The Home Language level provides for language proficiency that reflects the basic interpersonal communication skills required in social situations and the cognitive academic skills essential for learning across the curriculum. Emphasis is placed on the teaching of the listening, speaking, reading and writing skills at this language level. This level also provides learners with a literary, aesthetic and imaginative ability that will provide them with the ability to recreate, imagine, and empower their understandings of the world they live in. However, the emphasis and the weighting for listening and speaking from Grades 7 onwards are lower than those of the reading and writing skills.
The Home Language curriculum is packaged according to the following skills:
Listening and Speaking:
Listening and Speaking are central to learning in all subjects. Through effective listening and speaking, learners collect and synthesise information, construct knowledge, solve problems, and express ideas and opinions. Critical listening skills enable learners to recognise values and attitudes embedded in texts and to challenge biased and manipulative language. Listening and speaking are different but co-dependent skills. Both are continually present informally in the classroom as learners receive and discuss information. Formal listening and speaking of special forms, e.g. debate, need focused instruction. Formal and informal listening and speaking are integrated with reading, writing and language practice, while speaking may give written text an oral form (e.g. reading aloud).
Reading and Viewing:
Well-developed reading and viewing skills are central to successful learning across the curriculum. Learners develop proficiency in reading and viewing a wide range of literary and non-literary texts, including visual texts. Learners recognise how genre and register reflect the purpose, audience and context of texts. Through classroom and independent reading, learners become critical and creative thinkers
Writing and Presenting:
Writing is a powerful instrument of communication that allows learners to construct and communicate thoughts and ideas coherently. Frequent writing practice across a variety of contexts, tasks and subjects enables learners to communicate functionally and creatively. Writing which is appropriately scaffolded using writing frames (as and when necessary), produces competent, versatile writers who will be able to use their skills to develop and present appropriate written, visual and multi-media texts for a variety of purposes.
Language Structures and Conventions:
Learners will learn how language is used, and will develop a shared language for talking about language (a ‘metalanguage’), so that they can evaluate their own and other texts critically in terms of meaning, effectiveness and accuracy. They will also be able to use this knowledge to experiment with language to build meaning from word and sentence levels to whole texts, and to see how a text and its context are related. Through interacting with a variety of texts, learners extend their use of vocabulary and correctly apply their understanding of Language Structures and Conventions.
Listening and Speaking
Listens to a short story
Listens to a poem/song
Listens to a story e.g. folklore
Listens to and discusses an instructional text
Listens to and discusses current issues
Reading and Viewing
Reads a short story
Reflects on text read independently
Reads a poem/song
Reads a story e.g. folklore
Reads an instructional text
Reads information text
Writing and Presenting
Writes a story based on a personal experience/event
Writes a poem/song
Writes a story e.g. folklore
Writes instructions
Writes a news report
Uses the writing process
Language Structures and Conventions
Word level work:
Common nouns, proper nouns, countable and uncountable nouns
Abstract and concrete nouns, compound nouns
Prefix, roots and suffix
Personal pronouns, possessive pronouns, demonstrative pronouns
Articles
Plurals
Sentence level work:
Simple sentences
Complex sentences
Subject, object
Statements, questions
Word meaning:
Rhymes, borrowed words
Proverbs, idioms
Antonyms
Spelling and punctuation:
Full stop, comma
Capital and lower case letters
Colon, semi-colon
Question mark, exclamation mark
Dictionary use
Listening and Speaking
Listens to weather reports
Listens to and discusses a short story
Listens to and discusses a fable/myth/legend
Listens to and carries out instructions
Listens to and gives directions
Reading and Viewing
Reads information texts with visuals
Reads a short story
Reads a fable/myth/legend
Reads an instructional text
Reflects on texts read independently
Writing and Presenting
Writes information text
Writes a character description
Writes a fable/myth/legend
Writes an instructional text
Uses the writing process
Language Structures and Conventions
Word level work:
Adjective, degrees of comparison
Main verbs, regular verbs, transitive and intransitive verbs
Regular and irregular verbs, finite and infinite verbs, stative verbs
Auxiliary verbs, modal verbs
Moods
Sentence level work:
Simple past tense, future tense
Subject, object, subject-verb agreement
Word meaning:
Idioms and proverbs
Spelling and punctuation:
Full stop, comma, question mark, exclamation mark
Word division
Dictionary use
Listening and Speaking
Listens to extracts from a novel
Participates in group discussions
