Your son or daughter will be assessed on the following skills:
Here is a link to the English Language Framework, which details features of writing that students need to be able to identify, with examples of how to discuss them in context.
The following strategies are useful for revising for English Language:
-how the text starts and initially presents the point of view?
-how does the text develop to progress the points of view or idea- does the argument change?
-how does the text close/finish?
- to establish what the tone of the text is explicitly i.e. sarcastic, defensive etc.
-to highlight and discuss examples of where this is present
-to try notice any changes in tone, where it is particularly heightened for example?
Students should read for at least 30 minutes every day.
Student should spend around 90 additional minutes per week working on the strategies listed above.
The following things will be useful when revising for English Language:
Students complete a number of assessments in sessions and in any personalised additional support sessions where they will receive bespoke/personalised feedback regularly. Students are then also given opportunity in their sessions to respond to this critique.
Students should also look back over past assessments, alongside the models, to further their understanding of examination strategies. These are available in students' portfolios and exercise.
There is an increased emphasis on spelling, punctuation and grammar (SPAG) in the new English GCSEs. It now counts for 20% in English Language.
You do not necessarily need to sit down and have your child read to you, but reading the same book and then discussing what you both thought of it is very useful and lots of fun too.
Get your son or daughter to independently check that they've used capital letters and full stops and identify spelling errors in their work ‐ and then encourage them to correct them.
If you then want to check their work, please don't identify every spelling error. Focus on three of four key words first.
This is great for if your son or daughter is not always secure with spelling.
They can watch anything ‐ not just 'English'y things
It also works brilliantly for revising texts such as Othello ‐ it will bring the script to life and help them to understand the language.
Pick a 'word of the day' or week, and use the word in conversation as many times as you can that day or week ‐ you could even make a game of it.
Wordthink.com and Dictionary.com and many other websites offer a word of the day and its definition(s). You can also sign up to have a daily vocabulary word delivered to your email inbox from oxforddictionaries.com, or use apps such as Word of the Day on your phone.