ICSE Syllabus 2012

English (01)

Aims:
1. To develop and integrate the use of the four language skills i.e. listening, speaking, reading and writing for the purpose of effective communication.
2. To develop a functional understanding of the grammar, structure and idiom of the language.
3. To develop the capacity to read efficiently and access information effectively.
4. To develop an appreciation of good literature.
5. To experience, through literature, the thoughts and feelings of the people of the world.

There will be two papers: Paper 1. English Language; Paper 2. Literature in English. Each of these papers will be of two hours duration.

Paper 1: English Language      (80 Marks)
              Internal Assessment (20 Marks)
Paper 2: Literature in English (80 Marks)
              Internal Assessment (20 Marks)

PAPER 1 - ENGLISH LANGUAGE                                          (Two hours) - 80 marks

Four questions will be set, all of which will be compulsory.

Question 1: Candidates will be required to write a composition from a choice of subjects which will test their ability to: organise, describe, narrate, report, explain, persuade or argue, present ideas coherently, compare and contrast ideas and arrive at conclusions, present relevant arguments and use correct style and format. The subjects will be varied and may be suggested by language or by other stimuli such as pictures. The subjects will be so chosen so as to allow
the candidates to draw on first hand experience or to stimulate their imagination.
With one subject, a number of suggestions about the content of the composition will be given, but the use of the suggestions will be optional and a candidate will be free to treat the subject in any way that he/she
chooses.
The organisation of subject matter, syntax, punctuation, correctness of grammatical constructions and spelling will be expected to be appropriate to the mode of treatment required by the subject.

Question 2: Candidates will have to write a letter from a choice of two subjects requiring either a formal or an informal mode of treatment. Suggestions regarding the content of the letter may be given. The layout of the letter with address, introduction, conclusion, etc., will form part of the assessment. Candidates will be expected to be familiar with the
use of appropriate salutation, format and style for letters.
Question 3: An unseen passage of prose of about 500 words will be given. Uncommon items of vocabulary, or structure will be avoided. One question will be set to test vocabulary. Candidates will be required to show that they understand the words/phrases in the context in which they have been used. A number of questions requiring short answers will also be asked on the passage. These questions will test the candidates’ ability to understand the explicit content and organisation of the passage and to infer information, intentions and attitudes from it. The last question will consist of a summary that will test the candidates’ ability to distinguish main ideas from supporting details and to extract salient points to re-express them in the form of a summary. Candidates will be given clear indications of what they are to
summarise and of the length of the summary.

Question 4: There will be a number of short answer questions to test the candidates' knowledge of functional grammar, structure and usage of the language. All the items in this question will be compulsory. They will consist of sentence completion, multiple choice or other short answer type of questions.

PAPER 2 - LITERATURE IN ENGLISH                                                (Two hours) - 80 marks

Candidates will be required to answer five questions from at least three of the prescribed textbooks, one of which must be drama, one prose and one poetry.

Prose and Drama

Questions set will be central to the text. Candidates will be required to show that they have understood the passage and are able to clearly give their interpretation of the questions set, which should be in their own words and relevant to the text.
Excerpts may be given from the prose and drama texts leading to questions on the specific book.

Poetry

A poem, or passages from poems, will be given and questions will be set to test the candidates’ response to the poem. The questions will focus on the content, understanding and the personal response of candidates to the poem as a whole.

NOTE: The Class X - ICSE examination paper will be set on the entire syllabus prescribed for the subject.
The Class IX internal examination is to be conducted on the portion of this syllabus that is covered during the academic year.
The Council has not prescribed bifurcation of the syllabus for this subject.
Note: For list of prescribed text-books see

Appendix- II.

INTERNAL ASSESSMENT

Paper 1 - English Language
1. Schools will prepare, conduct and record assessments of the Listening and Speaking Skills of candidates as follows:

Class IX: Three assessments in the course of the year.
Class X: Two assessments in the course of the year.

