Seychelles S5 School Syllabus - English as a Second Language (IGCSE)

This syllabus outlines the curriculum for English as a Second Language (IGCSE) in Seychelles, based on the Cambridge IGCSE English as a Second Language (0511) syllabus. It develops practical communication skills in reading, writing, listening, and speaking, preparing students for further academic study and effective communication in various contexts.

Aims

The course aims to:

• Develop effective English language skills for practical communication.
• Cultivate awareness of language and language-learning skills.
• Develop transferable skills applicable to other subjects.
• Foster personal development and enjoyment of learning.

Content Overview

The curriculum exposes students to diverse texts to enhance reading and writing skills. They learn to extract relevant information, differentiate between explicit and implicit meaning, and adapt their writing to various purposes and audiences. Listening skills are developed through exposure to diverse spoken materials, including talks and conversations. Speaking skills are honed through conversations on various topics, focusing on responding appropriately to different situations and audiences with clarity and accuracy.

Assessment Overview

Students are assessed across three components:

• Paper 1: Reading and Writing (2 hours, 50% of total grade): Six exercises assess reading comprehension and writing skills through various question types, including multiple-choice, matching, short-answer, and continuous prose writing in both informal and formal styles.
• Paper 2: Listening (approximately 50 minutes, 25% of total grade): Five exercises assess listening comprehension through multiple-choice questions based on recorded texts such as monologues, interviews, and conversations.
• Paper 3: Speaking (approximately 10-15 minutes, 25% of total grade): An internally assessed and externally moderated speaking test involving an interview, short talk, and discussion.

Subject Content

Reading

Students are exposed to a range of text types (instructions, notices, advertisements, leaflets, articles, blogs, reviews, web pages) with different purposes (descriptive, narrative, informational, persuasive, discursive, argumentative). They learn to identify factual information, ideas, opinions, attitudes, implied meanings, and connections between ideas. They also develop reading strategies like skimming, scanning, and detailed reading for specific purposes.

Writing

Students practice writing for various purposes and audiences, adapting their register, style, and format accordingly. They learn to communicate information, ideas, and arguments clearly, organize ideas coherently using linking devices, and demonstrate control of grammar, vocabulary, punctuation, and spelling. They practice writing different text types, including informal emails, formal/semi-formal articles, reports, essays, and reviews.

Listening

Students listen to diverse audio texts (phone messages, announcements, radio programs, TV, film, plays, newsfeeds, podcasts, conversations, interviews) with varying levels of formality. They learn to identify factual details, speakers' ideas, opinions, feelings, attitudes, implied meanings, and connections between ideas.

Speaking

Students engage in speaking activities in various situations and for different purposes, including brief transactions, conversations, expressing opinions, and giving short talks. They develop interactive skills like initiating, responding, asking for clarification, and turn-taking. They also work on pronunciation, intonation, and using a range of grammatical and lexical structures.