PSLE ENGLISH LANGUAGE SYLLABUS 2015

Implemented from the Year of Examination 2015

The purpose of the examination is to assess the candidates’ attainment in English Language based on the Learning Outcomes stated in the English Language Syllabus 2010: Primary & Secondary (Express / Normal [Academic]). The Learning Outcomes form the basis for the assessment objectives listed on page 3.

ASSESSMENT OBJECTIVES In this English Language examination, candidates will be assessed on their ability to:

In Paper 1 (Writing)

1. AO1  write to suit purpose, audience and context in a way that is clear and effective
2. AO2  use appropriate register and tone in a variety of texts
3. AO3  generate and select relevant ideas, organising and expressing them in a coherentand cohesive manner
4. AO4  use correct grammar, spelling and punctuation
5. AO5  use a variety of vocabulary appropriately, with clarity and precision

In Paper 2 (Language Use and Comprehension)

1. AO1  demonstrate comprehension of a range of texts at the literal and inferential levels
2. AO2  show understanding of implied meaning, and make judgement and evaluation, byreading and/or viewing closely and critically
3. AO3  show understanding of how contextual use of lexical and grammatical itemsshapes meaning
4. AO4  demonstrate the correct use of grammar, spelling and punctuation, and theappropriate use of vocabulary in given contexts

In Paper 3 (Listening Comprehension)

1. AO1  demonstrate understanding of the content of a variety of spoken texts at the literal and inferential levels
2. AO2  identify key messages, main ideas and details in a variety of spoken texts
3. AO3  infer and draw conclusions by listening critically

In Paper 4 (Oral Communication)

1. AO1  read with good pronunciation, clear articulation and appropriate intonation in order to convey the information, ideas and feelings in a passage
2. AO2  produce a well-paced, fluent reading of a passage
3. AO3  express their personal opinions, ideas and experiences clearly and effectively inconversing with the examiner
4. AO4  speak fluently and with grammatical accuracy, using a range of appropriatevocabulary and structures

EXAMINATION FORMAT Candidates will be assessed in the following areas:

Legend: MCQ Multiple-choice questions OE Open-ended questions

Part 1 (Situational Writing): Candidates will be required to write a short functional piece (e.g. letter, email, report) to suit the purpose, audience and context of a given situation.

Part 2 (Continuous Writing): Candidates will be required to write a composition of at least 150 words in continuous prose on a given topic. Three pictures will be provided on the topic offering different angles of interpretation. Candidates may also come up with their own interpretation of the topic.

Candidates will be assessed on their ability to use language correctly and to comprehend visual and textual information.

This paper comprises 20 multiple-choice questions which test candidates’ ability to understand spoken English. The texts may be in the form of news items, announcements, advertisements, instructions, explanations, conversations, speeches and stories. Graphic representations will be used for the first seven items. Each text will be read twice. Time will be given for candidates to read the questions before the first reading of each text.

For Reading Aloud, candidates are assessed on their ability to pronounce and articulate words clearly, as well as their ability to read fluently with appropriate expression and rhythm.

For Stimulus-based Conversation, candidates are assessed on their ability to give a personal response to a visual stimulus and engage in a conversation on a relevant topic.

Revised PSLE English Language (EL) and Foundation English (FEL) Examinations

The revised English Language (EL) examination comprises four papers. The main revisions are as follows:

1. For the Continuous Writing component of Paper 1, instead of two questions with fixed scenarios for candidates to choose from to write a narrative, one topic is offered which can be approached from any one of several perspectives. To help candidates think about the different perspectives of the topic, visuals will be provided. In addition, candidates will be free to write a narrative or exposition or any appropriate text type learned in schools.
2. There will be a new Visual Text Comprehension section in Paper2 in the form of multiple choice questions (MCQs). One such example would be questions based on a poster.
3. For the Comprehension Open-ended section in Paper 2, the types of questions will now be varied and could include, for example, tables which candidates will fill in using information from the passage.
4. The Listening Comprehension paper will have more items with graphic representation compared to the existing paper.
5. For the Oral Communication paper, the existing Picture Discussion and Conversation components will be replaced by the Stimulus-based Conversation component. Candidates will give their personal response to a visual stimulus that is thematically linked to the Reading Aloud passage. Candidates will then move on seamlessly to a discussion on a relevant topic.

The revised Foundation English Language (FEL) examination comprises four papers. The main revisions are as follows:

1. For the Continuous Writing component in Paper 1, the visual stimulus, which is a series of three framed pictures in the current paper, will include an additional fourth frame featuring a question mark in the revised paper with the provision of helping words for each of the first three pictures. The picture-in- series format is to help candidates sequence their story while the question mark in the last frame is to give students the opportunity and flexibility to give their own endings to their stories.
2. For the Comprehension Open-ended section in Paper 2, the types of questions will be varied (e.g., graphic organisers, multiple-choice questions and sequencing-type questions might be used). Pictures may be featured together with the comprehension passages.
3. The FEL Listening Comprehension paper will also feature more items with graphic representation compared to the existing paper. There will be a new listening task in which candidates listen for main ideas and select the appropriate response from the three options for each MCQ.
4. For the Oral Communication paper, the FEL paper will also feature a Stimulus-based Conversation component in place of the existing Picture Discussion and Conversation components.

The revisions are summarized below: