IGCSE ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE 2015/ 2016

Transcription

1 IGCSE ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE 2015/ 2016 In Years 10 and 11, students prepare for English Language and English Literature, which gives them two individual GCSEs by the end of Year 11. English Language (Syllabus Code 0522): This qualification is made up of three parts: An external examination, a coursework portfolio and speaking and listening coursework. Component How much is it What will students worth? do? External exam 40% 1 paper. Students are given two unseen non-fiction texts and must answer questions on it. Coursework 40% 3 tasks of between words. Speaking and Listening 20% 3 tasks: an individual, pairbased and group activity. When will they do it? End of Year 11 Throughout Year 10, beginning in Term 1. Throughout Year 10 External Exam Students will be entered for either Paper 1 (core; available grades C-G) or Paper 2 (extended; available grades A*-E). This decision will be made by the class teacher in Year 11. Coursework Students complete 3 assignments of about words each. Available grades: A-G. If candidates are taking Paper 2 for the exam, they are eligible to achieve an A*. Assignment 1: Inform, analyse or argue. Students write an opinion piece entitled Something I would get rid of in the 21 st century or A Day in the Life of. Other coursework titles are available. Assignment 2: Imagine, describe and narrate. For this piece, students will be taking a short sequence from a film and writing it up as a story, or using other stimulus to create something exciting. Assignment 3: A response to a text provoking strong opinions or arguments. For this piece, some students will be responding to a controversial article written by Daily Mail columnist Liz Jones and writing a letter in response, or reading an equally controversial article about Work Experience. All assignments test writing skills; assignment 3 also tests reading skills. Work may be hand-written or word-processed. Dictionaries may be used.

2 A draft must be submitted for at least one assignment, with amendments made. ALL COURSEWORK MUST BE COMPLETED BY THE END OF YEAR 10 Speaking and Listening Available grades: A-G. If candidates are taking Paper 2 for the exam, they are eligible to achieve an A*. Task 1: An individual activity. This could be a talk to the class on a favourite hobby or a talk on a place that the student has visited and enjoyed. Task 2: A pair-based activity. This could be a job interview, or role-playing a disagreement between two neighbours. Task 3: A group activity. This could be a discussion on who to invite, and why, to open the new local shopping centre; or a discussion about a topical news story. English Literature (Syllabus Code 0486) Walking behind his mother, into the dark hall, he managed to open out the scrap of paper. I DON T WANT YOU TO COME HERE was written. Hill s novel shows the length to which two boys will go to come out on top. It s a furious battle of wills set against a backdrop of suppressed emotion, where one character will pay the ultimate price. Students study the book in Year 10 and in Year 11 sit an external exam of 1 hour 30 minutes: Component 1. It is worth 50% of the overall Eng lish Literature GCSE and candidates are not allowed copies of the book in the exam. Here, they choose to write an essay or an analysis of a given extract.

3 strange-eyed constellations reign / His stars eternally. Get the opportunity to read a selection of fourteen poems by the superb writer Thomas Hardy. Writing at the turn of the 20 th century, Hardy s vision was of a world held in precarious balance as WWI drew ever nearer, industrialisation took a stronger hold and sudden changes in his personal life shook his world view. Students are examined on Hardy as part of Component 1 (alongside I m the King of the Castle) in the exam of 1 hour 30 minutes. They can choose to write an essay or an analysis of a We are such stuff as dreams are made on, Shakespeare s The Tempest explores the themes of justice, power and magic set on an island, as strange forces battle to return the world to its natural order. Students present their ideas on how the themes are explored and how Shakespeare uses language to develop character and drama in an examination at the end of the course. There is no coursework for the English Literature GCSE. Finally, students sit the exam of 1 hour 15 minutes for component 4, which accounts for 25% of the English Literature GCSE. Here, they are presented with a range of unseen texts and must answer one question. They will be required to think on their feet and apply their skills of analysis to either a piece of poetry or prose. What should students be doing at home? Homework will be set regularly by your child s class teacher, and you might also like some guidance on how you can support your child in the crucial few months in before the Year 11 exams. READING LIST FOR YEARS 10 AND 11 Below are some suggested reads for students in KS4, all of which are available in the school Library, open 8am 4pm daily. 1. Rebecca, Daphne du Maurier , George Orwell 3. Lord of the Flies, William Golding 4. The Book Thief, Markus Zusak 5. Catcher in the Rye, J. D. Salinger 6. The Hobbit, J. R. R. Tolkein

4 7. The Hitchhiker s Guide to the Galaxy, Douglas Adams 8. Little Women, Louisa May Alcott 9. Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury 10. To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee 11. Great Expectations, Charles Dickens 12. Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen 13. The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald 14. The Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13 ¾, Sue Townsend 15. The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Robert Louis Stevenson 16. Lovely Bones, Alice Sebold 17. Life of Pi, Yann Martel 18. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night time, Mark Haddon 19. Area 7, Mathew Reilly 20. Gone, Michael Grant 21. The Fault in our Stars, John Green 22. My Sister s Keeper, Jodi Picoult 23. One Flew Over the Cuckoo s Nest, K. Kesey 24. Jane Eyre, Charlotte Bronte 25. The Hunt for Red October, T. Clancy 26. The Help, Katherine Stockett 27. Freaks like Us, Susan Vaught 28. Brighton Rock, Graham Green 29. I Boy, Road of the Dead, Kevin Brooks 30. I Capture the Castle, Dodie Smith How can I support my son/daughter with their English Language GCSE? These activities might be useful to practise at home. Task Description Date 1 Read and summarise a news report about a recent event in words. 2 Read and summarise a sports report in words. 3 Read and summarise the review of a film in words. 4 Read a holiday guide and identify how it would appeal to its target audience. 5 Write a report of how the family spent the weekend; edit it. 6 Write a report of a recent sporting activity; edit it. 7 Focus on a task for one hour, without 8 Focus on a task for one hour, without 9 Focus on a task for one hour, without

5 10 Read a chapter of a novel and explain it to a family member. 11 Read an advertisement in a magazine and explain to a family member how it persuades you. 12 Read an advertisement in a magazine and explain to a family member how it persuades you. 13 Write a report of how the family spent the weekend; edit it. 14 Write a report of a recent sporting activity; edit it. 15 Read and summarise the review of a film in words; edit it. 16 Read and summarise a news report about a recent event in words.