9695 literature in english teacher guide 2012

7/21/2019 9695 Literature in English Teacher Guide 2012

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Teacher GuideCambridge International AS and A Level

Literature in English

9695

Cambridge Advanced


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C am bridge International Exam inations retains the copyright on all its publications. R egistered C entres

are perm itted to copy m aterial from this booklet for their ow n internal use. H ow ever, w e cannot give

perm ission to C entres to photocopy any m aterial that is acknow ledged to a third party even for internal

use w ithin a C entre.

C am bridge International Exam inations 2013


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Contents

Introduction........................................................................................................................3The purpose of this teacher guide

W hat do I need to get started?

Section 1:Syllabus overview ...............................................................................................5

1.1 A im s

1.2 A ssessm ent objectives

1.3 The assessm ent structure

1.4 D escription of com ponents

Section 2:Planning the course ..........................................................................................11

2.1 Long-term planning

2.2 M edium -term planning

2.3 Planning lessons

Section 3:C lassroom practice ...........................................................................................23

3.1 The role of the teacher

3.2 Sustaining interest and m otivation

3.3 Strategies for m anaging learning

3.4 R eflection and evaluation of learning

Section 4:G uidance for introducing internal assessm ent ..................................................25

4.1 R oles and expectations in coursew ork

4.2 C hoosing w hat to study4.3 Setting questions

4.4 H ow best to prepare and help candidates:

Section 5:Preparing learners for final assessm ent ............................................................29

5.1 Learning/revision tips

5.2 U se of past papers, m ark schem es and exam iner reports

5.3 H om ew ork/independent learning ideas

Section 6:R esources ........................................................................................................31

6.1 Introduction

6.2 R esources from C am bridge online

6.3 Finding resources

6.4 Planning to use the resources

Section 7:Further support available from C am bridge ........................................................35

7.1 A sk C IE

7.2 Endorsed textbooks

7.3 Training


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Appendices .....................................................................................................................37

Sam ple Extracts from the A S Schem e of W ork ..................................................................39

Extract 1: Poetry Passage questions

Extract 2: Prose Passage questions

Sam ple Extracts from the A Level Schem e of W ork ..........................................................49

Extract 3: U nit 8: M oving from A S to A Level

Extract 4: U nit 10: Paper 5 novel text

Exam ple Lesson Plans: .......................................................................................................57

Sam ple Lesson Plan 1: A pproaching a text using film versions

Sam ple Lesson Plan 2: Poetry A nalysis

Sam ple Lesson P lan 3: Prose A nalysis

Exam ples of previously used texts .....................................................................................63

Exam ples of successful coursew ork questions ..................................................................65


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Introduction

3C am bridge International A S and A Level Literature in English

Introduction

The purpose of this teacher guideThis teacher guide is designed to help you fam iliarise yourself w ith the syllabus and support m aterials

available and to help you organise and plan your teaching. It also offers advice and guidance on delivery,

classroom practice and preparing your learners for their final assessm ent.

W hat do I need to get started?W hen planning a course you need to becom e thoroughly fam iliar w ith the syllabus (both the curriculum

content and the assessm ent structure), the schem e of w ork and the support m aterials available.

The syllabus covers the overall aim s, assessm ent objectives, curriculum content, descriptions of the

exam ination com ponents and grade descriptors for the subject. Each area or skill w ithin a subject is defined

to help you organise the overall scope of w hat needs to be learnt.

The sam ple schem es of w ork and lesson plans in the appendices of this guide illustrate how w e can break

dow n the curriculum into learning objectives by applying the defined skills-set from the syllabus to the

different literary genres. These docum ents also illustrate the planning principles outlined in sections 2

and 3 of this guide. A fully com prehensive schem e of w ork covering the w hole program m e is available

on our secure online support for C am bridge teachers, Teacher Support athttp://teachers.cie.org.uk

O n Teacher Support you w ill find a range of other support m aterials for teachers; these include question

papers, m ark schem es and exam iner reports. M aking appropriate use of these resources can:

help you understand how the teaching and learning relates to the assessm ent objectives

help you prepare your learners for their final assessm ent

help you understand the standard

save you tim e.

O ther support m aterials for teachers are available on our public w ebsite at w w w .cie.org.uk. M ake the

m ost of these C am bridge resources by com bining them w ith local activities and resources developed and

provided by your school.

H ere is a checklist to help you get started:

Checklist

H ave you read the syllabus (the year is the year of the exam ination)?

H ave you looked at the teaching m aterials on our public w ebsite w w w .cie.org.ukand on Teacher

Support:http://teachers.cie.org.uk

W hat support m aterials and resources are you going to use?

W hat local/school resources are available for you to use?


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Introduction

4 C am bridge International A S and A Level Literature in English


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Section 1: Syllabus overview



The follow ing section is com prised of m aterial draw n from the syllabus and reproduced here for ease of

reference.

1.1 A im sThe syllabus aim s to develop:

an appreciation of, and an inform ed personal response to literature in E nglish in a range of texts in

different form s and from different periods and cultures

the interdependent skills of reading, analysis and com m unication

effective and appropriate com m unication

w ider reading and an understanding of how it m ay contribute to personal developm ent.

1.2 A ssessm ent objectives

C andidates m ust dem onstrate:

A O 1: the ability to respond to texts in the three m ain form s (Prose, Poetry and D ram a) of different types

and from different cultures

A O 2: an understanding of the w ays in w hich w riterschoices of form , structure and language shape

m eanings

A O 3: the ability to produce inform ed, independent opinions and judgem ents on literary texts

A O 4: the ability to com m unicate clearly the know ledge, understanding and insight appropriate for literary

study

A O 5: the ability to appreciate and discuss varying opinions of literary w orks (A Level only).


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1.3 The assessm ent structureA n A Level qualification in Literature in English can be achieved either as a staged assessm ent over different

exam ination series or in one exam ination series.

If, after achieving the A dvanced Subsidiary Level, any candidate w ishes to go on and take the A dvancedLevel, you m ust notify C am bridge using the procedure laid out in the A dm inistrative G uide.

