Edexcel IGCSE English Language
This course invites you to develop a sophisticated command of the English language through critical reading and expressive writing. You will explore a wide variety of texts including non-fiction articles and literary pieces to understand how writers use linguistic and structural devices to create specific effects. You will refine your own writing skills by mastering different forms and purposes from crafting persuasive transactional arguments to composing engaging imaginative narratives. Crucially, you will focus on technical accuracy by strengthening your grammar, vocabulary, and punctuation to ensure your communication is precise. By analyzing how meaning is constructed in different contexts, you will be equipped to articulate your own ideas with confidence and interpret the written world around you effectively.
Core Content Areas
The course involves the study of a range of literary texts from different genres and time periods.
Paper 1: Poetry and Modern Prose
This component assesses students’ understanding of a selected poetry anthology and a modern prose text, focusing on literary analysis and appreciation.
Paper 2: Modern Drama and Literary Heritage Texts
This paper requires students to analyze a modern drama text and a literary heritage text, often from a pre-1914 period.
Paper 3: Shakespeare and Literary Non-Fiction
This component, for the separate two-paper qualification, focuses on a Shakespeare play and a literary non-fiction text.
Assessment Structure
- Paper 1: This is a 2-hour written examination, worth 60 marks, that assesses poetry and modern prose. It accounts for 50% of the total grade.
- Paper 2: This is a 1-hour and 30-minute written examination, worth 40 marks, that assesses modern drama and literary heritage texts. It accounts for 50% of the total grade.