What to expect in Sec English
Waiting for PSLE results? You may wish to find out what’s in store when your child enters the next phase of life. The new Secondary English syllabus has many components. These infographics will help you understand them better.
Paper 1: Composition
The first of the 3 components of the paper is Language Editing. Students identify and correct grammatical errors in a passage. Common errors are tense, pronoun reference, verb form, word form and subject-verb agreement.
The second component is Situational Writing where students are required to write a letter, email, speech, article etc using appropriate tone and some original ideas. A visual (eg a brochure / website / menu) will be provided to give students some ideas to start with.
The third and last component is Continuous Writing. Students choose one essay question out of four options. There is a rising emphasis for expository type of essay. Take this essay question for instance. ‘Teenagers spend too much time on technology today.’ Do you agree?
Paper 2: Reading Comprehension
The first component is Visual Text Comprehension. Students are given a text with pictures and words (eg. a flyer / website), and asked a few comprehension questions on the purpose, audience and features of the visual text.
The second component, the Narrative Text Comprehension, is probably the toughest segment of the entire paper. Students are given a story that is rich in language and tested on their understanding of such language features. A lot of emphasis is placed on literature-type of language such as metaphors, diction and punctuation.
Lastly, students are to answer the Expository Text Comprehension. Unlike a story, the text focuses on delivering information and facts. Besides several comprehension questions, students need to complete a summary worth 15marks.
Paper 3: Listening Comprehension
Students have to listen to recorded audio tracks and answer questions accordingly. Several common challenges are foreign-sounding accent and speakers talking too quickly.
Paper 4: Oral
This is the only paper where students are tested one-on-one. The first component of the Oral paper is Reading Aloud. Students read out a given passage and are assessed on their fluency, clarity and pronunciation.
The second component, Spoken Interaction, is where shy students dread most. Examiners assess students on their ability to hold a conversation. They are asked questions about a given image and asked to give opinion on general issues. Students’ skills to formulate ideas on the go is key to scoring well here.
What to do next?
The secondary paper is not as straight-forward as papers such as Mathematics. Therefore, students can struggle for years before they get hold of the techniques required to Ace the paper. We can give your child a strong head-start this November and December by addressing these issues! Join us for the holiday programme where your child will be exposed to all the components of the Secondary English paper.
Your child will get the following:
2 sessions, 4 hours each.
Free lunch!
Free Ultimate Secondary Vocabulary Guide
Make wise use of the holiday. Click here to find out more!