Advanced Subsidiary (AS)candidates take:

Paper 3 Duration Weighting

Poetry and Prose 2 hours 50%

and


D ram a 2 hours 50%

Advanced Level candidates take:


Poetry and Prose 2 hours 25%

and


D ram a 2 hours 25%and


Shakespeare and other pre-20th C entury Texts 2 hours 25%

and either


20th C entury W riting 2 hours 25%

or


C om m ent and A ppreciation 2 hours 25%

or


C oursew ork 25%


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Q uestions w ill test candidatesunderstanding of:

the w ays in w hich w riterschoice of form , structure and language shape m eanings

the language and style of texts

the effective use of narrative m ethods

how parts of the text relate to the w ork as a w hole

the dram atic qualities of texts w hich are plays.

Texts m ay notbe taken into the exam ination room .

D ictionaries m ay notbe used.

Paper 5 (C om pulsory Paper at A dvanced Level) Shakespeare and other

pre-20thC entury texts (2 hours)

This paper is divided into:

Section A : Shakespeare

Section B : O ther Pre-20th century texts.

C andidates answ er one question from Section A and one question from Section B .

There are tw o questions on each text; one essay question, and one passage -based question. A ll

questions carry equal m arks.

In all answ ers, candidates m ust show understanding of the text and an inform ed independent opinion;

they m ust com m unicate these clearly and appropriately.


the w ays in w hich w riterschoices of form , structure and language shape m eanings




the dram atic qualities of play texts

varying interpretation of texts.



Paper 6 (A dvanced Level) 20th C entury W riting (2 hours)

C andidates answ er one question on each of tw o different texts.

There are tw o questions on each text, one essay question and one passage-based question. A ll questions

carry equal m arks.

In all answ ers, candidates m ust show understanding of the text and an inform ed independent opinion; theym ust com m unicate these clearly and appropriately.


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the w ays in w hich w riterschoices of form , structure and language shape m eanings




the dram atic qualities of play texts

varying interpretation of texts.



Paper 7 (A dvanced Level) Com m ent and A ppreciation (2 hours)

C andidates answ er tw o out of three questions.

C andidates w rite a critical appreciation of previously unseen passages printed on the question paper.

The passages cover at least tw o of the categories: prose, poetry and dram a.

O ne question m ay involve a com parison of passages.

A ll passages are from w orks originally w ritten in English.

At least one of the passages is from a w ork published after 1900.

The questions w ill test candidatesability to read literature critically and to dem onstrate, by inform ed

discussion and opinion, their understanding of the w ays in w hich m eaning is expressed through a w riters

choices of form , structure and language. The authors of the passages are nam ed, w ith either the dates of

the author or the date of the passage. Know ledge of the literary or historical background, or of other w orks

by the nam ed author is not expected.


Paper 8 (Available for A dvanced Level on special application only)

Coursew ork (School-based A ssessm ent)

Candidates subm it a folder of tw o essays on tw o texts; the tw o texts m ust not be set for study

elsew here in the syllabus, and m ust be w hole w orks, originally w ritten in English.

The tw o texts m ust be taken from tw o different form s (prose/poetry/dram a).

A m inim um of 2000 and a m axim um of 3000 w ords should be subm itted in total (including quotations).

The w ork w ill be internally m arked and externally m oderated.

C andidates w hose w ork is required for external m oderation w ill be selected by C am bridge.

The general coursew ork rules, published in C am bridges H andbook for C entres, describe w hat is

needed and give guidelines for internal (school-based) assessm ent of coursew ork.

If you w ish to apply to offer Paper 8 C oursew ork, you m ust first w rite to C am bridge w ith a detailed plan and

rationale for a proposed course. This com ponent is not available to private candidates.


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Section 2: Planning the course



This section of the guide considers planning over a num ber of tim e fram es; planning for the long-term , the

m edium -term and for individual lessons. Exam ples of planning and custom isable planning tem plates areprovided in the appendix.

Planning the course involves three stages:

Long-term planning. This is the first stage w hen you need to decide on the nature of the course you

intend to offer your learners. This w ill set the overarching fram ew ork for the course w hether it is one

year or tw o years long. This allow s you to m ap out the content and the tim e you w ill need to allocate to

each topic.

Medium-term planning.This is the second stage w hen you decide w hich texts you intend to teach,

how long you have available for each text and in w hat order you intend to teach them . It is w hen you

construct a plan com prised of teaching units that detail the assessm ent objectives, the syllabus contentand suggestions for learning activities and resources.

Lesson planning. This is the final stage w hen you decide how you w ill approach each text, w hat

resources you have or w ill need and w hat learner activities are required to achieve your lesson

objectives and outcom es.

2.1 Long-term planningLong-term planning begins w ith tw o im portant decisions.

The first concerns the nature of the course your school is going to offer. W ill it cover A S Level only forexam ple, or w ill it feature A S Level in year one and A Level in year tw o? If it is a tw o year course leading

to the full A Level, w hen w ill the exam s be taken?

The second decision is w hich of the papers w ill be studied. A ll A S Level candidates m ust take both

Papers 3 and 4. To gain the full A Level they are required in addition to take Paper 5, along w ith one of

either Paper 6, 7 or 8.

A longside selecting the papers you w ill need to select the texts.

The Literature in E nglish syllabus details the range of texts on w hich questions w ill be posed in each paper.

Som e of these texts change each year so you need to be sure you are looking at a syllabus that covers the

year in w hich the exam ination is actually going to be sat.

In constructing your course you should consider selecting a variety of texts that w ill enable learners to

m aintain interest as w ell as giving them a dynam ic range of w orks upon w hich to practise and develop

their skills. Think about pace and balance in your text selections; how you are going to cover the skills

developm ent against these texts and w hat order you w ill teach those skills in?


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The follow ing factors w ill have som e effect on the w ay the syllabus is planned and delivered in your school.

Teaching tim e available over the tw o year delivery of the course. (R em em ber to allow for festivals,

holidays, exam inations, school trips and so on. You should also consider how m any hours your learners

w ill have available outside of the classroom .)

N um ber and length of lessons per w eek

N um ber of learners w ithin the cohort

N um ber of learners per teaching group

W hether groups are m ixed ability or stream ed by ability

Scheduling of school-w ide internal exam inations

The long-term plan should be used as a guide. It m ay w ell need to be adapted to suit the needs of your

class as teaching progresses through the course. The long-term plan should provide an overview of the

range of learning opportunities that w ill be offered and is usually designed w ith the w hole class in m ind.

