GCSE English
Awarding Body: AQA
GCSE Level English
1 Year
Course Code: ENGG*
Is this the right course for me?
This subject is offered as part of the Full-Time GCSE Programme. Please refer to the Full-Time GCSE Course information sheet for further details.
The GCSE English course is designed to meet the varying needs of students. You might need GCSE English for a course you plan to do in the future, or are doing now, you might take it as a first step back into education, or simply to try something new! On the Full-Time GCSE Programme, all students are expected to take English at an appropriate level.
What do I need to join the course?
Standard programme entry requirements - please refer to Full-Time GCSE Programme Sheet.
What does the course involve?
This one-year course will encourage you to:
understand the spoken word, and express yourself effectively in speech.·
read, understand and respond to various types of writing.·
use correct grammar and appropriate style in written English.·
What will I study?
Your course aims to cover the Awarding Body’s objectives, which are under three headings:
Writing:
This means communicating clearly in good written English, for various purposes such as essays, letters, newspaper articles, reports and brochures; organizing your writing into sentences and paragraphs; using standard English grammar, a wide vocabulary, and accurate spelling and punctuation; and presenting your work clearly.
Reading:
This means understanding various types of material from literature, the media, etc, and learning to express ideas clearly. You will learn to distinguish fact from opinion; to enjoy work of increasing complexity from the English heritage and from other cultures; to see how writers use language in different ways for different purposes and effects.
Speaking and Listening:
This means communicating clearly in speech; using good forms of spoken English (a standard accent is not required!); preparing organised talks; and taking effective part in group discussions both as speaker and as listener.
Relevant Texts:
There is no specified textbook; your teacher will advise on suitable books to supplement your class studies if needed. You may be asked to obtain a short work of fiction, either a novel or collection of short stories. You will need to read extensively, particularly the booklet of reading material.
How will I be assessed?
Assessment will be based on:
1) a folder of written coursework (20%)
2) oral coursework (20%)
3) a written examination (60%)
Written Coursework1. : Your folder must have four pieces:
a) Personal writing – explore, imagine or entertain
b) Personal writing – inform, explain or describe
c) Written response to a Shakespeare play.
d) Written response to a prose (a novel or collection of short stories).
Each piece needs to be about 500 words in length. At least one piece must be handwritten, others may be word-processed.
Oral Coursework2. : You will have three assessments from different activities done during the year:-
Individual contribution(a)
Group drama focused activities(b)
Group Interaction(c)
These will be based on the three skill activities as follows:
discuss ~ argue ~ persuadeØ
explore ~ analyse ~ imagineØ
explain ~ narrate ~ describeØ
Written Examination3. : There will be two papers, one of 1 hour 40 minutes and one of 1 hour 30 minutes testing reading and comprehension as well as writing. Most questions will be based on a booklet of reading materials sent out by the Examining board in the spring term. This will be studied in class, and you will receive a clean copy when you arrive for each of the examinations. Dictionaries and other reference books are not allowed in the examination.
NB
You may enter for either of two ‘tiers’ - Higher (Syllabus No. 2400MH) or Foundation (Syllabus No. 2400MF). For the Higher Tier, grades A* - E can be awarded; for the Foundation Tier, grades C - G can be awarded. You can therefore achieve a grade C from either tier. Your teacher will advise you during the course which tier is likely to give you the better chance. There is no need to choose before joining the course. 1)
If you are retaking English, you should be prepared to start again with your coursework because this will probably be a new syllabus to you.2)
How do I apply?
Please refer to the Full-Time GCSE Programme information sheet.
Should you require this Course Information Sheet in a different format, for example in a larger font or electronically, please contact the Information Team on (01473) 382211. They will be happy to help.
This Information Sheet is for promotional purposes only and is not intended to form part of the agreement between the College and students.
The information contained within this Information Sheet is correct at July 2008