Listens to and discusses information text
Listens to a poem
Performs a poem/lines
Listens to information text with visuals
Listens to a drama
Role plays a character
Reading and Viewing
Reads a novel
Reflects on text read independently
Reads information text
Reads a poem
Reads information texts with visuals
Reads a drama
Writing and Presenting
Writes a diary entry
Writes a descriptive paragraph
Writes a poem
Writes information from a table/graph/map into a paragraph
Writes a dialogue
Uses the writing process
Language Structures and Conventions
Word level work:
Adverbs
Conjunctions
Prepositions
Stems
Collective nouns
Reflexive pronouns
Sentence level work:
Complex sentences, simple sentences
Past continuous tense, future continuous tense
Statements
Verb clause
Subject-verb agreement
Word meaning:
One word for a phrase
Figurative language, similes, metaphors
Personification
Alliteration
Rhythm, rhyme
Spelling and punctuation:
Capital and small letters
Full stop, comma, colon, semi-colon, question mark
Dictionary use
Abbreviations – acronyms, truncation, initialization
Listening and Speaking
Listens to a newspaper/magazine article
Listens to a short story
Listens to advertisements
Participates in discussion
Reading and Viewing
Reads a newspaper/magazine article highlighting social issues
Reads a short story
Reads information text
Reflects on texts read independently
Writing and Presenting
Writes a newspaper/magazine article about a social issue
Writes a friendly letter
Writes an advertisement
Uses the writing process
Language Structures and Conventions
Word level work:
Conjunctions
Auxiliary verbs
Adverbs of place and degree
Conjunctions
Pronouns
Infinitive verbs
Sentence level work:
Subject, object
Subject-verb agreement
Tenses
Noun phrase, noun clause
Adjectives, adverbs
Main clause, simple dependent clause
Word meaning:
Synonyms, antonyms
Simile, metaphor, idiom, proverb
Spelling and punctuation:
Dictionary use
Word order
Word division
Capital letters
Full stop, comma, exclamation mark, colon
Listening and Speaking
Listens to and discusses a story
Listens to and discusses information text
Listens and responds to a newspaper article
Presents an unprepared speech
Listens to a poem
Performs a poem/lines
Reading and Viewing
Reads a story
Reads an information text
Reads a newspaper article
Reads a poem
Reflects on texts read independently
Writing and Presenting
Writes a story
Writes an information text
Writes a newspaper article
Writes descriptive/narrative text
Writes a poem
Uses the writing process
Language Structures and Conventions
Word level work:
Common and proper nouns
Noun prefixes, suffixes
Finite verbs, infinite verbs
Prepositions, determiners, articles
Adjectives, adverbs, pronouns, conjunctions
Sentence level work:
Simple and complex present tense
Simple past and future tense
Subject-verb agreement
Tenses
Subject, object
Concord
Statements
Simple sentences
Word meaning:
Synonyms, antonyms
Personification
Proverbs, idiom, simile, metaphor
Alliteration, onomatopoeia
Rhymes, rhythm
Spelling and punctuation:
Full stop, comma, quotation marks, question marks
Dictionary use
Word order
Capital letters
Word division
Listening and Speaking
Gives and follows instructions
Participates in interviews
Listens to a poem
Performs an oral poem/choral chant
Listens to and discusses folklore
Participates in group discussions
Reading and Viewing
Reads an instructional text
Reads a report with visuals
Reads a poem
Reads folklore
Reflects on texts read independently
Writing and Presenting
Writes instructions
Writes a report
Writes a poem
Write folklore
Writes a character description
Uses the writing process
Language Structures and Conventions
Word level work:
Adverbs of manner, time, place, degree
Prepositions, moods, adjectives, pronouns, conjunctions, interjections
Connections
Collective nouns, abstract nouns
Infinite verbs, gerund,
Singular and plural
Sentence level work:
Simple sentences, complex sentences
Past continuous tense, future continuous tense, present continuous tense
Active and passive voice
Reported speech
Question form
Object
Direct and indirect speech
Word meaning:
Full stop, exclamation mark
Abbreviations - acronyms, initialization, truncation
Alliteration, assonance, consonance
Personification, metaphor, simile
Rhythm, rhyme
Spelling and punctuation:
Full stop, exclamation marks, quotation marks, question marks
Abbreviations – acronyms, initialization, truncation
Word division
Dictionary use
Listening and Speaking
Listens to a novel
Describes events
Listens to and discusses an advertisement
Listens to and discusses a story
Listens to and discusses a weather report
Listens to and discusses a play
Reading and Viewing
Reads a novel
Reads an advertisement
Reads a story
Reads a weather report
Reads a play
Reflects on texts read independently
Writing and Presenting
Writes a book review
Writes an advertisement
Writes a story
Writes a character description
Writes a weather report
Writes a play/dialogue
Uses the writing process
Language Structures and Conventions
Word level work:
Relative and reflexive pronouns
Adjectives, adverbs, conjunctions, connections, interjections, pronouns
Degrees of comparison
Infinitive verbs, gerunds
Types of nouns
Sentence level work:
Simple present tense, simple past tense
Future tense
Concord
Simple short sentences, compound sentences
Subject-verb agreement
Statements, questions, commands