W here there is m ore than one class, a num ber of planning options exist:

a long-term plan w hich all teaching groups w ill follow , usually determ ined by the departm ent after

consultation

a long-term plan w hich allow s a degree of flexibility, for exam ple, w ith regard to each teachers choice of

set exam ination or coursew ork texts

long-term plans for each group determ ined by individual teachers, w ith considerable flexibility about

choice of texts and structure of the course.

2.1.1 Breaking dow n the curriculum

Stage one of producing the plan involves breaking the curriculum content in the syllabus dow n into its m ainparts.

There are tw o broad considerations in planning at this first stage:

choosing the texts them selves

identifying and ordering the critical skills your learners w ill develop in studying the texts in detail.

These skills are determ ined by the assessm ent objectives stated in the syllabus. Som e of these skills

are transferabledeveloping critical analysis of poetic style for exam ple w ill be as useful in studying a

Shakespeare play as it is in studying the poetry of A ndrew M arvell.

Your broad plan therefore should identify the textual and related know ledge such as the historical or

biographical context as w ell as the skills of literary criticism w hich the w hole course w ill be designed

to develop. A crucial factor w ill be your learnersprevious experiences; are they already skilled in w riting

literary essays, for exam ple, and do they have a sufficient critical vocabulary for the dem ands of A Level

Literature in English?

2.2 M edium -term planningThe next stage of planning involves developing this broad structure into a m ore detailed plan w hich includes

tim ings for the individual texts and skills, teaching m ethods, activities for learners and resources that w ill be

needed in lessons.

It is also useful to build into your plan how and w hen you intend to assess your learnersprogress.


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2.2.1 C reating teaching units

The m edium -term plan begins to add detail to the long-term plan by breaking it dow n into separate units of

w ork. It often focuses on one text at a tim e and each text m ight be seen as a separate unit.

The m edium -term plan should identify the know ledge and skills developm ent that learners require to fulfilthe intended learning objectives. This course content should be planned out either in term s of skills or texts

w ith a view to integrating the skills developm ent across the w hole. The content of the plan w ill therefore

be based partly on the dem ands of the text and partly on the assessm ent objectives. Teachers need to

think carefully about how they w ill m ake the links betw een areas of learning explicit. For exam ple how w ill

learners adapt critical appreciation skills learned on say a S hakespeare text to the dem ands of reading a

novel. A pool of potential activities w ill create the flexibility to m eet the changing needs of both individuals

and groups of learners.

To help those w ho are new to the syllabus here is an exam ple of the sort of thing you w ill need to consider

to ensure there is a coherent flow through the lessons.

Sample planning process

If there are 12 w eeks in each sem ester, you could start by planning for a six-w eek period.

B efore planning a six-w eek period, check how m any lessons there w ill be in that tim e.

For an A S class the first 6 w eeks m ight be an introduction to the literary and historical context of the

new text and/or author and the first reading of the text itself.

Taking account of the experience and confidence of the learners, you m ight also include an

introductory general lesson or tw o on studying literature at this level.

The second unit of 6 w eeks m ight then focus on the specific literary issues of the text genre and

historical context for exam ple if its a dram a text or a novel.

In your long -term plan you w ill have considered how m any hours teaching w ill be available to you to teach

the course. N ext you w ill have m ade a list of the m ain areas that you are going to teach either in term s of

skills or texts. You are going to use these to form the basis of your units. Look at the published C am bridge

schem e of w ork for this subject to see how the skills in the assessm ent objectives have been broken dow n

into a progression of teaching and learning steps (or learning objectives) that have then been applied to the

different textual form s of Poetry, Prose and D ram a.

R em em ber, you do not have to teach the course content in the sam e order as it is laid out in the syllabus.

Som e teachers, for exam ple, start w ith som e critical analysis w ork rather than the texts them selves, but

you w ill need also to consider the relative im portance or difficulty of these different areas as w ell it m ay

take longer to present an A usten novel than som e short poem s for exam ple.

It m ay not be possible to cover everything in the tim e available in w hich case you m ust decide on your

priorities. If tim e is short perhaps the basic reading of the texts or acquiring background know ledge can

be undertaken by the learners outside school tim e, leaving the classroom tim e for other m ore intensive,

teacher-led activities.

N ow that you have a broad structure to the course, broken dow n into sm aller areas, w ith som e idea of how

m uch tim e there is to present it, you need to think som e m ore about w hat resources you w ill need for each

area.


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B elow is an exam ple of a schem e of w ork for A S learners on the topic area of M oving on from O Level/

IG C SE to A S Level. This is taken from the resources on Teacher Support. Look at this schem e of w ork and

see if you can w ork out how m any lessons it w ill need, w hat resources, how m uch non-classroom tim e and

how the teacher w ill test the learners know ledge.


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Example of AS Scheme of Work

Scheme of Work

UNIT 1: Moving on from O Level or IGCSE: developing the skills of literary analysis to include the developm en

interpretation.

Recommended Prior Knowledge: A reasonable standard of w ritten English and fam iliarity w ith reading poetry

O Level or IG C SE.

Context:This unit is the introduction to the course and begins to develop the skills of close reading and interpre

encourages the support of ideas and judgem ents w ith reference and quotation.

Outline: This unit addresses the developm ent from O Level or IG C SE to A S Level and provides a fram ew ork for

Learning Objectives Suggested Teaching/Learning Activities Resources

1. M oving on from O Level or IG C SE

The A S syllabus presupposes som e

understanding and know ledge about

literature, and aim s to develop the

learnersappreciation of authorial

technique, w ith a m ore sophisticated

personal w ritten style by the tim e

the exam ination is taken. H ow ever,

learners have already gained

experience and confidence from OLevel or IG C SE that w ill stand them

in good stead for the beginning of the

syllabus.

Its a good idea to start w ith revision

of w ork done and texts read at O Level

or IG C SE. The teacher w ill discover by

discussion w hat learners have learned

about texts, about the w ays in w hich

authors present ideas and engage the

reader and how the learners express their

ow n thoughts about w hat they have read.

