IGCSE English Language
I've met quite a few parents who feel a bit panicky about helping their child get through the English language exams - not because they are not proficient at English themselves but because they simply find it difficult to know how to go about teaching the subject at this level. With maths or sciences it's quite straightforward: there are set topics and a body of knowledge to be learned and tested on. With English, it's all a bit amorphous because there is no body of knowledge to revise and be tested on - there is simply a set of skills. The good news is that by the time your child reaches the age of 15, you have already been teaching these skills for several years, and the GCSE level exams do not demand anything more than that your child show his or her ability to read and understand a text, and to write reasonably well. That's about it.
GCSE is not really an option for private candidates due to the speaking and listening component so home-educators tend to take IGCSE. This is as usual available from CIE and Edexcel. My own experience is all with CIE (detailed below). The Edexcel exam (Spec A) is very different, relying as it does in part on an anthology of literature (some people find this easier to prepare for than the CIE which has no anthology and so is entirely unseen reading extracts; however, the CIE format is very predictable which can also be an advantage). I'm told by parents taking the Edexcel option that it has recently become more in line with GCSE English in the sense that there is more 'politically correct' bias in the material, so this is something you might want to think about. Having looked at the compulsory anthology for Edexcel IGCSE, I do find the texts very un-inspiring (lots of contemporary newspapers articles and poems etc.); not the sort of material I'd really want my children to be devoting a lot of time to. If you have to do Edexcel due to your exam centre availability, you might consider the alternative, known as Spec B, which has no anthology, is one three hour paper and is much more like the old 'O' Level.
As an example of what sort of level a child is expected to have reached at GCSE level, here is a breakdown of assessment for the popular CIE English Language exam (code 500). There are two papers, one focussed on reading, the other on writing:
The first paper tests reading ability. The candidate is expected to:
• demonstrate a precise understanding of texts • synthesise, develop, analyse and evaluate
facts, ideas and opinions • effectively summarise, paraphrase and re-express • demonstrate understanding of how writers achieve their effects • recognise and respond to sophisticated
linguistic devices • extract appropriate information for specific purposes
These skills are tested via three types of question:
Question 1: in response to a question related to a given passage, candidates write about 250–350 words, responding in one of the following text types: letter, report, journal,speech, interview, newspaper report or magazine article.
Question 2 : in response to the same passage of writing, candidates write about 200–300 words demonstrating their understanding of how writers achieve effects.
Question 3: In response to a second passage, candidates write a summary of the passage.
NB this syllabus has been updated for 2020 onwards and the structure of the Reading paper has changed considerably. Please check the exam board for the latest specification and changes!
The second paper tests writing ability, and the candidate must:
• express effectively what is thought, felt and imagined • order and convey facts, ideas and opinions effectively • demonstrate a sophisticated use of imaginative and varied vocabulary •demonstrate a clear sense of audience and context • demonstrate accuracy in spelling, punctuation and grammar • use effectively a variety of sentence structures.
These skills are tested via two types of question:
Question 1: Directed Writing: candidates answer one question on a passage or passages totalling 650–750 words. This will usually be an argumentative/persuasive piece such a speech or letter.
Question 2: Candidates answer one question from a choice of two descriptive and two narrative titles.
(about 350–450 words).
If you work through plenty of past papers and look closely at the examiners' reports, you'll have a very good idea of what standard is expected and of how the examiners want the questions to be answered. English Language skills are fairly generic, but if you want a textbook, you might look at something short and simple like IGCSE Study Guide for First Language English (though be aware that this is not up to date in terms of changes in the specification). An alternative (longer, more thorough and with more worked examples though a bit 'busy') is Collins Cambridge IGCSE English by Julia Burchell. Another popular choice is First Language English by Marion Cox. These are all inevitably quite 'schooly' in their appearance and approach but that is inevitable once you reach GCSE prep.
