GCSE English Language

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS:

Students under 19 are required to have achieved a grade D previously. Students over 19 with experience of work and/or a commitment to succeed are encouraged to join the course without any prior qualifications. An informal interview and a written assessment will be required before you can be accepted onto the course.

WHO IS THE COURSE FOR?
Mature students who want to develop their English skills, and students who want to improve their previous grades.

WHAT WILL I LEARN?
This course will encourage candidates to develop:

1. understanding of the spoken word and the ability to express themselves effectively in a variety of contexts, such as giving and asking for information and taking parts in debates.

2. the ability to read, understand and respond to a variety of writing and the ability to describe, explain and argue with clarity and precision.

For your course work you will read and study one Shakespeare play, and one novel or a selection of short stories.

For the exam you will study a selection of texts from magazines and newspapers as well as selection of poems.

COURSE TEXTBOOKS

Recommended: Collins College Dictionary and Thesaurus

Don Shiach, Basic Grammar

Don Shiach, Basic Punctuation

Michael Temple, Basic Spelling

BOARD AND SYLLABUS

Board and syllabus: AQA English spec B (mature) 3703 / AQA English A 3701 (non-mature)

ASSESSMENT

Your overall mark will be based on:

• examination 60%; consisting of two papers of 2 hours each, one to test understanding of media texts and persuasive writing skills, one to test understanding of poetry and analytical writing skills
  

• Coursework 40%; consisting of
  

A 4 pieces of written coursework or 3 pieces of written coursework and 1

spoken response

B 3 listening and speaking tasks

HOW WILL I LEARN?
You can study the GCSE English as part of a full time study programme, or as a part-time course for up to 2.25 hours a week.

You will be encouraged to learn independently as well as in groups, using a range of tools such as computers, textbooks and videos.

WHAT CAN THIS COURSE LEAD TO?
A grade C or above in the GCSE English is a requirement for most level 3 courses, including A levels, Access and GNVQs.

The Isle of Wight College is committed to equality of opportunity in every aspect of its activities.

Type of Study :: Course Duration :: Course reference number :: Start Date :: Tutorial Fees :: Material Fees :: Exam Fees
part time GC001 September 2010 199 30 53