Learners can list texts they feel fam iliar w ith

and have enjoyed, including those textsstudied for exam s and texts they have read

for their ow n pleasure. C an they find any

links betw een them , in term s of tim e of

w riting, genre, structure, plot, them e?

The textbook b

published by C U

to support the C

Language syllab

U seful w ebsite

w w w .topm arks

educational site

Select English >m enus.

w w w .learn.co.u


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English


2. Types of text: G enre

The syllabus focuses on the m ain

genres of poetry, prose and dram a.

Poetry and prose are assessedtogether in Paper 3, w hile D ram a is the

subject of Paper 4.

If one of the activities in 1 above w as

to group texts by genre, learners can

brainstorm the essential features of poetry,

prose and dram a.

They w ill discover how w ide each genre

is, and how difficult it is to set dow n a

precise set of rules that define genre, w hile

it is usually easy to decide w hich genre a

particular text belongs to. It can be useful

for the teacher to have available texts

or extracts from texts w hich challenge

assum ptions about genre.

Texts to challen

Poetry: free ver

Law rence,The

C arlos W illiam s

Prose: less eas

conventional no

ofThe C atcher

final section of

sam ples from t

in Tristram Shan

D ram a:A ct W it

The C hairsby E

The Coatby A th

to the conventi


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3. Types of text: Period

The syllabus does not dem and detailed

historical know ledge of the periods

in w hich texts w ere w ritten or areset, but som e contextual inform ation

can be useful in understanding and

interpreting a text.

From the lists of texts, learners can group

texts by period to see if they can recognise

any com m on features. A lternatively

teachers can construct tim eline cards,

featuring author nam es, text titles and keyevents in history and see how w ell learners

m anage to m atch them up. Learners m ay

be able to recognise period features or see

how som e texts respond to contem porary

events.

Tim eline cards.


4. A nalysis and Interpretation

A nalysis and interpretation are key

skills for A S and should be at the

centre of learnersw riting by the end

of the course.

Learners should each bring in a shortpoem , a short extract of prose and a short

extract of dram a. They should present and

discuss w ith the group how they interpret

the extracts, based on analysis of language,

im agery and structure. Learners m ay need

rem inders of som e technical term s as they

arise in discussion.

Explanatory sheterm s, such as

alliteration. asso

lyric, blank vers


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You can apply the sam e m ethodology to other areas or aspects of the texts on your list and draw up a

sim ilar schem e of w ork. You should be realistic about how m uch can be covered in any single lesson. A s a

further help if you are still not sure about this approach then im agine you w ant to produce a schem e of w ork

around the m ain character in a text you know w ell say H am letand have 4 one hour lessons plus som e

non-classroom tim e at your disposal.

W hat resources m ight you have available and w hat w ould you cover in each lesson?

H ow m ight you engender discussion about the character?

W hat are the key learning points you w ant your learners to acquire?

O nce you are com fortable w ith this approach you can start to develop the detailed schem es for the rest of

the topics in your broad outline for each text and each skill.

Look at the full published schem e of w ork available on Teacher Support. This breaks the course dow n into

units of w ork you can cover in a six-w eek period. B ut of course each group of learners w ill need a different

am ount of tim e to com plete the w ork so try planning for a 6 w eek series of lessons on the basis of these

sam ple units, looking through the relevant units to decide how you w ill spread the content across the

lessons. This w ill give you a rough outline of w hat each lesson w ill need to cover.

2.2.2 Sum m ary of key things to consider w hen planning your course

There are som e other key things you w ill need to consider in planning your course for your learners listed

below :

the num ber of lessons to cover the syllabus

learning outcom es for the course

previous learning

suggested and local resources

key vocabulary and structures

how to check learnersunderstanding of key concepts and com m on errors to look out for

cross-curricular links

suggested hom ew ork activities

future learning

IC T activities

2.3 Planning lessonsA s each class and learner has their ow n particular needs, so each teacher has their ow n style; you can plan

individual lessons to fit your ow n situation. To help plan your lessons please find an exam ple of a lesson

planning tem plate below .


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[Subject] LESSON PLAN Template with instructions

Teachers Name

Lesson outline

The Lesson O utlineis a sum m ary of the activities to be undertaken by the class and suggests the

point at w hich each activity m ay be used.

Syllabus assessment aims and objectives

R elevant assessm ent aim s and objectives taken from the syllabus.

Learning objectives and checking the learning (formative assessment)

Learning objectivesare an im portant part of the planning process w hat does the teacher expect

the learners to have learnt. This m ight include som e self or teacher testingor assessm entof

the know ledge perhaps in the form of a follow up assignm ent or essay outside the classroom . The

learning objectives should be linked into the A im s and O bjectivesof the syllabus to ensure the

relevance of the activities undertaken.

Suggested extension work

Finally som e extension w orkshould be available this m ay of course be determ ined by the

objectives from the lesson itself, w hich m ay suggest other areas of developm ent or perhaps the

need for som e learners of m ore w ork on the topic itself.

Resources

It is also good practice to identify those resources w hich w ill be needed for the lesson in the plan

in our exam ple it is access to the internet w ith som e suggested sites to start off the research

process.

Classroom management and health and safety considerations

You w ill also need to consider any particular needs for setting up the classroom and any health and

safety issues. You should rem em ber that som e activities m ay carry som e risk and you should follow

the schools risk-m anagem ent policy before trying out these activities. For exam ple, addressing any

e-safety concerns w hen you use any IC T activities.

Evaluative notes

A fter each lesson you should reflect on how it w ent for the learners and for you. It is useful to m ake

som e notes on the lesson plan soon after the lesson so that you can feed your reflective feedback

into future lessons.


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M ore experienced teachers w ill be aw are of this sort of approach to preparing lessons but for those new to

teaching literature at this level here is a w orked exam ple. Further exam ples are provided in the A ppendices:

A pproaching a text using a film version, Teaching poetry analysis, Teaching prose analysis.

Sam ple Lesson The context of a text or an author, using IC TThis m ay include an authors brief biography, the social and/or historical context and the literary and/or

cultural context. Som e or all of these aspects of the background m ay be relevant to the particular author the

class is studying. Learners m ay find som e background biographical know ledge helpful w hen studying poets

such as Plath or Adcock for exam ple, w hereas the social and historical context m ay be m ore im portant for

learners studying Pope or D ickens.