Direct and indirect speech
Word meaning:
Similes, metaphors
Proverbs, idioms
Homophones, homonyms, polysemy
Onomatopoeia
Synonyms, antonyms
Oxymoron
Spelling and punctuation:
Full stop, comma, inverted commas, colon, semi-colon, quotation marks
Dictionary use
Word division
Abbreviations
Capital letters
Listening and Speaking
Listens to a story
Acts out a story
Listens to a report
Gives an oral report
Listens to and discusses information text
Listens to and discusses instructional text
Reading and Viewing
Reads a story
Reads a report
Reads an information text with visuals
Reads an instructional text with visuals
Reflects on texts read independently
Writing and Presenting
Writes a friendly letter
Writes a report
Writes a descriptive essay
Writes an instructional text
Language Structures and Conventions
Word level work:
Prepositions, determiners, adjectives, adverbs, nouns, pronouns, conjunctions
Moods
Definite and indefinite articles
Stems, prefixes, suffixes
Sentence level work:
Subject, object
One word for a phrase
Conditional clauses
Noun phrase, adjectival phrase, adverbial phrase, prepositional phrase, verb phrase
Noun clause, verb clause
Negative form
Question form
Subject-verb agreement
Clauses and phrases
Word meaning:
Synonyms, antonyms
Homophones, homonyms, polysemy
Metaphors, similes, proverbs, idioms
Metonymy
Spelling and punctuation:
Word division
Dictionary use
Capital letters
Word division
Vocabulary development
Listening and Speaking
Listens to radio or newspaper reports and discusses current issues
Listens to and discusses folklore
Listens to a persuasive text
Listens to and discusses a dialogue
Listens to and discusses a poem
Reading and Viewing
Reads newspaper articles
Reads folklore
Reflects on texts read independently
Reads a persuasive text
Reads a simple play or drama
Reads a simple poem
Writing and Presenting
Writes a newspaper article
Writes folklore
Writes a persuasive text
Writes a dialogue
Writes a poem
Uses clear structure in writing
Language Structures and Conventions
Word level work:
Nouns: common, abstract
Interrogative pronouns
Tenses
Conjunctions, prepositions
Sentence level work:
Subject
Subject-verb agreement
Reported speech
Simple present tense, simple past tense, simple future tense
Simple and complex sentences
Statements, questions, commands
Word meaning:
Antonyms, synonyms
Proverbs, metaphors, idioms
Alliteration, assonance, consonance
Personification
Spelling and punctuation:
Word division
Dictionary use
Full stop, comma, colon, semi-colon, question mark, exclamation mark, quotation marks
Listening and Speaking
Listens to and discusses an instructional text
Listens to a novel
Listens to and discusses a story
Listens to and discusses an information text
Participates in group discussions
Reading and Viewing
Reads a recipe or other instructional text
Reads a short novel
Reads a story
Reads an information text
Reflects on texts read independently
Writing and Presenting
Writes an instructional text
Writes a book review
Writes a story
Writes an information text
Uses the writing process
Language Structures and Conventions
Word level work:
Stems, prefixes, suffixes
Finite and infinitive verbs
Auxiliary verbs
Attributive adjectives
Sentence level work:
Subject, object
Present continuous tense, past continuous tense, future continuous tense
Present perfect tense
Simple past tense
Word meaning:
Idioms
Spelling and punctuation:
Word division
Dictionary use
Listening and Speaking
Discusses a novel
Listens to and discusses folklore
Listens to a short story
Listens or view audio/visual /read
text: cartoon / comic strips
Listens to and discusses drama
Reading and Viewing
Reads a novel
Reads folklore
Reads a short story
Reads a cartoon / comic strip
Reads reviews of play/drama
Reflects on texts read independently
Writing and Presenting
Writes a book review
Writes a character sketch
Writes a friendly letter/diary entry
Writes a cartoon/comic strip
Writes a dialogue / a short play script
Uses the writing process
Language Structures and Conventions
Word level work:
Interrogative, demonstrative, indefinite pronouns
Gerunds
Predictive adjectives
Tenses
Connecting words
Participles
Moods
Adjectives, adverbs
Stems, prefixes, suffixes
Sentence level work:
Simple present tense, past tense, future tense
Future perfect tense, past perfect tense
Active voice, passive voice
Direct and indirect speech
Spelling and punctuation:
Dictionary use
Word division
Comma, quotation marks
Listening and Speaking
Listens to and discusses an information text
Role play interview in class
Listens to and discusses an instructional text
Listens to a story
Listens to and discusses poems
Reading and Viewing
Reads an information text
Reads an instructional text
Reads a story
Reads a poem
Reflects on texts read independently
Writing and Presenting
Writes a descriptive paragraph
Writes an instructional text
Writes a summary
Writes a poem
Uses the writing process
Language Structures and Conventions
Word level work:
Adverbs of degree, duration, frequency, manner, place, time
Sentence level work:
Direct and indirect speech
Compound and complex sentences
Noun phrases and clauses
Verb phrases and clauses
Subject, object
Word meaning:
Understatement
Multiple meaning
Ambiguity
Pun
Similes, metaphors, personification, onomatopoeia
Symbol
Spelling and punctuation:
Question mark, colon, semi-colon
Contraction
Parentheses