2. ENGLISH-COMMUNICATIVE
(CODE NO. 101)
This is syllabus for classes IX. The CBSE has prepared a package for this syllabus called
Interact in English. It includes the following:
| For Students | For teachers |
| 1. Main course book | 1. Teacher’s book |
| 2. Literature Reader | 2. Audio cassettes |
| 3. Work book |
Interact in English has been designed to develop the student’s communicative competence in English. Therefore,
content selection is determined by the student’s present and future academic, social and professional needs.
The overall aims of the course are:
(a) to enable the learner to communicate effectively and appropriately in real-life situations.
(b) to use English effectively for study purpose across the curriculum.
(c) to develop and integrate the use of the four language skills, i.e. listening, speaking, reading and writing.
(d) to develop interest in and appreciation of literature.
(e) to revise and reinforce structures already learnt.
(f) to develop interest in the appreciation of literature.
Teachers may kindly keep the following in mind to develop these competencies:
Creativity : Students should be encouraged to think on their own and express their ideas using
their experience, knowledge and imagination, rather than being text or teacher
dependent.
Self-monitoring : Students should be encouraged to monitor their progress, space out their learning, so
students should be encouraged to see language not just as a functional tool, but as an
important part of personal development and inculation of values.
Teaching/Testing Objectives
READING
By the end of the course, students should be able to :
1. read silently at varying speed depending on the purpose of reading;*
2. adopt different strategies for different types of text, both literary and non-literary;
3. recognise the organization of a text;
4. identify the main points of a text;
5. understand relations between different parts of a text through lexical and grammatical cohesion devices.
6. anticipate and predict what will come next in a text;*
7. deduce the meaning of unfamiliar lexical items in a given context;
8. consult a dictionary to obtain information on the meaning and use of lexical items;*
9. analyse, interpret, infer (and evaluate*) the ideas in the text;
10. select and extract from a text information required for a specific purpose (and record it in note form*)
11. transcode information from verbal to diagrammatic form;
12. retrieve and synthesise information from a range of reference material using study skills such as skimming
and scanning;*
13. interpret texts by relating them to other material on the same theme (and to their own experience and
knowledge*); and
14. read extensively on their own.
WRITING
By the end of the course, students should be able to :
1. express ideas in clear and grammatically correct English, using appropriate punctuation and cohesion devices;
2. write in a style appropriate for communicative purposes;
3. plan, organise and present ideas coherently by introducing, developing and concluding a topic;
4. write a clear description (e.g. of a place, a person, an object or a system);
5. write a clear account of events (e.g. a process, a narrative, a trend or a cause-effect relationship);
6. compare and contrast ideas and arrive at conclusions;
7. present an argument, supporting it with appropriate examples;
8. use an appropriae style and format to write letters (formal and informal), postcards, telegrams, notices,
messages, reports, articles and diary entries;
9. monitor, check and revise written work;
10. expand notes into a piece of writing;
11. summarise or make notes from a given text; and
12. recode information from one text type to another (e.g. diary entry to letter, advertisement to report, diagram
to verbal form)
LISTENING
By the end of the course, the students should be able to :
1. adopt different strategies according to the purpose of listening (e.g. for pleasure, for general interest, for
specific information);
2. use linguistic and non-linguistic features of the context as clues to understanding and interpreting what is
heard (e.g. cohesion devices, key words, intonation, gesture, background noises);
3. listen to a talk or conversation and understand the topic and main points;
4. listen for information required for a specific purpose, e.g. in radio broadcast, commentaries, airport and
railway station announcements;
5. distinguish main points from supporting details, and relevant from irrelevant information;
6. understand and interpret messages conveyed in person or by telephone;
7. understand and respond appropriately to directive language, e.g. instruction, advice, requests and warning;
and
8. understand and interpret spontaneous spoken discourse in familiar social situations.
SPEAKING
By the end of the course, students should be able to :
1. speak intelligibly using appropriate word stress, sentence stress and intonation patterns;
2. adopt different strategies to convey ideas effectively according to purpoe, topic and audience (including the
appropriate use of polite expressions);
3. narrate incidents and events, real or imaginary in a logical sequence;
4. present oral reports or summaries; make announcements clearly and confidently;
5. express and argue a point of view clearly and effectively;
6. take active part in group discussions, showing ability to express agreement or disagreement, to summarise
ideas, to elicit the views of others, and to present own ideas;
7. express and respond to personal feelings, opinions and attitudes;
8. convey messages effectively in person or by telephone;
9. frame questions so as to elicit the desired response, and respond appropriately to questions; and
10. participate in spontaneous spoken discourse in familar social situations.