A Level Literature in English Teachers Name

Exploring the context of a text or an author, using ICT

Lesson outline

In this lesson, learners read som e w eb pages from different sites about the author w hose w ork

they are studying. They consider som e biographical details, historical/cultural background of the

period in w hich the w ork w as w ritten and som e sum m aries of the w orks for w hich s/he is fam ous,

including their ow n text. They look closely at som e pages that offer m ore critical view points of

the aspect of the w ork they are studying (setting) and discuss their relative m erits. They locate

exam ples w ithin the prim ary text that have been illum inated by the internet research they have

undertaken. They should be reasonably fam iliar w ith the prim ary text if possible, or at least have

started to read it.

Syllabus assessment aims and objectives

The interdependent skills of reading, analysis and com m unication.

A bility to appreciate and discuss varying opinions of literary w orks.

W ider reading and an understanding of how it m ay contribute to personal developm ent.

Learning objectives and checking the learning (formative assessment)

A t the end of this activity, learners w ill have:

U sed w eb pages to inform their study of an authors w ork w ith particular focus on an aspect of

it. D iscussed and evaluated w hat they have researched.

Linked their w ebsite research w ith their ow n close reading of the set text

Suggested extension work

W ider reading in the sam e authors w orks, or one of her/his contem poraries.

Further research on another topic connected w ith the set text.


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Resources

These w ill depend upon the author and text chosen. H ow ever useful sites are included in the list

of resources. B ut you could try:w w w .w ebenglishteacher.com /is another useful site w ith lots of

m aterials and links to get you going. C lick on the Literature and prosetab and you w ill find linksto lots of m aterials on m any authors on our syllabus.

w w w .sldirectory.com /libsf/resf/bookplans.htm lis a resource for librarians but again has lots of

links to useful m aterial.

Classroom management and health and safety considerations

You w ill also need to consider any particular needs for setting up the classroom and any health

and safety issues. You should rem em ber that som e activities m ay carry som e risk and you should

follow the schools risk-m anagem ent policy before trying out these activities. For exam ple,

addressing any safety concerns w hen you use IC T activities.

Evaluative notes

A fter each lesson you should reflect on how it w ent for the learners and for you. It is useful to

m ake som e notes on the lesson plan soon after the lesson so that you can feed your reflective

feedback into future lessons.


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25/72

Section 3: C lassroom practice


Section 3: Classroom practice

3.1 The role of the teacherA s the teacher, one of the aspects of your role w ill be to direct your learners in term s of m anaging:

Resources

Tim e

People

Situations

Choices/D ecisions

H ow ever, you w ill also of course direct the learning process, orchestrating the order in w hich skills and

know ledge are acquired by learners so that they com e to understand (and are able to use) the characteristictools of the discipline of literary critical analysis. The syllabus and the A ssessm ent O bjectives guide the

academ ic choices and decisions that w ill achieve this at A Level. Ideally, you w ill w ant your learners to be

able to analyse and evaluate any text w ith these characteristic tools.

The approach to learning recom m ended by C am bridge focuses on skills developm ent through active

learning, through hands-onexperience that reinforces learning through self-discovery. This m ethod allow s

learners to practice the application of their skills to unfam iliar questions and texts and this w ill have the

effect of preparing learners for the A S and A level exam inations.

3.2 Sustaining interest and m otivationSom e aspects of learning can be considered rather dry and you w ill need to plan w ays in w hich you can

balance the variety of delivery m ethods in order to m aintain interest. H ere are a few suggestions of w ays to

break up the pace a little and inject som e energy into the classroom :

Chalk and talktalking to the w hole class

C lass discussions

G roup w ork

B rainstorm ing

Exercises

M aking notes

D oing case studiesW atching videos / TV

Theatre or other relevant visits

U sing IC T

R eading texts and secondary critical m aterial

Solving problem s such as the m eaning of w ords or im ages

M aking presentations

R ole-play activities

Sharing opinions

Practical activities such as using the internet


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Section 3: C lassroom practice


Som e skills lend them selves better to particular teaching strategies, so, for exam ple:

Chalk and Talk (w hich is entirely Teacher led) is an efficient w ay of com m unicating know ledge, for

exam ple how to plan and prepare a literary criticism essay. H ow ever, there w ill alw ays be doubt

w hether know ledge has been absorbed, and w hether it is an efficient use of lim ited tim e. It m ay be less

appropriate for developing higher skills.

Class exercises undertaken by learners are an effective m eans of testing w hether know ledge has been

absorbed and can be applied.

Setting questions on specific lim ited aspects or even quizzesto test textual know ledge can be useful.

O ther objectives for exam ple recognising other interpretations of texts or aspects of the text can be

tackled through case studies, role plays and class discussions. These are good m ethods for developing

analysis and evaluation skills in learners.

3.3 Strategies for m anaging learning

D ifferent texts w ill lend them selves to different approaches a play for exam ple m ight be best acted out or

read aloud, w hereas a poem m ight lend itself to listening to a recording or delivery by a teacher or an invited

actoror guest.

For each text you w ill need to decide w hat the key areas to focus on are. The broad headingsw ill be:

a) plot and/or structure

b) characters and characterisation

c) style and presentation

d) them es

e) related know ledge historical, biographical and sociological

f) other interpretations or critical opinions

You w ill need to develop a strategy in your schem e of w ork for each text w hich addresses each of these

broad areas and identifies the appropriate teaching strategy for them . U nderpinning this is the schem e

of w ork, w hich w ill have lessons focused on developing the related skills in your learners such as critical

analysis, understanding, essay w riting and com m unicating supported and sustained opinions or argum ents.

These skills w ill be com m on to all texts.

3.4 Reflection and evaluation of learningIt is im portant to reflect on the success of the teaching strategies adopted at each stage. This w ill include

testing that anticipated learning objectives have been achieved and refining the strategy for future use.

