English Language and Literature

English Language

Subject Offered

• English Language

Curriculum

Our English Language Syllabus, in alignment with the MOE English Language Syllabus 2020 for Secondary, builds on the progression of language skills, learner strategies and knowledge about language as set out in the MOE English Language Syllabus 2020 for the Primary level.

The overarching aim of the EL Syllabus 2020 is to develop effective and affective language use in students in the following areas:

1. Listen to, read and view critically and with accuracy, understanding and appreciation a wide array of literary and informational texts in standard English from print, non-print and digital networked sources.

2. Speak, write and represent in standard English that is grammatical, fluent, intelligible and appropriate for different purposes, audiences, contexts and cultures.

3. Use standard English grammar and vocabulary accurately and appropriately, and understand how speakers/writers put words together and use language to communicate meaning and achieve impact.

4. Use English with impact, effect and affect.

The syllabus aims to advance students’ language learning and develop students into Empathetic Communicators, Discerning Readers and Creative Inquirers.

English Language Lessons at JWSS

The lessons focus on the enjoyment of language as students learn, integrate and apply knowledge across areas of language learning.

To foster self-directed learning, opportunities are provided for students to apply metacognitive strategies through review and reflection. Other than teacher and/or peer conference, students are guided to notice, monitor and regulate how they are learning, and to reflect on the extent of their learning or improvement through the use of rubrics, checklists and reflection activities.

To encourage higher-order thinking, opportunities are provided for students to progressively read, view and respond to age-/ year-appropriate texts (print, non-print and digital networked sources) of increasing complexity and create a range of texts, including multimodal and hybrid texts, for various purposes.

Literature in English

Subjects Offered

• Literature in English (Lower Sec)

• Humanities Literature in English (Upper Sec Express)

• Pure Literature in English (Upper Sec Express)

The aims of the Literature in English syllabus are to enable students to: 

• discover the joys of reading Literature and become aware of new ways of perceiving the world around them 

• appreciate the aesthetic value of language 

• engage personally with a variety of texts and draw connections between self, texts and the world in order to develop intellectual, emotional, socio-cultural, and global awareness 

• articulate perceptive and analytical thinking when discussing and writing about literary texts 

• explore how the elements of different genres function in literary works to achieve specific effects; and 

• appreciate the importance of the contexts in which literary texts are written and understood.

Literature in English Lessons at JWSS

The study of Literature centres on literary response – the negotiation of meaning between readers and texts. This Literary Response Framework represents how teachers will design learning experiences that encourage students to respond to texts in a holistic manner. 

The lessons focus on the empowerment of students as they engage in active meaning-making of the text with discernment. Through lessons, students develop an appreciation of language as they learn about the five areas of study – plot, character, setting and atmosphere, style and theme.

To foster effective communication skills, students share their understandings of a text through a variety of ways, including through discussions and written tasks. They will be guided to shape their thoughts into arguments who are supported with elaboration and textual details.

English Language and Literature Programme

Achievements

Each year, the English Language Department provides opportunities and platforms for students who demonstrate a passion for and talent in English Language and the literary arts. Teachers in the department invite these students to participate in competitions and seminars at the cluster, national, and international levels.

Below are some of our students' achievements over the past three years.

READ! Fest

The annual Read!Fest is organised in conjunction with the National Reading Movement. A myriad of engaging activities were held to celebrate the joy of reading and encourage reading widely in the week-long event.

Donning the guise of beloved characters from fantasy realms, our EL teachers heralded the JWSS Read! Fest 2024.

Donning the guise of beloved characters from fantasy realms, our EL teachers heralded the JWSS Read! Fest 2024. The week ended with a video compilation of Read! Fest 2024 activities, Book Parade presentations and a magical finale on the joy of reading by the ELDD members.

Favourite reads were gifted by teachers across departments, and hunts in the school commenced with much excitement.

During their CCE lessons, students from each level participated in activities designed to spark creativity and foster collaboration.

Adding to the excitement of Read! Fest 2024, seven teams raced against time in iconic destinations through our exhilarating ELDD-initiated Escape Room. This extraordinary adventure was organised for the second time in Read! Fest, making it an unforgettable experience for everyone involved.

To foster students’ enthusiasm for learning, students were able to enjoy reading a wide array of riveting Singaporean fiction and non-fiction excerpts using the Sing Lit Cloud Machine. Our Instagram page is designed to encourage students to read beyond the classroom.

W3 Literature Symposium 2024

The 9^th JWSS Literature Symposium was successfully conducted by the JWSS Literature Unit on 17^th May 2024. It was well-received by over 150 student and teacher participants from 8 different secondary schools.

This year’s theme is ‘FANTASIA: Worlds of Words’. The symposium aimed to cultivate a deeper appreciation for Literature by showcasing how words transport us to diverse realms and foster boundless imagination. The event was graced by esteemed guests, senior teachers and experienced lecturers from NIE who conducted workshops and presentations for students to interact and collaborate, thus increasing their confidence and passion in Literature. Greater collaboration was also fostered among the Literature teachers through the teachers’ workshop which touched on effective teaching pedagogies and resources for Literature.

Speak Up, Speak Out Workshop

As part of the exciting line-up of LIFE@JW activities, the Secondary Three students had an enjoyable time honing their skills of rhetoric and argumentation.