Introduction

All students study English in 1st – 6th year.
Transition year students complete a full-year programme in English, including the drafting, writing and editing of their own book.
Classes at Senior cycle (5th and 6th year) are mixed ability classes, and both Higher and Ordinary Level are catered for.
Classes at Junior cycle (1st – 3rd year) are mixed ability classes, and both Higher and Ordinary Level are catered for.

English Facilities:

2 permanent base classrooms
Library with a range of fiction and non-fiction titles
Book Trolleys with a range of appropriate reading materials for each year group.

Each classroom also has:

Data projector & Visualiser
Computer
Whiteboard

SENIOR CYCLE ENGLISH

A. About:
· English literary texts, like poetry, novels and drama.
· A range of non-literary texts, such as articles, reflective essays, descriptive pieces, reports, etc.

B. Main topics covered
· Main studied text (either a novel, a play, or a Shakespearean play)
· Comparing three other texts – usually a novel, a film and a play
· Five – six studied poets
· Unseen poetry
· Writing compositions, such as speeches, personal essays, discursive essays, short stories and feature articles
· Reading comprehensions, answering detailed, analytical questions on language use and its impact on the reader

C. What skills do students need to develop to do well at this course?
Writing in an academic, formal style, especially when answering Paper II questions (the literature paper)
Structuring essays logically and effectively
Understanding and breaking down the requirements of the essay-style questions that appear on both papers, but in particular Paper II (the literature paper)
Offering their own opinions, supported effectively by evidence
Writing in a range of styles, and drawing on a broad vocabulary and knowledge of the English language
Reading an unseen text (poem/ article/ extract from a literary text) and analysing the nuances of language choices and their impact

D. What careers is English a useful subject for?
· Any role or position where you need to communicate ideas clearly and coherently in written and verbal form, e.g. managerial and executive roles, marketing and sales, political lobbying, political roles such as speech writing and lobbying, the legal professions, journalism, creative roles in a multi-national or SME, project management, business strategy roles, teaching, and anything involving the effective use of the English language.

E. Similarities/Differences between Junior and Senior Cycle?
Many of the same skills are developed further at Senior Cycle. Writing analytically about literary texts (novels, plays, poetry and drama) as well as creative writing (short stories, speeches, personal essays, and many other forms of writing) are all central elements of the course. The length of the pieces written increases significantly from Junior Cycle to Senior Cycle, particularly at Higher Level.

F. How is the subject examined in the Leaving Certificate?
· Two written papers, one focused primarily on language skills, the other on literature.
Paper I (2 hours and 50 minutes) =
Reading comprehension questions analysing a text or image
Written composition one, chosen from a list of options on the exam paper
Longer written composition two, chosen from a list of options on the exam paper
Paper II (3 hours and 20 minutes) =
Essay on a studied novel or play
Essay comparing three texts (usually a novel, a play and a film)
Essay on studied poetry
Shorter answers on previously unstudied poem

G. What other school subjects is English linked to at Leaving Certificate?
· History, Art History and Politics.

H. What type of skills will it help develop?
· Written communication skills.
· Analytical skills.
· Creative and reflective skills.
I. What do students like about it?
· Reading a wide range of modern and classic literature, as well as studying a film.
· Balance of creative, personal and analytical writing.

J. What may students find hard about it?
· The academic, analytical and precise style of writing that is required for Paper II.

 

JUNIOR CYCLE ENGLISH

A. About:
English is the study of literature, language and media and is often considered to be one of the most important subjects a student can learn in school. Throughout the Junior Cycle English course students explore a wide variety of texts and themes which enable students to develop their critical analysis and creativity skills. It also inspires them to reflect on their own life and engage with the world around them.

B. Main topics covered?
Over the course of the three years students study both language skills and literature. They write personal writing pieces such as personal essays, speeches and short stories as well as functional writing tasks like emails, cover letters and newspaper articles.
For the literature component of the exam students must study two novels, a film, a Shakespearean text , modern and traditional poetry,and a variety of multi-modal texts such as podcasts, short films and advertisements.
One of the biggest changes to the new Junior Cycle English course is the addition of oral communication skills and reflection in their CBA. Throughout the three years students will participate in oral presentations, drama sketches and debates during class time to prepare for this. It is an excellent addition to the course as it gives the students an opportunity to develop their confidence in public speaking and prepares them for college presentations and the working world.

C. What type of student would do well at this course?
Every student has the potential to do well in English. It is a subject where you get a chance to explore your own hobbies and interests as well as developing and reflecting on your own personal opinions further. It appeals to all learning styles as you use both visual and kinesthetic learning and you are required to think independently and engage in pair and group work.

D. What careers is English a useful subject for?
Lawyer, Journalist, Teacher, Actress, Film Director, Copywriter, Librarian, Radio presenter, Marketing, Public relations, Civil Servants etc.

E. Similarities/Differences between Junior and Senior Cycle?
Both Junior and Senior Cycle focus on both language and literature.Junior Cycle English introduces students to new concepts and skills and Leaving Cert English develops and refines these skills further and demands a deeper and more critical level of analysis.

F. How is the subject examined in Junior Cycle?
· 2 hour written paper (at both HL and OL)

G. What other school subject/s is it linked to at Junior Cycle?
· History, Art, Geography, Music, RE, CSPE, Wellbeing.

H. What type of skills will it help develop?
Being literate
Communicating
Being creative
Managing information and thinking
Managing myself
Working with others
Staying well

I. What do students like about it?
Broad range of texts and topics explored during the course.
Confidence building opportunities through CBA 1 and collaborative work.
Opportunities for creative expression and personal writing.

J. What may students find hard about it?
Having an open approach to defining what a ‘text’ is, and what and how it communicates to the reader, can be an initial challenge.
Flexible thinking is required in order to identify and understand the purpose of the many technical literary terms that are employed across different text types and genres.
Developing a broad bank of vocabulary and expression requires a commitment to regularly read for pleasure as well as read for purpose.
Speaking and presenting in class for an individual who finds it challenging to do so.

 

TY English

This is a very dynamic and diverse course, with a balance between creative, self-directed work and group projects, and some preparation for the rigorous demands of Senior Cycle English.

Students complete the following as part of their study of English at TY:

Write and print their own book, on a topic of their choice. There are prizes and an awards day at the end of the year for these books.
Complete a film study.
Complete a detailed study of a poet.
Write a speech, and deliver it to their year group.
Write a personal essay.
Read and analyse a range of short stories and articles.
Read a minimum of two books, and complete two detailed book reports on these two books.
Study and present a group presentation on the five language types identified on the Leaving Certificate syllabus – narrative, argumentative, persuasive, informative and aesthetic.