There is an excellent Facebook group for home-educators taking English Language and Literature GCSE where you can get all the up to date information and book recommendations. It is run by a home-ed mum (also an English tutor and CIE examiner) who freely shares all her expertise.
www.facebook.com/groups/801773049841714/?ref=group_header
I've met quite a few parents who feel a bit panicky about helping their child get through the English language exams - not because they are not proficient at English themselves but because they simply find it difficult to know how to go about teaching the subject at this level. With maths or sciences it's quite straightforward: there are set topics and a body of knowledge to be learned and tested on. With English, it's all a bit amorphous because there is no body of knowledge to revise and be tested on - there is simply a set of skills. The good news is that by the time your child reaches the age of 15, you have already been teaching these skills for several years, and the GCSE level exams do not demand anything more than that your child show his or her ability to read and understand a text, and to write reasonably well. That's about it.
GCSE is not really an option for private candidates due to the speaking and listening component so home-educators tend to take IGCSE. This is as usual available from CIE and Edexcel. My own experience is all with CIE (detailed below). The Edexcel exam (Spec A) is very different, relying as it does in part on an anthology of literature (some people find this easier to prepare for than the CIE which has no anthology and so is entirely unseen reading extracts; however, the CIE format is very predictable which can also be an advantage). I'm told by parents taking the Edexcel option that it has recently become more in line with GCSE English in the sense that there is more 'politically correct' bias in the material, so this is something you might want to think about. Having looked at the compulsory anthology for Edexcel IGCSE, I do find the texts very un-inspiring (lots of contemporary newspapers articles and poems etc.); not the sort of material I'd really want my children to be devoting a lot of time to. If you have to do Edexcel due to your exam centre availability, you might consider the alternative, known as Spec B, which has no anthology, is one three hour paper and is much more like the old 'O' Level.
As an example of what sort of level a child is expected to have reached at GCSE level, here is a breakdown of assessment for the popular CIE English Language exam (code 500). There are two papers, one focussed on reading, the other on writing:
The first paper tests reading ability. The candidate is expected to:
• demonstrate a precise understanding of texts • synthesise, develop, analyse and evaluate
facts, ideas and opinions • effectively summarise, paraphrase and re-express • demonstrate understanding of how writers achieve their effects • recognise and respond to sophisticated
linguistic devices • extract appropriate information for specific purposes
These skills are tested via three types of question:
Question 1: in response to a question related to a given passage, candidates write about 250–350 words, responding in one of the following text types: letter, report, journal,speech, interview, newspaper report or magazine article.
Question 2 : in response to the same passage of writing, candidates write about 200–300 words demonstrating their understanding of how writers achieve effects.
Question 3: In response to a second passage, candidates write a summary of the passage.
NB this syllabus has been updated for 2020 onwards and the structure of the Reading paper has changed considerably. Please check the exam board for the latest specification and changes!
The second paper tests writing ability, and the candidate must:
• express effectively what is thought, felt and imagined • order and convey facts, ideas and opinions effectively • demonstrate a sophisticated use of imaginative and varied vocabulary •demonstrate a clear sense of audience and context • demonstrate accuracy in spelling, punctuation and grammar • use effectively a variety of sentence structures.
These skills are tested via two types of question:
Question 1: Directed Writing: candidates answer one question on a passage or passages totalling 650–750 words. This will usually be an argumentative/persuasive piece such a speech or letter.
Question 2: Candidates answer one question from a choice of two descriptive and two narrative titles.
(about 350–450 words).
If you work through plenty of past papers and look closely at the examiners' reports, you'll have a very good idea of what standard is expected and of how the examiners want the questions to be answered. English Language skills are fairly generic, but if you want a textbook, you might look at something short and simple like IGCSE Study Guide for First Language English (though be aware that this is not up to date in terms of changes in the specification). An alternative (longer, more thorough and with more worked examples though a bit 'busy') is Collins Cambridge IGCSE English by Julia Burchell. Another popular choice is First Language English by Marion Cox. These are all inevitably quite 'schooly' in their appearance and approach but that is inevitable once you reach GCSE prep.
There is an excellent Facebook group for home-educators taking English Language and Literature GCSE where you can get all the up to date information and book recommendations. It is run by a home-ed mum (also an English tutor and CIE examiner) who freely shares all her expertise.
www.facebook.com/groups/801773049841714/?ref=group_header