1.
GENERAL AIM OF JUNIOR CYCLE ENGLISH
1.I
The
essential aim of teaching
reinforce
the
English at Junior Cycle is to
and continue the work of the primary school in nurturing
intellectual,
by
developing
of
language.
imaginative
hls/her
personal
This personal proficiency
elements:
personal
and emotional growth of each student
proficiency in the arts and skills
involves
literacy,
social
three
dynamically
interrelated
literacy and cultural
literacy.
1.2
Although
these three elements must be separated for full
delineation
context
of their
essential
1.3
significance,
in the living
of English teaching they form an organic
experience.
Junior
curricular
The
interdependence
wholeness of
of these elements is the
foundation for the successful
teaching of English in the
Cycle.
The development of skills in speaking and listening should play as
important
a role as reading and writing skills in this English
programme.
Fostering an awareness in the student of the
interrelationship
the
learning and thinking
personal
SYLLABUS OBJECTIVES
2.1
Personal literacy
Respect
processes, is an integral
element of
growth through English.
2.
should always be shown for each
competence
use.
of these skills, and of their central role in
and the community
student's
linguistic
characteristics of hls/her
language
This will foster the confidence of the student to think,
respond and communicate in the English classroom.
This is the
- 2 -
living language base from which a gradual and integrated growth
can take place in the students oracy and literacy skills.
Diversification
are the
2.1.2
and e n r i c h m e n t of this p e r s o n a l l i n g u i s t i c
c e n t r a l o b j e c t i v e s of t h e E n g l i s h c o u r s e at J u n i o r C y c l e .
The student should be encouraged to explore,
symbolise
a wide range of
sensuous
intellectual,
order,
express and
imaginative,
affectlve and
experience.
The student
should be given frequent
• to speak and write about
forms:
diary,
story,
description,
journal,
his/her
anecdote,
essay,
video film, song, poem,
opportunities:
experience in a variety of
autobiographical
radio-programme,
and to respond
2.2
Social literacy
2.2.1
This
element
individual
dialogue and drama
person is equipped to
of linguistic
emphasis
2.2.2
language that the
participate fully in society in a
The student should be
introduced
to the range
skills demanded b y society and be encouraged to use
them accurately.
developing
experiences
positively and creatively to them
stresses that it is mainly through
of roles.
sketch,
tape-feature,
• to read and listen to accounts of other students'
variety
base
Particular
attention
should be paid to
a sense of audience and language
appropriateness:
should be placed on fostering the student's
spellings,
punctuation
paragraph
organisatlon.
procedures,
The student should have frequent
sentence
knowledge of
structures and
practice:
• in speaking to and writing for a variety of audiences
peers,
class groups,
and teachers
school,
outsiders,
such as
parents, the public
3
• in using the following
purpose:recordlng,
classifying,
language
reporting,
theorislng,
functions for a real
persuading,
documenting,
arguing,
note-taking
organising,
and
letter-writing
2.2.3
The skills of reading and
discrimination
reading
should be
newspapers
manuals,
and reports
For example:
prose in such diverse
brochures,
application
forms,
should be developed
strategies such as skimming,
and re-reading
understanding and
introduced to the student.
skills to cope with factual
forms as textbooks,
reading
listening with
scanning,
close reading
should be practised in appropriate and real
contexts
listening
skills such as
recalling
sequences of words,
information,
remembering
significant
ideas and events,
details,
seeking
looking for evidence, and sensitivity to tone,
irony and suggestion
2.3
Cultural literacy
2.3.1
The student
should be developed
should be introduced to the skills of reading,
viewing
and listening to a range of literary and media genre for aesthetic
pleasure.
