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Source:
www.moe.gov.sg |
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RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE
ENGLISH LANGUAGE CURRICULUM AND PEDAGOGY REVIEW |
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The Ministry of Education (MOE) has accepted
the key recommendations of the English Language Curriculum and Pedagogy
Review Committee (ELCPRC). |
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Set up in September 05, the Committee
undertook a comprehensive review of the teaching and learning of English
Language in schools, and has made a number of recommendations for
improvement. |
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Bilingualism is and will remain a
cornerstone of our education system. We need to ensure that our students
have a good grounding in both their mother tongues and English. The
English Language review follows from the Mother Tongue Language reviews
undertaken in the last two years. |
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Overall, our students are competent in
English, but there is significant scope for improvement in certain
areas. |
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Singapore students do fairly well in reading
literacy, but standards of oral and written communication are highly
uneven. Some employers have observed a decline in oral fluency, writing
skills and the ability to communicate with impact. |
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We aim to strengthen our students¡¯ command
of English while achieving the best international standards among the
most able. We will work towards the following desired outcomes: |
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- Our students should be comfortable using English to
express themselves and enjoy learning the language.
- All should attain
foundational skills, particularly in grammar, spelling and basic
pronunciation. They should be able to use English comfortably in
everyday situations and for functional purposes.
- A majority who have
the potential should develop a good level of proficiency in both speech
and writing. Some in this group who have a flair for the language will
find this an advantage in frontline positions, and various service
industries.
- A significant number of approximately 20% should
acquire a high degree of proficiency in the English language. They will
help Singapore keep its edge in a range of professions, and play an
important role in teaching and the media. Their command of English
should be on a par with the equivalent group in countries such as the
UK, US and Australia. Further, we can expect a smaller group of
Singaporeans to achieve mastery in their command of the language, no
different from the best in these English-speaking countries. |
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Recognising the different home
language backgrounds, learning needs and interests of our
students, the Committee has recommended a new curriculum that is
rigorous, yet flexible. |
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To ensure that the new curriculum is
successfully delivered, the Committee has also recommended
strengthening teacher recruitment, training and development,
improving support for schools and developing partnerships with the
community. |
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KEY RECOMMENDATIONS |
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A CURRICULUM FOR THE SINGAPORE
CONTEXT |
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We have a diverse range of EL
learners. There is a need to design a curriculum customized to
Singapore¡¯s needs. This involves adopting not just a first or
second language approach, but a principled blend of both. |
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A contextualized approach to EL
learning will be complemented by systematic and explicit grammar
instruction. |
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Primary EL Curriculum |
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Building a Strong Foundation in
the Primary School Years |
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The EL curriculum will focus on
developing oral confidence, grammar knowledge and a love for
reading to anchor EL learning throughout the primary school years. |
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To cater to the learning needs of
students without prior exposure to English, the lower primary
curriculum will be strengthened. |
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Strategies for Effective and Engaged
Development in English Language (SEED-EL), a programme being
piloted in the lower primary curriculum in 30 schools this year,
will be phased in in all schools by 2009. |
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Students who need additional help will
continue to be supported by an enhanced Learning Support Programme. |
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The enhanced programme is designed to
provide for a more focused approach to building basic language and
reading skills and will be implemented in all schools in 2007. |
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Secondary EL Curriculum |
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Consolidating Language Learning
with Focus on Oral Skills |
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Secondary students will revisit and
build on foundational skills, in particular, grammar and spoken
English. |
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To ensure there is sufficient emphasis
on the teaching of spoken English in the secondary curriculum, the
weighting for the assessment of oral communication at ¡®N¡¯ and ¡®O¡¯
levels will be increased from 20% to 25%. |
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EL at Pre-University |
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New English Language Subject |
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A new subject, English Language, to be
offered at H1 and H2 levels, will be introduced at the
pre-university level from 2009. |
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H1 and H2 EL will encompass the
critical study of language and communication to deepen students¡¯
understanding, use and appreciation of the language. This will be
distinct from the General Paper, Knowledge & Inquiry and
Literature. |
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H1 and H2 EL could be offered as a
contrasting subject for students majoring in the Sciences, and
will be an additional option for those majoring in the Arts, who
may offer it in addition to Literature. |
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English Language Elective
Programme (ELEP) |
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To encourage students at the Junior
College (JC) level to excel in the language, MOE will introduce
the English Language Elective Programme in 1-2 JCs from 2009. |
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Students in the programme will study
H1 or H2 EL as one of their subjects. While students in non-ELEP
centres may offer H1 or H2 EL, the ELEP centres will be given
additional resources to consolidate their strengths in EL1. |
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More..... |
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1
The other Elective programmes available to schools are the Art
Elective Programme, Music Elective Programme, Drama Elective
Programme, and Language Elective Programmes offering optional
subjects such as Tamil Language, Malay Language, Chinese Language,
French, German and Japanese. |
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Source:
www.moe.gov.sg Press Release 5
Oct 2006 |
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Important
Notice |
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FrontPage Edition: Fri 6 October 2006
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