuously throughout the two years of the course, however a greater emphasis will be placed on improving exam technique in the second year.

Crime and Punishment

Individual Oral Assessment

Revision and Exam Preparation

Final Examinations