The student
should be encouraged:
• to become aware of his/her own sensuous,
and
intellectual
images which occasioned
• to interpret
affective
responses
• to become aware of the pattern of words,
• to re-read,
imagistic,
these
forms, sounds and
responses
review and reflect as
orally and attempt
necessary
disciplines
performances and productions
-
2 . 3 . 2
The
4
-
expression o f the s t u d e n t ' s
different
modes o f
T h e student
should be
interview
alternative
should range w i d e l y o v e r
language.
induced:
• to g i v e shape to h i s / h e r
to
response
characters,
response i n a creative
create
additional
endings a n d t o compare
the
manner:
scenes, w r i t e
experience o f
different
media
• t o play and
discover
meaning
experiment w i t h
the innate p o w e r of w o r d s t o create a n d suggest
a n d e n e r g i s e thought
• to write w i t h i n the
v e r s e forms,
television
T h e student
language
discipline
dialogue
and
• t o rewrite and
2.3.3
language s o that he/she w i l l
plays,
of
literary
stories
autobiographical
forms, e.g.
for radio,
scripts
simple
for
episodes
redraft t o develop
his/her
should b e m a d e a w a r e o f t h e
writing
craft
selectivity o f a l l
use, n o m a t t e r w h a t the m e d i u m o r form.
T h e student
should be
encouraged:
• t o develop a critical
language
consciousness
w i t h respect t o a l l
use
• t o focus o n the c h o i c e o f w o r d s a n d the reasons f o r a
particular
• to become
paragraph
choice o f w o r d s i n a n y m e d i u m
familiar w i t h v a r i e d patterns o f
sentence a n d
construction
• t o become aware o f t h e concept o f style a n d the effects o f
different
styles
5
.
3.1
CONTENT OF PROGRAMMe
Teachers
should aim to achieve a wide and varied
programme
with their
approaches
is a necessary
variety of
A broad
students.
linguistic
language
Diversity of texts,
condition
for
materials and
achieving the desired
experience.
selection of texts and materials is outlined in the
Teacher's Guide with guidelines for selection,
programme
planning,
classroom approaches and assessment.
3.2
Teachers
are free to choose from the Guide (or from elsewhere)
material
they consider most
programme.
knowledge
The teacher's
suitable for their students'
choice will be guided by his/her
of the students'
linguistic
the
general
abilities and cultural
stage of
development,
environment.
Every effort
should be made to choose material which will invite the students
into
satisfying and meaningful
and quality of their responses
developing
3.3
A
experiences which extend the range
and provide
for
their oracy and literacy skills.
programme
integrating
a series of broadly
language and literature can be planned in
outlined
syllabus
A syllabus unit can be defined as an
literary
opportunities
texts,
cultural
units.
interrelated
materials and
which provide the substance,
linguistic
selection of
assignments
purpose and direction to work in the
English programme for a period of time.
The duration of a unit is
variable;
as a general
guideline a unit might last a full term or
half-term
but longer and shorter units are possible.
Each unit should:
• invite the students to engage personally and creatively with
literary
and aesthetic
texts and materials
- 6 -
• offer
experiences
understanding
• provide
to develop the
of personal,
opportunities
in oral and written
student's
awareness a n d
social and cultural
issues
for the student to explore these issues
forms and develop personally
meaningful
responses
3.4
Units can be planned and structured in various ways.
3.4.1
A unit could focus on a central text or sroup of texts; a novel, a
play, a group of stories, a selection of poetry or any combination
of these could be used to create the desired range of experience.
Opportunities
will arise during the encounter with these texts for
diverse
linguistic
literacy
and oracy skills.
direction
activities
The teacher can give a general
objectives in the areas of personal,
literacy•
Obviously
other
growth can be exploited
3.4.2
facilitate the development of
to the teaching of a unit by planning to achieve
specific
these
which
possibilities
for fostering the pupils'
creatively at the
arise during the actual
social and cultural
teacher's
discretion, as
teaching of the unit•
A unit also could be planned and structured about a theme or
cultural
topic.
Adventures,
Contrasts
General
themes such as Heroes & Heroines,
People and Nature, Work and Play,
could form the central focus of
experience.
materials are chosen to provide a range of
central
theme.
experienced
involved
forms.
Texts and
perspectives on the
The variety of viewpoints and attitudes
will provide ample
opportunities
for pupils to become
in exploring the theme in diverse oral and written
As in the previous
certain oracy and literacy
other
Conflicts and
possibilities
example,
the teacher can pre-plan
objectives while remaining alert to
that arise during the actual teaching of the
unit.