Know ledge testing is straightforw ard but it is im portant to test that the key A S and A level analytical skills

and literary understanding are being developed. These m ight be tested for exam ple by unseencritical

analyses or essay assignm ents on the particular area of the text being considered. The teacher w ill w ant to

see a gradual but discernible im provem ent in the levels, w hich each individual learner is reaching, using the

published m ark schem e for the syllabus (you can find a copy of this on the Teacher Support Site

http://teachers.cie.org.uk). A ssessm ent of the individual or class progress m ay lead to som e revision w ork

or refining of the m edium term planning.


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Section 4: G uidance for introducing internal assessm ent


Section 4: Guidance for introducing internal assessment

Paper 8 is a coursew ork option for the fourth paper of the full A level course. You w ill rem em ber that Papers

3, 4 and 5 are required papers w ith one other paper to be chosen from Papers 6, 7 and 8. The syllabuscontains a description of the coursew ork option. O nce you have read this and decided that this is an option

you w ould like to take, it is vital that you contact C am bridge before beginning the course to discuss your

proposals. C am bridge contact details are included in the syllabus. There is further guidance below if you are

interested in this option.

Paper 8 offers a unique and interesting alternative to a tim ed and externally-m arked exam ination paper, w ith

considerable freedom in a num ber of w ays, and w ith m uch of the responsibility for success very firm ly in

the hands of teachers and candidates alike. The skills and standards required, are of course the sam e, as w ill

be show n later but candidates can choose their ow n route to reach these standards.

The sum m arised inform ation below gives you an idea of w hat is involved for both teacher and candidate in

m anaging the coursew ork option.

4.1 R oles and expectations in coursew orkTeachers will:

choose the texts that candidates w ill study, in discussion w ith the candidates, subject to a few sim ple

rules

draft and design, along w ith the candidates, the questions that candidates w ill answ er on these texts

subm it the texts and questions to C am bridge for com m ent and approval before candidates begin w ork

on them

offer candidates advice and support as they study and as they w rite their w ork

read candidatesdraft w ork, and com m ent generally on it

m ark the finished w ork

send a sam ple of their learnersw ork to C am bridge for their m arking to be m oderated

Candidates will:

read, study and discuss their texts w ith other candidates and their teachers

know in advance w hat the questions on them w ill be have the opportunity to draft and re-draft their w ork before it is m arked

discuss w hat they are w riting w ith their teachers

research som e background m aterial and ideas to their tw o texts

have the opportunity to read and consider som e critical opinions and articles to help them reach their

ow n personal view s

w ord-process their w ork, or w rite it by hand if they prefer


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4.2 C hoosing w hat to study candidates m ust w rite on twotexts, preferably by tw o different w riters

the tw o texts m ust each be from a different form (prose, poetry, dram a)

each of them m ust have been originally w ritten in English translated w orks are not allow ed

they can com e from any country, and from any historical period

neither of them m ay be a text that is set for exam ination in any other part of the 9 695 Literature in

English syllabus

teachers should choose the texts to suit the particular strengths of their learners

they m ay be chosen to com plem ent the texts that candidates are studying in other papers, or they m ay

be com pletely unconnected w ith other papers and w ith each other

each text should be of sufficient literary and academ ic dem and to justify study at A dvanced Level

C am bridge w ill advise if any text is not suitable

they should be reasonably substantial texts single short stories or poem s are not acceptable

if short stories or poem s are chosen, then candidates should study a com plete published collection, and

discuss about six in their coursew ork, depending on their length

a list of som e suggested texts can be found below it is not to be seen as a set textlist, but it m ay

offer som e ideas

4.3 Setting questionsThis is in som e w ays the m ost im portant, and also the m ost difficult part of the preparation and teaching for

coursew ork. The w ay in w hich a question is w orded m ay help a candidate achieve of her or his very best,

or it m ay hinder her and m ake her w ork m ore difficult than it need be. H ow , then, should a question be

w orded?

rem em ber first that all questions m ust be approvedby C am bridge. C am bridge does not set these

questions, instead you subm it your proposed questions and a senior exam iner w ill com m ent on them ,

suggest possible changes, and finally approve them for use; the w ording m ust be yours, but you w ill

have plenty of support and advice to help you

because your candidates w ill know w hat the questions are, they w ill be able to spend som e tim e

thinking about w hat to w rite, and w ill be able to draft and re-draft their w ork

therefore, the questions m ust ask them to explore w ell beyond sim ple know ledge of w hat the play,

poem s, novel, stories are about

the questions m ust prom pt candidates to look at and to discuss how the w riters achieve their effects

and how these im pact upon their readers or audiences

the questions m ust prom pt candidates to m ake personal responses and judgem ents, w hich m ust be

thoughtfully argued and backed up by close reference and quotation

it is som etim es helpful to offer a lead quotation, and to ask candidates to then discuss this idea som e

exam ples of this sort of question can be found in the appendices

it is not necessary for all candidates to do the sam e tw o questions in fact, it is better if they do not,

though it is equally unnecessary for every one to have a com pletely different question

m ore confident candidates can be given m ore difficult and dem anding questions to help them reach

higher m arks, w hile less confident ones can tackle m ore straightforw ard questions

you know your candidates, and can judge how best to devise the m ost appropriate questions for all of

them


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4.4 H ow best to prepare and help candidates: m ost of the preparation w ill be exactly the sam e as it is for a conventional exam ination teaching and

discussing the texts in the classroom

you m ust not, how ever, use the questions that you are setting during classroom discussion the w ork

that is w ritten m ust be absolutely the candidatesow n and not be in any w ay influenced by a teacher

you should encourage som e research into the contexts, the backgrounds, of w hat is being read this

m ay be historical, or social, or cultural, or biographical so that candidates can introduce som e of these

contextual factors into their w ork. This m ust, how ever, not take over the w hole response it is only one

of several factors

sim ilarly, candidates should be encouraged w here possible to find and discuss som e other view s

and interpretations of their texts there is a m ass of m aterial available on the internet as w ell as

conventionally printed books and articles

again, how ever, such view s m ust be seen as a m eans of developing individual and personal view s no

credit should be given w hen m arking w ork to a sim ple listing of critical view s

there should be plenty of open discussion in class; but w hen m arking the w ork, credit should alw ays be

given for clearly expressed and thoughtfully argued personal response rather than the sim ple re-iteration

of w hat has been taught

once w riting begins, you m ust insist that no further detailed assistance can be given; general and broad

advice m ay be offered, but nothing that could be in any w ay construed as helping the candidate to

com plete or develop their w ork in any detailed w ay

encourage the use of w ord-processors w here possible, so that w ork can be spell-checked, and so that

w hen com pleted it can look fully professional

encourage the inclusion of footnotes to acknow ledge all quotations and references, together w ith a

bibliography.