GRAMMAR
By the end of the course, students should be able to use the following accurately and appropriately in context
1. Verbs Tenses:
present/past forms
simple/continuous forms
perfect forms
future time reference
Modals
Active and Passive voice
Subject-verb concord
*non-finite verb forms (infinitives and participles)
2. Sentence Structure
Connectors
Types of sentences:
affirmative/interrogative sentences
negation
exclamations
*Types of Phrases and Clauses
finite and non-finite subordinate clauses:
noun clauses and phrases
adjective clauses and phrases
adverb clauses and phrases
Indirect speech
*Comparison
* Nominalisation
3. Other Areas
Determiners
Pronouns
Prepositions
LITERATURE
By the end of the course, students should be able to understand, interpret, evaluate and respond to the following
features in a literary text :
1. Character, as revealed through
appearance and distinguishing features,
socio-economic background
action/events,
expression of feelings,
speech and dialogues
2. Plot/Story/Theme, emerging through main events,
progression of events and links between them;
sequence of events denoting theme.
3. Setting, as seen through
time and place,
socio-economic and cultural background , people, beliefs and attitudes.
4. Form
rhyme
rhythm
simile
metaphor, alliteration
pun
repetition
EXAMINATION SPECIFICATIONS
English (Communicative)
(Code No. 101)
CLASS-IX
SEPARATE QUESTION PAPER AND ANSWER SHEET FORMAT REPLACES COMBINED BOOKLET
FORMAT FROM MARCH, 2005 EXAMINATION.
One Paper 3 Hours 100 Marks
SECTION A : READING 20 Marks 40 Periods
Two unseen passages with a variety of comprehension questions including 04 marks for word-attack skills such as
word formation and inferring meaning.
1. 250-350 words in length – 08 marks
2. 400-450 words in length – 12 marks
The total length of the two passages will be between 650 and 800 words.
1. Will have a factual passage (e.g., instruction, description, report etc.) or a literary passage (e.g.,
extract from fiction, drama, poetry, essay or biography).
2. Will have a factual passage or a discursive passage involving opinion, (argumentative, persuasive or
interpretative text).
Only 2 will have questions on word-attack skills for 04 marks.
SECTION B : WRITING 30 Marks 63 Periods
Four writing tasks as indicated below:
3 and 4 short composition of not more than 50 words each - e.g., notice, message, 5 + 5 10
postcard
Important note on format and word limit :
Notice : Word limit : 50 words for body of the notice. Notice must be placed in a box.
Message: Word limit : 50 words for body of the message. Message must be placed in a box.
Postcard: Word limit : 50 words for body of the letter. Format of postcard has to be printed in the question paper
for candidates to copy while writing the answer.
5. Composition based on a verbal stimulus such as an advertisement, notice, newspaper clipping, tabular data,
diary extract, notes, letter or other forms of correspondence.
Word limit : 150-175 words (For letter : 150 words only for body of the letter) 10
6. Composition based on a visual stimulus such as a diagram, picture, graph, map, cartoon or flow
chart.
Word limit : 150-175 words 10
One of the longer (10 marks) compositions will draw on the thematic content of the Main Course book.
SECTION C : GRAMMAR 20 Marks 42 Periods
Question No. 7-11
A variety of short questions involving the use of particular structures within a context (i.e., not in isolated sentences).
Test types used will include gap-filling, cloze (gap filling exercise with blanks at regular intervals), sentence completion,
reordering word groups in sentences, editing, dialogue completion and sentence transformation.
The grammar syllabus will be sampled each year, with marks allotted for :
Verb forms
Sentence structures
Other areas
Note : Jumbled words in reordering exercise to test syntax will involve sentences in a context. Each sentence will be
split into sense groups (not necessarily into single words) and jumbled up.
SECTION D : LITERATURE 30 Marks (Prose-12/Plays-8/Poetry-10) 65 Periods
12 and 13 : Two extracts out of three from different poems from the prescribed reader, each followed by two or
three questions to test local and global comprehension of the set text. Each extract will carry 4 marks.