2. Pattern of Assessment.
a) Listening Skills
A passage of about 300 words is read aloud by the examiner twice, the first time at normal reading speed (about 110 words a minute) and the next time at a slower speed. Candidates may make brief notes during the readings. They then answer an objective type test based on the passage, on the paper provided.

The recommended number of candidates at a sitting is 30.

b) Speaking Skills
Each candidate is required to make an oral presentation for about two minutes, which will be followed by a discussion on the subject with the examiners, for about three minutes.
Subjects for presentation may include narrating an experience, providing a description, giving directions how to make or operate something, expressing an opinion, giving a report, relating an anecdote or commenting on a current event.

A candidate may refer to brief notes in the course of the presentation but reading or excessive dependence on notes will be penalized.
It is recommended that candidates be given an hour for preparation of their subject for presentation and that they be given a choice of subject, on a common paper.

Evaluation
The assessment will be conducted jointly by the subject teacher and the external examiner who will each assess the candidate. (The External Examiner may be a teacher nominated by the Head of the School who could be from the faculty but not teaching the subject in the section/class. For example, a teacher of English of Class VIII may be deputed to be an External Examiner for Class X).

Award of Marks
Listening Skills : 10 marks
Speaking Skills : 10 marks

The total marks obtained out of 20 are to be sent to the Council by the Head of the School. The Head of the School will be responsible for the entry of marks, on the mark sheets provided by the Council.
Schools are required to maintain a record of all assessments conducted in Listening and Speaking Skills for candidates of Classes IX and X. These include copies of the assessment tests, topics for presentation and marks awarded. The record will be maintained for a period of 2 months after the ICSE (10) examinations of the candidates concerned.

Paper 2 - Literature in English
Schools will set, assess and record written assignments by the candidates as given below:
Class IX: Two or three assignments of approximately 300 to 400 words each.
Class X: Two or three assignments of reasonable length (not exceeding 1500 words in total).

SUGGESTED ASSIGNMENTS

Paper 1 - English Language
Class IX: Creative Writing: Students are to write short compositions, the stimuli being: i) a piece of recorded music; ii) a recorded series of sound; iii) a picture/photograph; iv) an opening sentence or phrase; v) a newspaper/magazine clipping or report; one piece of factual writing which should be informative or argumentative; one piece of expressive writing which is descriptive and imaginative; preparation of film/book review.
Aural: Listening to a conversation/talk/reading of a short passage and then writing down the relevant or main points in the specified number of words and answering the given questions.
Class X: Oral: Prepared speech/declamation; impromptu speech/debate/discussion; report/interview; elocution; role-play / general conversation on selected topics.
Creative Writing: Students are to write short compositions, the stimuli being: i) a piece of recorded music; ii) a recorded series of sound; iii) a picture/photograph; iv) an opening sentence or phrase; v) a newspaper/magazine clipping or report; one piece of factual writing which should be informative or argumentative; one piece of expressive writing which is descriptive and imaginative; preparation of film/book review.
It is also suggested that students be made aware of contemporary forms of written communication, such as fax, memo, etc.
Paper 2 – Literature in English- Classes IX and X Assignments should be based on the prescribed textbooks on the following lines:
(i) Character/thematic analysis;
(ii) Socio-economic, cultural, historical relevance / background;
(iii)Summary / paraphrase.
(iv) Appreciation of literary qualities.

(v) Identifying with a character. Putting oneself in the place of a character in given circumstances and explaining one’s actions.
(vi) Imagine alternative outcomes or endings in a literary piece and the effect on all concerned. The texts selected for Class IX for Internal Assessment would be different from those selected for Class X.

EVALUATION
The assignments/projects are to be evaluated by the subject teacher and by an external examiner. (The External Examiner may be a teacher nominated by the Head of the school, who could be from the faculty, but not teaching the subject in the section/class. For example, a teacher of English of Class VIII may be deputed to be an External Examiner for Class X, English projects.)
The Internal Examiner and the External Examiner will assess the assignments independently.

