English

What is the nature of English at Grades 7 and 8?

At Grades 7 and 8 there is a clear intention to prepare our students for the IGCSE syllabus that will begin in Grade 9. The aim of the English department is to establish a love of Literature and a keen interest in language and how it works. One emphasis is on skill building through establishing a curriculum that allows all students to progress to the standard required to begin the study of the IGCSE. Students read a variety of texts from all genres: Prose, Poetry, Drama and Non-Fiction. They also explore multimodal texts such as graphic novels and film. Students learn the skills of close reading and analysis while being given the opportunity to develop their speaking and listening skills. Students learn how language is used in a variety of contexts and for what purposes. They learn the elements of textual analysis and are given opportunities for applying these to the texts they study.

What is the approach to teaching and learning?

We adopt a student-centred approach that includes a variety of teaching methods. Students take part in group and pair activities; they are also given opportunities for individual reflection and presentation of ideas. For these activities, key aspects of research- based learning are taught, along with the implementation of study skills – learning how to learn. Students are encouraged to present their own views and ideas on a range of topics and as well as being introduced to a variety of literature texts, they are introduced to the Media and how it works to convey ideas to the general public. It is our intention that students are given broad based learning opportunities that require their full participation.

Grade 7 and 8 Year Planner

Poetry

Students study between 6 - 8 poems as part of this unit, in both Grades 7 and 8. As part of this study, students are introduced to poetry from different cultures – so as to explore different attitudes and perspectives and begin to develop their cultural sensitivity.

Teachers use core anthologies of poetry which include:

 Poetry from different times  Poetry from different cultures and traditions  Balanced weighting of male/female writers  Different poetic forms and styles (to ensure that in grade 9 our students are fully prepared for the poetry

Language and Mass Communication

Students look at a range of multimodal texts during this unit in Grades 7 and 8. The focus is consistently on how language works for audience and purpose. In both years, students are encouraged to develop skills of textual analysis in order to understand in detail how texts work. Also, within this unit students are assessed on their ability to create a specific media text, which works effectively for audience and purpose.

Types of media studied across Grades 7 and 8:

Multimodal texts: Infographics, Public Service Announcements, Leaflets

Journalism:

Newspapers/magazines/television/radio/internet

Core Assessment:

presented to them for study at IGCSE)

As well as analysis of poetry, students are encouraged to pursue creative responses to the poems.

Core Assessment:

Grade 7: Students prepare a presentation on a poem (incorporating both visuals and music) in response to one of the Different Cultures poems they have studied.

Grade 8: Students produce a piece of poetry criticism & a piece of performance poetry. Grade 7: Production of an Infographic, PSA or Leaflet to persuade; critique of the work produced.

Grade 8: Analysis of a newspaper or online news article. Production of a news article.

The Novel

In accordance with SJII’s emphasis on interactive pedagogy, students study a whole novel in both Grade 7 and 8 through a range of teaching and learning approaches.

Study of the novel leads to the production of detailed essay responses that will prepare students for the IGCSE course. In addition, students will also study a small range of texts related to the genre of their novel e.g dystopian articles, short stories, poems.

Study skills taught from Grade 7 onwards

• Organisation • Time Management • Effective Reading and Listening • Efficient Note-taking • Mind-mapping • Close reading • Summarising • Researching • Selecting and using quotations

Drama:

In Grade 7 teachers introduce students to a range of Shakespeare extracts. In Grade 8, students study one whole play by William Shakespeare –currently this is ‘Romeo and Juliet’.

Grade 7 extracts are chosen to allow students to:

• Experience a range of Shakespearean genres • Study Shakespeare’s style and use of language in detail • Gain an understanding of the social/historical context of Shakespeare’s plays • Gain an appreciation of the nature of theatrical text.

These skills developed in Grade 7 are to form the basis for successful Shakespeare study in Grade 8, and later on at IGCSE level.

Core Assessment:

Grade 7: Students prepare and present a dramatic piece based on a passage from a Shakespeare play.

Grade 8: Students are assessed on their participation in a group debate on an aspect of the play ‘Romeo and Juliet’.

Core Assessment:

Grade 7: Students produce an analytical essay in response to the novel they have been studying. Currently, this novel is The Giver.

Grade 8: Students produce an analytical essay in response to the novel they have been studying. They will be given a question that has a broad thematic focus. Currently, the novel is The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. At Grade 8 level a greater understanding of how social context affects both the production and reception of a text is required.

Writers’ Workshop - The English Department also includes a Writers’ Workshop program in both Grades 7 and 8. Over the course of a term, teachers dedicate one lesson a week to this creative writing course. In Grade 7, students focus on writing realistic fiction whereas in Grade 8, students learn to write like investigative journalists.

Homework – It is English Department policy to give two homework activities per week in Grades 7 and 8. These do NOT always have to be written tasks but whatever homework activity is devised, there should be evidence of the task having been completed.

Assessment

Reading, writing and speaking and listening skills are assessed throughout Grades 7 and 8 and specific mark schemes are used with the students for each of these areas to ensure that focused progression can be achieved.

In addition to the Core Assessments, teachers constantly offer opportunities for students to work on their close reading and analytical writing skills. Students will undertake a number of tasks throughout the year that allow them to practise writing to argue, persuade, narrate and describe (this is in preparation for the IGCSE composition tasks that they will face in Grades 9 and 10).

It is English Department policy that teachers go through specific mark schemes with the students before undertaking any assessment task. Then, on completion of assessed tasks, students undertake a process of self-evaluation before having their marked work returned to them by the teacher. This is to encourage students to work towards becoming independent learners who are increasingly responsible for their own learning path.

There is no end of year examination; the emphasis is on continuous formative assessment throughout the year. The assessed unit tasks provide multiple opportunities for a range of skills to be practised and consolidated.