Word limit : one or two lines for each answer. 4+4 8
14. One out of two questions (with or without an extract) testing appreciation and local and global
comprehension of a poem from the prescribed Reader.
Word limit : 50-75 words 05
15. Two questions based on one of the drama texts from the prescribed Reader to test local and global
comprehension of the set text.
Word limit : one or two lines for each question if an extract is given. If an extract
is not given, the word limit will be roughly 75 words.
16. One out of two questions from the drama texts based on the plot, theme, characters. 04
17. One out of two questions based on one of the prose texts from the prescribed reader to test
global comprehension and extrapolation beyond the set text.
Word limit : 50-75 words 04
18. One out of two questions based on the prose texts from the prescribed Reader to test global
comprehension and extrapolation beyond the set text.
Word limit : 150-175 words 08
Questions will test comprehension at different levels : literal, inferential and evaluative.
Prescribed Books/Materials
1. Interact in English — IX Main Course Book Revised edition Published by
CBSE
2. Interact in English—IX Literature Revised edition Delhi-110092
Reader
3. Interact in English—IX Workbook Revised edition
4. Interact in English—IX Audio Cassette Revised edition Produced by
CBSE Delhi
Support Material :
5. Interact in English—Teacher’s Book
ENGLISH - LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE
(Code No. 184)
SECONDARY (CLASSES IX-X)
Background
Traditionally, language-learning materials beyond the initial stages have been sourced from literature: prose,fiction
and poetry. While there ia a trend for inclusion of a wider range of contemporary and authentic texts, accessible and
culturally appropriate pieces of literature should play a pivotal role at the secondary stage of education. The English
class should not be seen as a place merely to read poems and stories in, but an area of activities to develop the
learner's imagination as a major aim of language study, and to equip the learner with communicative skills to perform
various language functions through speech and writing.
Objectives
The general objectives at this stage are :
to build greater confidence and proficiency in oral and written communication
to develop the ability and knowledge required in order to engage in independent reflection and inquiry
to use appropriate English to communicate in various social settings
equip learners with essential language skills to question and to articulate their point of view.
to build competence in the different registers of Englilsh
to develop sensitivity to, and appreciation of, other varieties of English, Indian Englishes, and the culture
they reflect
to enable the learner to access knowledge and information through reference skills (consulting a dictionary
/ thesaurus, library, internet etc.)
to develop curiosity and creativity through extensive reading
to facilitate self-learning to enable them to become independent learners
to review, organise and edit their own work and work doneby the peers
At the end of this stage learners will be able to do the following :
give a brief oral description of events / incidents of topical interest
retell the contents of authentic audio texts (weather reports, public announcements, simple advertisements,
short interviews, etc.)
participate in conversations, discussions, etc. on topics of mutual interest in non-classroom situations
narrate the story depicted pictorially or in any other non-verbal mode
respond in writing to business letters, official communications
read and identify the main points / significant details of texts like scripts of audio-video interviews,
discussions, debates etc.
write without prior preparation on a given topic and be able to defend or explain the position taken /
views expressed
write a summary of short lectures on familiar topics by making / taking notes
write an assessment of different points of view expressed in a discussion / debate
read poems effectively (with proper rhythm and intonation)
to transcode information from a graph / chart to a description / report
Language Items
In addition to consolidating the grammatical items practised earlier, the courses at secondary level will seek
to reinforce the following explicitly :
sequence of tenses
reported speech in extended texts
modal auxiliaries (those not covered at upper primary)
non-finites (infinitives, gerunds, participles)
conditional clauses
complex and compound sentences
phrasal verbs and prepositional phrases
cohesive devices
punctuation (semicolon, colon, dash, hyphen, parenthesis or use of brackets and exclamation mark)
Methods and Techniques
The methodology will be based on a multi-skill, activity based, learner centred approach. Care would be
taken to fulfil the functional (communicative), literary (aesthetic) and cultural (sociological) needs of the learner. In
this situation the teacher is the facilitator of learning, s(he) presents language items, contrives situations which motivates
the child to use English for the purposes of communication and expression. Aural-oral teaching and testing is an
integral feature of the teaching-learning process. The electronic and print media could be used extensively. The
evaluation procedure should be continuous and comprehensive. A few suggested activities are :
Role playing
Simulating real-to-life situations
Dramatising and miming
Problem solving and decision making
Interpreting information given in tabular form and schedule
ENGLISH - LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE
(Code No. 184)
Examination Specifications
CLASS IX
One Paper 3 Hours Marks : 100
SECTION A : READING 20 Marks 30 Periods
1 & 2 Two unseen passages of total 500 words with a variety of questions including 4 marks for vocabulary.
