Cambridge IGCSE English as a Second Language

by Nandana Surendran

Cambridge IGCSE English as a Second Language offers learners the opportunity to develop practical communication skills in listening, speaking, reading and writing.
Learners will be presented with a variety of stimuli that will build up their skills in reading and writing. They will learn to select relevant details, understand the difference between what is directly stated and implied, and practise writing for different purposes and audiences. Learners will listen to a range of spoken material, including talks and conversations, in order to develop listening skills. Learners will engage in conversations on a variety of topics, and develop their skills in responding to different situations and audiences with a degree of accuracy and clarity. Cambridge IGCSE English as a Second Language will enable learners to become independent users of English, and to be able to use English to communicate effectively in a variety of practical contexts.

Aims of the Syllabus

The aims are to-
• Develop learners’ ability to use English effectively for the purpose of practical communication
• Form a solid foundation for the skills required for further study or employment using English as the medium
• Develop learners’ awareness of the nature of language and language-learning skills
• Promote learners’ personal development.

Subject Content

1. Reading
Core
• Understand factual information and ideas from a range of texts, e.g. leaflets, articles, blogs and webpages
• Identify relevant information and select correct details from a range of texts
• Identify ideas, opinions and attitudes from a range of texts and understand the connections between them
• Show some awareness of what is implied but not directly stated, e.g. gist, purpose and intention

Extended
• Understand factual information, abstract ideas and arguments from a range of texts, e.g. leaflets, articles, blogs and webpages
• Identify relevant information and select correct details from a wide range of texts
• Identify ideas, opinions and attitudes from a wide range of texts and understand the connections between them
• Understand what is implied but not directly stated, e.g. gist, purpose and intention

2. Writing
Core
• Communicate factual information and ideas with appropriate expansion
• Select and organise relevant information and ideas into paragraphs and use appropriate linking devices
• Respond to a written stimulus and show awareness of appropriate register and style/ format for the given purpose and audience, e.g. a summary, an informal email, an article, a report and a review
• Produce written texts with an adequate range of language structures (i.e. grammatical and lexical)
• Produce written texts that show good control of punctuation and spelling

Extended
• Communicate factual information, abstract ideas and arguments with good expansion
• Select and organise relevant information and ideas into coherent paragraphs and use a range of appropriate linking devices
• Respond to a written stimulus and use appropriate register and style/format for the given purpose and audience, e.g. a summary, an informal email, an article, a report and a review
• Produce written texts with a wide range of language structures (i.e. grammatical and lexical)
• Produce written texts that show very good control of punctuation and spelling

3. Listening
Core
• Understand factual information and ideas from a range of sources, e.g. recorded phone messages, announcements, dialogues, interviews and formal talks. A variety of voices and accents will be heard in recordings to reflect the various contexts presented.
• Identify relevant information and select correct details from a range of sources
• Identify ideas, opinions and attitudes from a range of sources and understand the connections between them
• Show some awareness of what is implied but not directly stated, e.g. gist, purpose and intention

Extended
• Understand factual information, abstract ideas and arguments from a wide range of sources, e.g. recorded phone messages, announcements, dialogues, informal conversations, interviews and formal talks. A variety of voices and accents will be heard in recordings to reflect the various contexts presented.
• Identify relevant information and select correct details from a wide range of sources
• Identify ideas, opinions and attitudes from a wide range of sources and understand the connections between them
• Understand what is implied but not directly stated, e.g. gist, purpose and intention

4. Speaking
Core
• Communicate factual information and ideas with some expansion
• Organise and link ideas with appropriate linking devices
• Engage in a conversation on a range of topics familiar to the candidate’s experience, e.g. the world around us and past experience
• Produce responses with an adequate range of language structures (i.e. grammatical and lexical)
• Produce responses that show sufficient control of pronunciation and intonation

Extended
• Communicate factual information, abstract ideas and arguments with good expansion
• Organise and link ideas with a range of appropriate linking devices
• Engage in a conversation on a wide range of topics, e.g. natural environment, arts, science and global issues
• Produce responses with a wide range of language structures (i.e. grammatical and lexical)
• Produce responses that show good control of pronunciation and intonation

Objectives of Assessment

1. Reading

  • Identify and select relevant information
  • Understand ideas, opinions and attitudes
  • Show understanding of the connections between ideas, opinions and attitudes
  • Understand what is implied but not directly stated, e.g. gist, writer’s purpose, intention and feelings

2. Writing

  • Communicate information/ideas/opinions clearly, accurately and effectively
  • Organise ideas into coherent paragraphs using a range of appropriate linking devices
  • Use a range of grammatical structures and vocabulary accurately and effectively
  • Show control of punctuation and spelling
  • Use appropriate register and style/format for the given purpose and audience

3. Listening

  • Identify and select relevant information
  • Understand ideas, opinions and attitudes
  • Show understanding of the connections between ideas, opinions and attitudes
  • Understand what is implied but not directly stated, e.g. gist, speaker’s purpose, intention and feelings

4. Speaking

  • Communicate ideas/opinions clearly, accurately and effectively
  • Develop responses and link ideas using a range of appropriate linking devices
  • Use a range of grammatical structures and vocabulary accurately and effectively
  • Show control of pronunciation and intonation patterns
  • Engage in a conversation and contribute effectively to help move the conversation forward

Assessment

Core candidates take-
Paper 1
Reading and Writing
1 hour 30 minutes
Weighting- 60%
60 marks
Six exercises testing a range of reading and writing skills
Externally assessed

Paper 3
Listening
Approximately 40 minutes
Weighting- 20%
30 marks
Candidates listen to several short extracts and longer texts, and complete a range of task types, including short-answer questions, gap filling, matching, multiple choice and notemaking. Externally assessed

Extended candidates take-
Paper 2
Reading and Writing
2 hours
Weighting- 60%
80 marks
Six exercises testing a range of reading and writing skills
Externally assessed

Paper 4
Listening
Approximately 50 minutes
Weighting- 20%
40 marks
Candidates listen to several short extracts and longer texts, and complete a range of task types, including short-answer questions, gap filling, matching, multiple choice and notemaking. Externally assessed

All Core and Extended candidates take-
Component 5
Speaking
Approximately 10–15 minutes
Weighting- 20%
30 marks
Following a 2–3 minute warm-up conversation, candidates engage in a 6–9 minute discussion with the examiner on a given topic. Internally assessed/externally moderated.

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