Vie des sections
Anglophone, littérature
Programme des secondes
By Paddy Salmon
September 2006
2nde Students and Parents (Groups 1-4)
IGCSE
In Seconde, students sit the IGCSE examinations in English ( International General Certificate of Education ), which is the international equivalent of the GCSEs taken by all students at this age level in England and Wales. These are what used to be known as O Levels (or Ordinary Level).
University of Cambridge Local Examination Syndicate (UCLES), one of the official Examination Boards in England (and the international specialist among examining bodies who oversees the Option Internationale du Baccalauréat or OIB) offers a slightly modified examination from the British model.
These IGCSEs demand the same standards of knowledge and skill as British GCSEs but their syllabuses are designed for an international context, as well as for pupils whose first language may not be English. Results are expressed in Grades A (A* for outstanding work), B, C, D, E, F, G, or U (unclassified) ; everyone gets a grade but grades A-C are a “pass” and indicate a standard which would allow the pupil to continue study at a higher level.
At SIS, we see the exams as important preparation for the OIB, which is overseen by the same examining board, Cambridge, as well as evidence that our teaching is effective, as our pass rates are comparable or better than British pass rates. They can be useful too for your “international” c.v. In the examinations of 2006, the pass rate was 90% for the Literature and 70% for the Language exam.
There is a written exam in two subjects :
- Language and
- Literature, taken in May.
The Literature IGCSE exam also demands a coursework folder (dossier du travail continu) and even though not all pupils may necessarily opt to take the exams (they are not mandatory), the English work in Troisième and Seconde is based on the syllabuses. Pupils coming into Seconde from another school should be able to make up the coursework with a bit of effort.
IGCSE First Language English
Two written exams in May 2007 (Dates to be confirmed).
Students will be asked to write in different modes and registers, to write summaries, and essays ; they will be graded on their level of fluency, ability to employ various sentence structures and a wide vocabulary, ability to pinpoint and organise information, and on their accuracy of expression.
IGCSE English Literature
a) Coursework (30%)
The folder consists of 3 pieces of writing (one from each of the following genres) :
PROSE - work done in 3e on Catcher In The Rye, short stories, plus work done this year.
POETRY - selected poetry (except those poems to be studied for the written exam in May).
DRAMA - play, extract or scene from a play or film.
b) The Exam (70%)
This lasts 2¼ hours and requires that you write 3 essays, at least one of which must be a “context” question. “Context” questions are marked with an asterisk (*) on the exam, and ask you to look at a specific passage in a text and respond to it, paying close attention to the language and techniques the writer uses to achieve certain effects. The other questions tend to be broader, but similarly require you to pay attention to language and technique. In all cases you must refer to the text(s) you are writing about and quote appropriately in support of your essay. You MAY answer more than one “context” question, but you MUST answer at least one. You ARE allowed a dictionary (including bilingual dictionaries) in this exam as well as your personal copies of the texts you are going to be examined on. These texts must therefore be kept clean of notes, which are not allowed.
- Macbeth by Shakespeare
- Songs of Ourseves - Poetry Selection
- Travels With My Aunt by Graham Greene
2006/2007 Proposed Schedule for Literature Coursework
29th September 1st draft of Literature essay No. 1
13th October 2nd draft of Literature essay
10th November 1st draft of Literature essay No. 2
24th November 2nd draft of Literature essay
8th December 1st draft of Literature essay No. 3
12th January 2nd draft of Literature essay
Parents will be informed by mail for registration information later on in the fall. Please do not hesitate to ask your teacher for any clarification about the nature and demands of these exams.
With best wishes for the year
Dernière modification le 23-06-07 par