3.4.3
Units could also be structured
about such topics as advertising,
an author's
llfe and works, style,
literature]
and films;
E x a m p l e s of units and
Guide.
the
[autobiography,
possibilities
programmes
local
are manifold.
a r e p r o v i d e d in the T e a c h e r ' s
3.5
When planning a three-year
programme, a teacher should ensure:
• that units in the programme are integrated clearly,
building
on previous units and preparing for future units
• that students
encounter
different
types of unit ranging over a
variety of literary genres: novels, plays, poetry, prose,
short
stories and other materials
• that the three areas of personal
cultural
literacy are constantly
the four modes of speaking,
3.6
As an approximate
encounter
outlined
experience
encountered and explored in
listening,
reading and writing
guideline at the Ordinary Level, students might
six substantive
substantive
literacy, social literacy and
units in their three-year programme.
unit would be similar to those
in the Teacher's Guide.)
(A
illustrative units
This implies that students will
a range of literary genres and other material, will be
invited to respond creatively and will so develop confident and
accurate
3.7
use of language both oral and written.
As an approximate guideline at the Higher Level, students might
encounter
six substantive units ranging over a wide and varied
range of literary genres and other material.
with
pre-contemporary
literature
unit based on a Shakespeare
Students
Some acquaintance
(pre-1900) and the study of one
text would normally be expected.
should be invited and challenged to respond in depth and
be encouraged to achieve a more accurate and sophisticated use of
language,
both oral and written.
4o
ASSESSMENT PROCEDURES
4.1
Since the programme in Junior English is an integrated course,
stressing
the
the assessment
this
interdependence of all forms of language activity,
procedures as far as possible will also emphasise
interdependence.
-8-
4.1.1
4.2
Assessment
of Junior Cycle English will be by terminal written
examination
at two levels, Ordinary and Higher.
Oral/aural
components may be introduced.
Assessment o b j e c t i v e s
The above
students
4.2.1
assessment
will provide
opportunities for
to demonstrate their ability in the following areas.
Written
composition
appropriate
Language
skills in a variety of contexts:
audience and purpose.
awareness
selectivity
skills: the student's awareness of the
of all language use in establishing
speciflc meaning;
the ability to use the conventions of paragraphing,
structure,
4.2.3
Reading
sentence
punctuation and spelling
and
factual,
choice of
language and register to suit specific contexts of
point-of-view,
4.2.2
procedures
comprehension
narrative,
skills of different kinds: literal,
selective,
structural,
inferential,
evaluative
and appreciative.
4.2.4
Oral skills in a wide variety of personal and social contexts:
overall
coherence,
structure of
richness of vocabulary,
presentation,
both formal and informal
4.2.5
Aural
variety of idiom,
awareness of audience and register in
contexts
skills in a variety of modes: ability to locate
information
and evidence, to follow a line of thought and display
sensitivity
to tone and suggestion
4.2.6
Recall,
discussion and creative use of knowledge of texts and
materials
4.2.7
encountered in their English programme
A e s t h e t i c r e s p o n s e to u n s e e n t e x t s , p i c t u r e s , p a t t e r n s and s h a p e s
and sounds;
engagement,
different modes of response will be expected,
perception,
interpretation and evaluation.
-
4 . 2 . 8
Knowledge of fundamental
heroine,
shape,
villain,
9
-
literary concepts and forms: hero,
character,
polnt-of-view,
climax, mood, tone, atmosphere,
texture,
lyric,
tragedy,
pathos,
story/narrative,
romance,
contrast,
theme, imagery, rhythm,
drama,
theatre, satire, comedy,
realism and melodrama.
imply the need for students to know strict
literary
This does not
definitions of the
above but rather t o be able to use the terms
discussing
tension,
meaningfully in
experiences and in exploring their own
responses.
5.
5.1
FINAL WRITTEN EXAMINATION -
FORMAT
OF PAPER(S)
The Junior Cycle English programme will be examined at two levels:
(a) Ordinary and (b) Higher.
At both levels, every effort will be
made to invite the student into tasks which are personally
meaningful
and interesting.
experiential
feels
5.2
An attempt will be made to create an
context for all written work so that the student
there is a definite purpose to his/her reading and writing.
The papers will present a range of unseen material to which the
pupils will be invited to respond in various ways.
