Samoa School Syllabus - English (Compulsory)

This syllabus outlines the curriculum for English, a compulsory subject for Years 9-12 in all secondary schools in Samoa. It aims to develop students' English language proficiency across listening, speaking, reading, viewing, writing, and presenting. The curriculum emphasizes bilingual literacy, recognizing the importance of Samoan language skills while fostering competence in English for various social and academic contexts.

Curriculum Structure

The curriculum is structured around three strands:

1. Listening and Speaking: Focuses on developing comprehension and spoken English proficiency for various purposes and audiences. This includes formal and informal settings, interpreting speakers' intentions, and expressing ideas fluently and confidently.

2. Reading and Viewing: Emphasizes reading comprehension, interpretation, and adaptation of written and visual texts. Students engage with diverse text types and genres, developing critical thinking and visual literacy skills.

3. Writing and Presenting: Aims to enhance written and visual communication skills. Students learn different writing forms, conventions, and the writing process, including planning, drafting, and editing. They also develop skills in creating and presenting visual and media texts.

Each strand is further divided into sub-strands focusing on processes and strategies, language (grammar, phonology, vocabulary), texts (purposes, audiences, ideas, form, features, comprehension), and interpersonal communication.

Key Principles and Aims

The curriculum is guided by principles of equity, quality, efficiency, relevance, and sustainability. It aims to:

• Provide opportunities to learn about other cultures through English medium texts.
• Develop English language knowledge and skills for effective communication in various contexts.
• Enhance the use of English for interpersonal communication and learning.
• Develop proficiency in English for personal and intellectual growth, further studies, and work.
• Develop the ability to use Information Technology for accessing, interpreting, and producing English texts.

Approaches to Teaching and Learning

The curriculum promotes student-centered learning, utilizing various activities like discussions, investigations, debates, and problem-solving. Teachers provide scaffolding and models to guide students toward achieving learning outcomes. Assessment is integral to the learning process, encompassing assessment for learning, assessment as learning, and assessment of learning.

Essential Skills and Values

The curriculum emphasizes the development of essential skills, including communicating effectively, solving problems, utilizing aesthetic judgment, managing oneself, developing work and study skills, integrating knowledge, and effectively using technology. It also promotes values such as fairness, honesty, excellence, responsibility, respect, and tolerance.

Specific Learning Outcomes

The syllabus outlines specific learning outcomes for each year level (9-12) within each strand. These outcomes detail the progressive development of skills and knowledge expected of students as they advance through the secondary school curriculum. For example, Year 9 students focus on developing basic skills in spelling, vocabulary, grammar, punctuation, sentence structure, and different writing styles, while Year 12 students refine these skills and focus on more complex writing tasks such as analytical essays and reviews. Similar progressions are outlined for the listening, speaking, reading, and viewing strands.

Recommended Texts and Bibliographic Format

The syllabus includes a list of recommended texts for each year level, encompassing short stories, novels, poetry, and films. It also provides guidelines for bibliographic formatting using the Harvard style.