GCSE English Language and Literature How is English

GCSE English Language and Literature How is English Language and Literature examined now? Join us on our journey….

An Overview…… No written coursework Speaking and Listening assessment. This does not contribute directly to the GCSE grade but you cannot pass your exam without it and it appears on your examination certificate. Grading 1 -9 – good pass 5 ‘Closed book’ exams Join us on our journey….

We use the exam board AQA (Assessment Qualifications Alliance) English Language Two Exams Each worth 50% Equal weighting for reading and writing Paper one – fiction. Unseen texts from 19 th, 20 th 21 st centuries. Narrative or descriptive writing. 20% assessment is spelling, punctuation and grammar (SPa. G) Paper two – non fiction texts from different times. Writing a viewpoint. Endorsed speaking assessment English Literature Paper 1 = 40% Shakespeare and 19 th century novel Paper 2 = 60% Modern text, poetry – seen and unseen The exam is closed book. Students will need to have a good working knowledge of three texts and fifteen poems. Join us on our journey….

How can I support my child in English Language? • Read a variety of texts outside the classroom. Your child needs to be able to read a complex text at speed. Try to find topics your child may be interested in – we can help guide them with this. • Read an article from a broadsheet newspaper at least once a week. This could be done online. Articles from The Guardian, Observer or Times are suitable – we can help with this. • Discuss current affairs with your child – this will help them develop a viewpoint. Recent examination topics have been natural disasters, deprivation in coastal towns, extreme sports, climate change. Challenge your child’s opinion – many teenagers love to argue! Practice papers are widely available online. If your child wants to work through some we are happy to give them feedback. GCSE Pod. Revise the structures we learn in class and work to time. Join us on our journey….

A chance to be creative…. . • Although technical aspects of the exam are important, fundamentally English is about the communication of ideas – your child will need to have some ideas and opinions! • Reading, discussion, travel, experience, drama, film, theatre, work and even gaming – within reason - will all help your child develop their imagination. • Creative and narrative writing does feature heavily in the exam. This is an opportunity for your child to shine and even enjoy their GCSE experience. Join us on our journey….

How can I support my child in English Literature? • GCSE pod really useful for GCSE English Literature as it helps them understand the content of the texts and goes through them at the child’s pace. • We will be studying ‘An Inspector Calls’ by JB Priestley; ‘A Christmas Carol’ by Charles Dickens; ‘Macbeth’ by Shakespeare and 15 poems based around themes of power and conflict. • To be exam ready your child needs to have read each text at least three times. They can be purchased cheaply on Amazon or second hand. Key scenes/chapters can be found online. If this is a problem please let us know. • Your child needs a good working knowledge of the poems. Expect post-it notes with key quotes on stuck around the house! Join us on our journey….

Any questions? Please see a production of any of the stories if you can, or a film version if possible. Join us on our journey….