Opportunities
their
knowledge,
materials
5.3
will also be provided for the students to display
understanding and appreciation of texts and
encountered in their own English programme.
In the past,
two separate
examination-papers
sections,
will be discontinued,
at this level were divided into
language and literature.
This practice
as such a distinction would run directly
counter to the principles and philosophy
underlying the new
course.
6.
6.1
BASIS FOR DISCRIMATION BETWEEN GENERAL AND ADVANCED LEVELS
At the ordinary level, students will be assessed in their
ability:
• to u n d e r s t a n d and c o n v e y i n f o r m a t i o n
-
I
0 -
- to understand facts, ideas and opinions, and to order and
present
them
with
clarity and a c c u r a c y
to a n a l y s e , e v a l u a t e and
select what
is r e l e v a n t for a g i v e n
purpose
to d e s c r i b e and
reflect on e x p e r i e n c e and e x p r e s s what
i s felt
and what is imagined
to recognise clear meanings and explicit
more obvious,
attltudes and the
implicit meanings and attitudes
to show a sense of audience and an awareness of appropriate
uses of language
to write in paragraphs,
exercising
using sentences of varied kinds ,and
care over spelling and punctuation
to show and express
responses to a variety of literary genres
to show understanding of how language works in literature
6.2
At the Higher Level,
students will be required to demonstrate a
greater degree of proficiency in all the above skills and to show
deeper
insights into and more understanding of a wider variety of
materials,
texts,
concepts and issues.
-
APPENDIX :
I
I
-
SAMPLE UNITS
Each teacher is free to use these units at hls/her own discretion.
Materials in each unit can be approached in any order, depending on
specific class context.
These units, if used comprehensively, each
could form a term's English work.
(i) CENTRAL TEXT:
The
Iron Man by Ted
Hughes
AESTHETIC AND
IMAGINATIVE
CONTEXTS
POSSIBLE LANGUAGE
ASSIGNMENTS
SUPPLEMENTARY
MATERIALS
I. Dramatic style:
sound and rhythm of
words
Dramatic reading by
groups of students
WARM BABIES - K. Preston
(poem);
DANIEL JAZZ - V. Lindsay
(poem)
2. Images and
illustrations
Collect photos and
illustrations from
papers etc. - make
out titles, headlines
or summary of event
Reading pictures and
cartoons
3. Good story-telllng:
tension and climax
Tell (or write) a
ghost-story
Video of TV thriller conversation and
discussion
4. Iron Man and dragon:
great conflicts in
our world
Read war-story
YOUR ATTENTION PLEASE
Peter Porter (poem)
5. Iron Man: giving
directions and
commands
Write out the
instructions you think
the Iron Man gave to
Hogarth
Read carefully
instruction leaflet for
operating any appliances
6. As modern myth:
interpretation
Give personal
understanding of text
Read other myths e.g. THE
CYCLOPS and ODYSSEUS;
THESEUS AND THE MINOTAUR
-lZ
IMAGINATIVE
CONTEXTS
& AESTHETIC
-
POSSIBLE LANGUAGE
ASSIGNMENTS
SUPPLEMENTARY TEXTS AND
MATERIALS:
(To be used
at the
teacher's
discretion
for
fuller
exploration
of a context
and as a stimJlus
for
student's
1.
Relationship
Tom and Jim:
loyalty,
of Buck,
friendship,
~l~wspap~E
betrayal
or
Read
work)
and
discuss:
~~sumentaEl
a betrayal
account
of
-real
or
OF THE NATION
-F.
O'Connor
imagined-
for
Teacher
presentation
class/audience
to
(story);
read:
Extract
from
THE GREAT GILLY
HOPKINS -K.
Paterson
(novel);
Presentation
audience
2.
Buck
to
and
Jim
-attitudes
Compose
ghost-story
set
in local
community
and environment
supernatural:
superstitions,
ghosts
Readings
anthology
stories;
and
3.
General
style
of novel
ironic
language
use:
parodyand
satire
-
Write
dialogu~
parodying
newspaper's
to
class/
from
an
of ghostlocal
anecdotes
superstitions
(oral)
THE PLANSTER'S
VISION
J. Betjeman
(poem);
a TV
personality's
or a specific
GUESTS
style
style
MACAVITY
-T.S.
