ENGLISH LANGUAGE GCSE

Exam Board:                                    AQA                                         

Teacher i/c of subject:                Mr A Coates

Method of Assessment:            Examination                                                40%
                                                             Speaking & Listening coursework      20%

                                                             Written coursework                                 40%

Course Description:              

All pupils are entered for GCSE English Language.  This two-year course is designed to prepare pupils for the language skills necessary for life in general as well as for the further study of English. Pupils are taught in mixed ability groups and remain in the same teaching group for the duration of the GCSE course.

Examination

Unit 1 - Understanding and producing non-fiction texts:

This is the one 2 hour examination paper for GCSE English Language.  This paper tests reading skills through questions on unseen non-fiction and media texts; there is also a writing section in which pupils complete two tasks of a non-fiction/transactional style. The exam paper counts towards 40% of the final GCSE.  There is a choice of tier entry for the exam papers: foundation tier targets grades C to G; higher tier targets Grades A* to D.  Decisions about tier entries are made a few months prior to the exam based on prior performance in coursework and in the mock exams.

Controlled Assessment

As of September 2010, GCSE English Language and Literature courses replace coursework with controlled assessments. The fundamental change for pupils is the necessity to complete all tasks under teacher supervised conditions in a set time frame.

Unit 2 - Speaking and Listening

Speaking and listening activities form an important role in GCSE English Language.  In this controlled assessment pupils will be assessed in three speaking and listening skills over the duration of the course: presenting, discussing and listening, and role playing. The pupils'  best marks contribute to 20% of the final GCSE grade.

Unit 3 - Understanding spoken and written texts and writing creatively

There are three parts to this controlled assessment unit which will take place across the two-year course:

Extended Reading  - Pupils study one extended text, chosen by the teacher, and complete a written response on the subject of Theme or Characterisation.

Creative Writing - Pupils submit two pieces of writing drawn from a variety of non-fiction genres.

Spoken Language Study - Pupils submit one written response that investigates the use of spoken language in a variety of contexts.

What will pupils learn by taking this subject?

• To further enhance their reading skills

• To be able to deconstruct a wider range of text types including media/non-fiction

• To evaluate and question the validity of writers' views and attitudes

• To develop awareness of the social, historical and cultural backgrounds to texts

• To write fluently and accurately in a range of styles

• To become confident, effective speakers in a variety of contexts

• To reflect on their own use of language as well as language use beyond the classroom          

What about future progression?

English is obviously considered a vital qualification by employers and institutes of further education.  However, we also hope that pupils will leave the course with an appreciation of language and real confidence in their own communication skills that will remain with them long after they have left Kingshill School.