Award of marks (20 Marks)
Subject Teacher (Internal Examiner) 10 marks
External Examiner 10 marks
The total marks obtained out of 20 are to be sent to the Council by the Head of the school. The Head of the school will be responsible for the entry of marks on the mark sheets provided by the Council.
Schools are required to maintain a record of all assignments, duly assessed, for a period of 2 months after the ICSE examinations of the candidates concerned.

INTERNAL ASSESSMENT IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE-GUIDELINES FOR MARKING WITH GRADES - AURAL ASSIGNMENT
(CLASSES IX & X)

Grade	Understanding/ Comprehension Main Idea, Central Theme	Recall	Vocabulary	Context/ Correlation to Other Areas	Marks
1	The candidate accurately understands the central idea of the passage as well as the relevant points in the selected passage/ talk.	The candidate recalls all the important points made (written/ verbal).	The candidate uses appropriate and correct vocabulary while recalling the points made.	The candidate clearly understands the context and can widely correlate the passage to the other areas	3
2	The candidate gives ideas fairly close to the central / main idea of the passage as well as understands some of the relevant points heard in the selected passage/ talk	The candidate recalls some of the important points made (written/ verbal).	The candidate uses correct but simple vocabulary while recalling the points made.	The candidate can moderately understand the context of the passage and can moderately correlate the passage to the other areas.	2
3	The candidate cannot fully comprehend the passage and gives only a few ideas related to the central theme of the passage.	The candidate recalls very few of the important points made (written/verbal).	The candidate makes various errors in vocabulary while recalling the points made.	The candidate can only faintly understand the context of the passage and relate it to the other areas.	1
4	The candidate is neither able to understand the central/main idea of the passage; nor able to understand relevant points heard in the passage/talk.	The candidate is unable to recall the important points made (written/verbal)	The candidate uses incorrect vocabulary while recalling the points made.	The candidate is unable to understand the context of the passage and is unable to correlate the passage to the other areas.	0

 

 

Grade	Understanding of Text (Narrative)	Examples from Text	Understanding of text- Interpretation and Evaluation	Appreciation of Language, Characterization	Critical Appreciation - Personal Response	Marks
1	The candidate demonstrates expertise in giving an appropriate account of the text, with well-chosen reference to narrative and situation.	The account is suitably supported by relevant examples from the text.	The candidate understands the text with due emphasis on interpretation and evaluation.	The candidate appreciates and evaluates significant ways (structure, character, imagery) in which writers have achieved their effects.	The candidate is able to effectively reflect personal response (critical appreciation) to the text.	4
2	The candidate demonstrates a high level of competence in giving an account of the text, with appropriate references to the narrative and situation.	The account is supported by examples from the text.	The candidate understands text with some emphasis on interpretation and evaluation.	The candidate appreciates and evaluates significant ways in which writers have achieved their effects.	The candidate is able to reflect a personal response to the text.	3
3	The candidate demonstrates competence in giving an account of the text with some reference to the narrative and situation.	The candidate understands the text and shows a basic recognition of the theme and can support it by a few examples.	The candidate recognizes some aspects of the text used by authors to present ideas.	The candidate recognizes some of the significant ways in which the writers have used the language.	The candidate is able to communicate a personal response, which shows appreciation.	2
4	The candidate gives a broad account of the text with reference to the narrative and situation.	The candidate understands the basic meaning of the text.	The candidate relates the text to other texts studied.	The candidate recognizes differences in the way authors write.	The candidate communicates a straightforward personal response to the text.	1
5	The candidate is unable to demonstrate an understanding of the basic events in the text.	The candidate is unable to understand the text or support it with any examples.	The candidate is unable to relate the text to the other texts studied.	The candidate is unable to recognize the differences in the way authors write.	The candidate is unable to give a personal view of the text studied.	0

Index ICSE Syllabus 2012