(poem).
Language
use
or a specific
-
Eliot
in the
TV
press
programme
4.
5.
Ruck's
"stretchers":
tall
stories
and
fantastic
inventions
"Duke"
and "King"
episodes:
humour
melodrama
Make up
for
new
and
Grangerford's
and
Sheperdson's
feud;
Jim's
experience
as
black
a
Read and discuss:
THE
DIAMOND MAKER -H.G.Wells
invention;
display
poster
or TV advert
or radio
advert
(story);
THE GREEN DOOR -0.
(story)
Describe
and evaluate
in a review
article
an episode
of a TV
Discuss
approach
of:
(a) TV comedy
(b)
'Soap'
operas
soap
6.
advertisement
fantasy
Henry
opera
Class debate
on:
PREJUDICE IN OUR
COMMUNITY. Write
Read and present:
Extract
from
ROMEO AND JULIET
W. Shakespeare
-(oral);
ballad/storyon
"Being
left
Interpret
spirituals
out"
-negro
or freedom
songs;
TELEPHONE
CONVERSATION
-W.Soyinka
(poem).
MY PARENTS
CHILDREN
-S.
KEPT
ME FROM
WHO WERE ROUGH
Spender
(poem)
1
-
For
optional
(a)
Roll
(b)
The
(c)
(d)
of Thunder~
-
reading
by pupils
Hear
Cry -
my
during
Mildred
Cay - T. Taylor
Across
To
private
3
the
Kill
a
(e) A Separate
(f)
How
Many
(g)
The Great
Barricades
Mocking
Gilly
Lingard
Bird - Harper
Peace - J.
Miles
- J.
Lee
Knowles
to Babylon - J.
Hopkins - K.
Johnston
Paterson
this unit
Taylor
-
(iii)
14
-
4
CENTRAL TEXT : Henry~ IV Part I b y W.
Shakespeare
POSSIBLE LANGUAGE
ASSIGNMENTS
SUPPLEMENTARY TEXTS AND
MATERIALS (To be used
at the teacher's
discretion for fuller
exploration of a context
and as a stimulus for
students' work)
i. Hotspur and Hal: heroes
and villains: ideals
and motives
Compare the different
kinds of language
these two characters
use.
Discursive
essay: "There are no
heroes anymore"
(i) THE HIGHWAYMAN - A.
Noyes (poem);
(2) Newspaper items on
courage of all kinds:
discuss the language used
to describe events;
(3) Film: A MAN FOR ALL
SEASONS
2.
Interview Falstaff.
Make out wanted
notices for each
member of the gang:
invent short
biography and
criminal record
(based on text as far
as possible)
THE SECRET LIFE OF
WALTER MITTY J. Thurber (story);
Extract from CATCH 22 J. Heller (novel)
3. Glendower - legends and
myths
Write a mythical
exploration in
story-form for any
contemporary
natural
event
WELSH INCIDENT - Robert
Graves (poem)
4. Henry IV and Hal father and son/power
politics and people
Write dialogue or
scene of other
characters view of
this father and son
role friendship
THE WEB - James Plunkett
5.
The BBC Television
Write description of
interpretative
Shakespeare HENRY IV PI
stage-set for some
scenes.
Suggest a
range of interpretative
costumes for major
characters
throughout
the play
IMAGINATIVE
CONTEXTS
6.
& AESTHETIC
Falstaff - humour and
farce: black comedy
Shakespeare's
theatre
Chosen scenes e . g .
Gadshill/robbery; f i n a l
battle
Group readings and
presentation.
Write
press accounts of
these chosen scenes
(story)
Discussion
of
interpretative
Realism v.
approaches,
symbolism
-
F o r optional
private
1
-
5
reading b y p u p i l s during this unit
(a) C a t c h 2 2 - J . H e l l e r
(b) T h e G o o d
Soldier S v e j k - I . H a s e k
(c) T h e H u m a n F a c t o r - G. G r e e n e
(d) I a m the C h e e s e - R. C o r m i e r
(e) T h e S p y w h o C a m e i n f r o m t h e C o l d - J . L e Carre