4.4.1 W hat should candidates w rite?

the first and m ost crucial point to m ake is that they m ust answ er the set questions!

credit cannot be given to w ork that sim ply tells the story

they m ust keep in m ind, and m ake sure that it is explicit in w hat they w rite, that the characters in a novel

or play are notrealpeople they are fictional creations, invented and developed by the w riters

the characters therefore do not act or speak of their ow n volition they are m ade to do so by the

w riters, in order to create a particular im pression or dram atic im pact

w riters w ill use particular literary or dram atic techniques, again to help create particular effects theseshould be noted, and the effects created by them should be discussed

there m ust be a clear and properly organised line of argum ent, in clear and accurately w ritten continuous

prose notes are not sufficient

quotations from the texts m ust be identified by the use of quotation m arks

quotations from other sources m ust be identified by quotation m arks, but m ust also be acknow ledged

and sourced in footnotes and a bibliography

such quotations m ay be from printed m aterial or from w ebsites in either case, brief inform ation m ust

be given, but in sufficient detail for checking to be carried out if C am bridge need to do so

any use of secondary m aterial that is notacknow ledged m ay be regarded as deliberate plagiarism , and

this can have serious consequences


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the total length of a candidates w ork (that is to say both answ ers together) m ust be betw een 2000 and

3000 w ords; if it exceeds 3000 w ords, then it m ust be m arked only up to this point, and a note m ust be

m ade on the w ork to say this has been done

each piece should therefore be betw een 1000 and 15 00 w ords in length; each piece w ill be m arked out

of 25, so they should both be of approxim ately the sam e length

4.4.2 H ow to m ark and assess finished w ork

use the published C am bridge M arking C riteria at all tim es these should be kept w ith you at all tim es

w hen you are m arking

do not m eticulously look for evidence of every single criterion w ithin each m ark-range w hen you start

m arking a piece look initially at the key w ords (basically adequate, solid, com petent, proficient, very

good) and decide w hich one of these best fits the candidates response

place all candidatesw ork in rank order of m erit, using just these key w ords

then, and only then, decide tw o things: is the piece still in the right band? If so, w here should it go, m ore

precisely w ithin the band?

look now at the details w ithin the band, and decide how far and how successfully the piece addresses

each of these detailed criteria

then provisionally give each piece a m ark out of 25

w hen you have done this, each candidate w ill have tw o m arks, and w hen added together this w ill be out

of 50

place them again in rank order, and consider if this is now correct in the light of the M arking C riteria

m ake any m inor adjustm ents to the m arks that you now feel necessary

it is very im portant indeed that your final rank order is as correct as it can be C am bridge w ill assum e

that it is correct and m ay not am end it, particularly if not all candidatesw ork has been called for

do not allow your know ledge of the candidates, or of any other w ork they have done, affect your

judgem ent their final coursew ork m ark m ust be aw arded solely upon w hat you have in front of you

at this point; this is very im portant, as any pre-judgem ents you m ight m ake could affect their overall

exam ination m ark, possibly to the detrim ent of their final result

if there is anything that you feel m ay have affected a candidates perform ance, you m ust com plete

a Special C onsiderations form but since coursew ork is w ritten over a lengthy period such adverse

conditions w ill need to have been very m uch long-term ones

4.4.3 W hat should teachers w rite on candidatesw ork?

a sim ple answ er is as m uch as is appropriate to support and determ ine the final m ark

your m arks and your com m ents w ill be seen by a C am bridge M oderator, so the m ore indication you can

give as to w hy you aw arded these m arks the better

m ake sure that your com m ents both m arginal and sum m ative relate closely and specifically to w hat

is described in the M arking C riteria

there is no ruling about w hat colour such com m ents should be in, but please use pen rather than pencil

if you share the teaching and/or m arking w ith another teacher, then you m ust carry out internal

m oderation to agree the standard and the rank order

please m ake sure that the various C am bridge docum ents candidate cover-sheets, C entre m ark-sheets,

lists of sam ple w ork are fully com pleted and correct, and that m arks have been correctly totalled and

transferred.


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Section 5: Preparing learners for final assessm ent


Section 5: Preparing learners for final assessment

The planning at the start of the course should include som e tim e allocated to preparing the learners for the

actual exam inations. Learning should not be driven by assessm ent nor be too focused on exam inations ifskills and know ledge are to be retained and developed into transferable assets. N evertheless, it is im portant

to offer som e guidance to learners on the final assessm ent and to give them the opportunity to practice

exam techniques before the actual event.

5.1 Learning/revision tipsIt is im portant to ensure the learners are aw are of the key facts about the syllabus such as papers, rubrics,

texts, length of exam s and so on. It is also helpful to discuss how they m ight use their tim e in the exam s

encouraging them to plan the essays and allow tim e for re-reading and checking their w ork.

B y this stage in the course, learners w ill be fam iliar w ith the tw o basic types of question passage-based

critical analysis and discursive essays responding to a specific task. The schem e of w ork should include

m aterial on essay-w riting and how to plan and select m aterial relevant to the task in hand. Exam iner reports

consistenly state that the issue of relevance or the im portance of answ ering the given question is a key

factor in exam success, so som e tim e should be given to building and refreshing those skills. R evision

m ight also helpfully include som e rem inders on the approaches that different types of essays require and a

rem inder of the basic skills and the assessm ent objectives the essays are testing.

The actual w riting of essays is som ething that does get overlooked at tim es the increasing use of IT m ay

m ean learners are out of the habit of physically w riting for tw o hours. This practical training m ay be linked to

encouraging learners to hone their essay-w riting skills in a controlled environm ent.

5.2 U se of past papers, m ark schem es and exam iner reports

Learners m ay w ell get value from tackling past papers near the end of the course and this w ill link into the

revision areas m entioned above. Teachers should be careful to rem ind learners that approaches in questions

do vary and should stress the im portance of reading the question very carefully. Paying particular attention

to the term s of the task set w ill ensure that any m aterial selected for discussion is relevant to the question

asked. Learners should be encouraged to use relevant and pertinent quotations to support their points and

argum ents avoiding lengthy general quotation.

