- Secondary
- Subjects
- English Language & Literature
English Language & Literature
The seven-year journey through the English curriculum is designed to align with the school's core intent of fostering academic achievement, enrichment, and enjoyment among students.
Our primary goal is to equip students with the skills and confidence to excel as fluent, confident, and effective communicators in reading, writing, and speaking. This journey is not just about passing exams; it's about nurturing a lifelong love for language and literature.
We strive to empower students to tackle the academic challenges of higher education while fostering empathy, clarity, and skill in communication for success in the workplace. Our curriculum encourages students to embrace their voices and believe in their ability to make a difference through thoughtful expression.
Students are exposed to a diverse range of challenging texts and relevant topics, sparking discussions, evaluations, and creative expressions. We aim for students to engage with language in new and meaningful ways, drawing connections to the real world and feeling empowered as learners.
Continuous assessment and feedback mechanisms are in place to monitor students' progress in these areas, ensuring that they are not just learning, but also growing, thriving, and finding joy in their education journey.
Our comprehensive curriculum encompasses a wide range of literary forms and genres. Through the study of texts, plays, poetry, media, and various written text types, the department aims to support students' writing and reading development while embedding skills necessary for their examination years.
The curriculum is carefully structured to include works from both older and contemporary writers, ensuring a balanced exposure that prepares students for the breadth and depth of knowledge required not only at school but also as well-rounded global citizens. This approach reflects the department's commitment to providing a holistic literary education that encompasses diverse perspectives and cultural contexts.
By engaging with a variety of literary forms and genres, students hone their analytical skills, critical thinking abilities, and creativity. Through discussions, analyses, and writing assignments, students are encouraged to explore themes, dissect authors' techniques, and develop their own unique voices as writers.
Cambridge IGCSE English - First Language
The Cambridge IGCSE syllabus enables learners to read, interpret and evaluate texts through the study of literature in English. Learners develop an understanding of literal meaning, relevant contexts and of the deeper themes or attitudes that may be expressed.
Through their studies, students learn to recognise and appreciate the ways in which writers use English to achieve a range of effects, and will be able to present an informed, personal response to the material they have studied.
The syllabus also encourages the exploration of wider and universal issues, promoting learners' better understanding of themselves and of the world around them.
Syllabus Cambridge IGCSE™ First Language English
Cambridge IGCSE Literature in English
The Cambridge English Literature syllabus empowers learners to delve into the world of literature, fostering skills to read, interpret, and evaluate texts with depth and insight. Students develop a nuanced understanding of literal meaning, relevant contexts, and the deeper themes or attitudes expressed within texts.
This journey of exploration allows students to recognise and appreciate the diverse ways in which writers use the English language to achieve a range of effects, from evoking emotions to conveying complex ideas. As a result, students are equipped to present informed and personal responses to the material they have studied, demonstrating their ability to engage critically with literary works.
In Literature, we offer two pathway option: Pathway A and B.
| Pathway A | Pathway B |
|---|---|
| Students undertake three examinations in literature
| Students undertake two examinations and complete coursework, to replace the Unseen Poetry paper.
|
IB English A: Language and Literature is a compulsory part of the IB Diploma at BISJ. Students read widely across literary and non-literary texts, from novels, poetry and plays to speeches, journalism, advertising, photographs and social media. The question that runs through the whole course is how language creates meaning, and how context, audience and purpose change the way a text is written and read.
Standard Level students study four literary works and Higher Level students study six, drawn from different periods, places and literary forms. Lessons are built around close reading and discussion, and students learn to write analytically about texts they have never seen before as well as those they have studied in class.
Assessment is made up of two examinations, an unseen textual analysis and a comparative essay on two literary works, together with the Individual Oral, in which students examine how a global issue is presented in one literary and one non-literary text. Higher Level students also write an essay of 1,200 to 1,500 words on a line of inquiry of their own choosing. The close reading, clear argument and confident speaking the course demands are useful in almost any degree, and particularly in English, law, journalism, media and international relations.
IB Diploma Programme Subject Brief Language A: language and literature
Students develop the skills required for sophisticated literary study through a range of contemporary poetry, Purple Hibiscus, Othello and A Streetcar Named Desire. The course develops close, critical reading, enabling students to explore how writers create meaning and encouraging them to consider texts from different perspectives. Students learn to construct persuasive, sustained arguments that interweave precise textual analysis with relevant contextual understanding and critical interpretation.