Only prose passages will be used. One will be factual and the other will be literary.
Passage 1 - 200 words (8 marks) - Four or five comprehension questions
Passage 2 - 300 words (12 marks) - Four or five comprehension questions and two questions on vocabulary.
Marks for vocabulary will not exceed 4.
SECTION B : WRITING 20 Marks 40 Periods
3. Letter Writing - One letter in not more than 80 words based on provided verbal stimulus 8 Marks
and context. Types of letter : Informal; Personal such as to family and friends. Formal : Letters
of complaint, enquiry, request & application
4. Writing a short paragraph on a given outline/topic in about 60 words 4 Marks
5. Writing a short writing task based on a verbal and / or visual stimulus. (diagram, picture,
graph, map, chart, flow chart etc.) Maximum words 80 8 marks
SECTION C : GRAMMAR 15 Marks 45 Periods
Questin No. 6-11
A variety of short questions involving the use of particular structures within a context. Text types used will
include gap-filling, sentence-completion, sentence-reordering, dialogue-completion and sentence-transformation
(including combining sentences). The Grammar syllabus will include the following areas in class IX :
1. Tenses (present with extension)
2. Modals (have to / had to, must, should, need, ought to and their negative forms)
3. Use of passive voice
4. Subject-verb concord
5. Reporting
(i) Commands and requests
(ii) Statements
(iii) Questions
6. Clauses :
(i) Noun clauses
(ii) Adverb Clauses of condition and time
(iii) Relative Clauses
7. Determiners, and
8. Prepositions
Note : No separate marks allotted for any of grammatical items listed above.
SECTION D : TEXT BOOKS 45 Marks 95 Periods
Beehive - NCERT Textbook for Class IX
Prose 20 Marks
12 & 13 Two extracts from different prose lessons included in Textbook (Approximately 10 Marks
100 words each) 5X2
These extracts chosen from different lessons will be literary and discursive in nature
Each extract will be of 5 marks. One mark in each extract will be for vocabulary. 4 marks in each passage
will be used for testing local and global comprehension besides a question on interpretation.
14. One out of two questions extrapolative in nature based on any one of the prose lessons from Textbook
to be answered in about 80 words. 6 Marks
15. One question on Drama Text (local and global comprehension question) (30-40 words) 4 Marks
Poetry 10 Marks
16. One extract from a poem from the prescribed reader followed by two or three questions to test the local
and global comprehension of the set text. The extract will carry four marks. 4 Marks
17. Two out of three short answer type questions on interpretation of themes and ideas 6 Marks
Moments - NCERT Supplementary Reader for Class IX 15 Marks
18. One out of two questions from Supplementary Reader to interpret, evaluate and analyse character, plot or
situations occurring in the lessons to be answered in about 100 words 8 Marks
19. One out of two very short answer type questions based on factual aspects of the lessons to be answered
in 20-30 words 3 Marks
20. One out of two short answer type questions of interpretative and evaluative nature based on lessons to be
answered in 30-40 words 4 Marks
To the teachers
NOTE : Teachers are advised to :
(i) encourage classroom interaction among peers, students and teachers through activities such as role
play, group work etc.
(ii) reduce teacher-talking time to the minimum.
(iii) Take up questions for discussion to encourage pupils to participate; and to marshal their ideas and
express and defend their views, and
(iv) Use scale of assessment for conversation skills for testing the students for continuous assessment.
Besides measuring attainment, tests serve the dual purpose of diagnosing mistakes and areas of nonlearning.
To make evaluation a true index of learners’ attainment each language ablity is to be tested
through a judicious mixture of different types of questions. In additin to the formal examination,
continuous and comprehensive assessment is essential to measure the level of attainment in the four
language skills and the learners’ communicative capability. Continuous evaluation will be done through
tests, assignments and projects.