|
English GCSE minisite
The Importance of English
English is vital for communicating with others in school and in the wider world, and is fundamental to learning in all curriculum subjects. In studying English, pupils develop skills in speaking, listening, reading and writing that they will need to participate in society and employment. Pupils learn to express themselves creatively and imaginatively and to communicate with others confidently and effectively.
Literature in English is rich and influential. It reflects the experiences of people from many countries and times and contributes to our sense of cultural identity. Pupils learn to become enthusiastic and critical readers of stories, poetry and drama as well as non-fiction and media texts, gaining access to the pleasure and world of knowledge that reading offers. Looking at the patterns, structures, origins and conventions of English helps pupils understand how language works. Using this understanding, pupils can choose and adapt what they say and write in different situations, as well as appreciate and interpret the choices made by other writers and speakers.
Key Concepts
There are a number of key concepts that underpin the study of English. Pupils need to understand these concepts in order to deepen and broaden their knowledge, skills and understanding. These essential concepts promote pupils' progress in speaking and listening, reading and writing.
- Competence
- Being clear, coherent and accurate in spoken and written communication.
- Reading and understanding a range of texts, and responding appropriately.
- Demonstrating a secure understanding of the conventions of written language, including grammar, spelling and punctuation.
- Being adaptable in a widening range of familiar and unfamiliar contexts within the classroom and beyond.
- Making informed choices about effective ways to communicate formally and informally.
- Creativity
- Making fresh connections between ideas, experiences, texts and words, drawing on a rich experience of language and literature.
- Using inventive approaches to making meaning, taking risks, playing with language and using it to create new effects.
- Using imagination to convey themes, ideas and arguments, solve problems, and create settings, moods and characters.
- Using creative approaches to answering questions, solving problems and developing ideas.
- Cultural understanding
- Gaining a sense of the English literary heritage and engaging with important texts in it.
- Exploring how ideas, experiences and values are portrayed differently in texts from a range of cultures and traditions.
- Understanding how English varies locally and globally, and how these variations relate to identity and cultural diversity.
- Critical understanding
- Engaging with ideas and texts, understanding and responding to the main issues.
- Assessing the validity and significance of information and ideas from different sources.
- Exploring others' ideas and developing their own.
- Analysing and evaluating spoken and written language to appreciate how meaning is shaped.
|