Teachers m ay w ell find it helpful to spend som e tim e reading the published m ark schem e for the syllabus.

The follow ing specific headings in the m ark schem e are very helpful pointers for show ing learners w hat a

good essay needs to include.

know ledge (K),

understanding (U ),

com m unication (C ),

personal response (P) and

other readings or opinions (O )


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Section 5: Preparing learners for final assessm ent


H ow ever, it should be rem em bered that an essay that answ ers the set question w ell, w ill inevitably address

each of these areas, so do not encourage learners to focus too m uch on trying to provide evidence for each

specific assessm ent area at the expense of developing a w ell-constructed and w ell-supported argum ent in

response to the given question.

The principal exam iners for each of the papers on the syllabus produce a detailed report highlighting thestrengths and w eaknesses of candidates in the m ost recent exam ination session. These reports are an

excellent w ay of learning w hat m akes a good essay and w hat should be avoided. Teacher Support has

archives of these reports from a num ber of previous sessions. A s these are text-specific they are also a

useful resource for creating lessons on topics w ithin texts and identifying com m on m isunderstandings or

w eaknesses.

5.3 H om ew ork/independent learning ideas

The learner is of course alone in the exam room w ith neither text nor teacher and it is im portant during the

course that independence and confidence are nurtured by the teacher from an early stage. H om ew ork andself-assessed (or peer-assessed assignm ents) are one tool in the teachers toolbox to foster these skills.

The decision as to w hen this technique should be applied w ill depend on the experience and background of

the learners those w ho have already successfully com pleted IG C SE exam s should very quickly be able to

develop the skills required.

D ifferentiation is another classroom technique that allow s learners to practice independent learning.

A dvanced learners can be given higher-level tasks to com plete, to draw out and develop their abilities.

Low er-ability learners can be given specifically designed tasks that serve the sam e function at a m ore

suitable level.

D ifferentiation is not new , good teachers have alw ays done it. H ow ever, it does chim e w ith a new

conception of the teachers role. O nce w e teachers taught courses, subjects and classes; but no m ore.N ow w e are teaching individuals.(G eoff Petty)

This m eans that as teachers w e are trying to ensure that all learners do w ell, as w ell as they are able,

despite their m any differences. Independent learning and to som e extent hom ew ork can help the teacher to

address this by shaping the tasks to suit the needs of the individual learner. M ore resources on this subject

are included in the resources chapter. It should be stressed how ever, that good teachers have alw ays

adopted strategies w hich enable every learner to learn to their m axim um potential.


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Section 6: Resources



6.1 IntroductionThe prim ary resource is the text itself. Teachers should note that the syllabus specifies som e editions

for w orks for exam ple, all Shakespeare passage questions are taken from the single volum e A lexander

text. H ow ever this text is not recom m ended for study of individual plays because it has m inim al notes for

learners. N ew er editions of texts often have helpful and user-friendly notes, particularly useful for self-study

purposes. The syllabus has som e suggested editions for Chaucer and Shakespeare texts.

Secondary m aterial can be helpful to set the prim ary text in its context; this depends on the text itself and

the tim e available and the teachers view of the individual learners needs and current level of experience

and confidence. C ontext covers a w ide range of areas and it is im portant that the relevance and w orth

of any secondary m aterial to be used are first of all carefully evaluated by the teacher. There is value in

the learners having a cultural, historical and, for som e authors, a biographical perspective. It m ay also be

useful to have som e know ledge of other w orks by the author. C ritical w orks can also be useful for learners

understanding of the text and in recognising and evaluating varying interpretations of the texts; the m ain

focus how ever should alw ays be on the prim ary texts.

6.2 Resources from C am bridge onlineTeacher Support

C am bridge offers a secure online resource bank and com m unity forum for C am bridge teachers called

Teacher Support, w hich you can reach athttp://teachers.cie.org.uk. This includes teaching m aterials for

am ongst other things bridging the gap betw een IG C SE/O Level and A S Level as w ell as m ore resource

m aterial.

H ere is a brief sum m ary of w hat is available through Teacher Support:

Syllabuses. (R em em ber that the date in the title refers to w hen the syllabus is exam ined.)

Access to past question papers, exam iner reports, schem es of w ork, lesson plans, teaching notes,

w orksheets, activities, tests, favourite w eb links and other teaching m aterials

A n events area that allow s you to search for events and conferences by location and exam

A com m unity area w here you can share and exchange inform ation about the syllabuses, sw ap ideas

about teaching strategies and best practice, share teaching m aterials, ask for help and suggestions from

other m em bers of the com m unity

A searchable resource list. There are currently around 50 for A S/A Level English Literature, varying from

links to w eb sites, recom m ended books and dow nloadable pdf files of the set texts for exam ple

You can gain access by contacting the C am bridge C oordinator or Exam inations O fficer at your C entre w ho

w ill be able to supply you w ith a usernam e and passw ord.

It is w orth visiting this site and brow sing through the various parts, jotting dow n any useful ideas or

activities from the syllabus m aterials. If you already know w hich texts you w ill be teaching you can also

brow se through the resources and m ake a note of any useful ideas from there too.


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6.3 Finding resourcesThere are so m any internet sites now available that it is im possible to list all the useful ones. A good starting

point is to search for the w riter of the text you are teaching, such as Thom as H ardy and then sift all of the

hits to focus on the relevant ones for the issues you are currently teaching. B iography and text sum m aries

are easy to find and for m ost pre-20th C entury w riters, you can find versions of the texts them selves.

H ow ever one w ord of w arning the descriptions of the papers in the syllabus do som etim es specify

particular editions from w hich the passages or extracts in the exam inations w ill be chosen. A s noted above,

Shakespeare for exam ple is alw ays selected from the single volum e A lexander text. O ther editions m ay not

have the sam e source and should therefore be treated w ith caution. Sam ple internet resources are included

below .

The C am bridge syllabus itself includes a list of helpful texts for w ider reading on English Literature and

on specific w riters or skills. It also has suggestions for w eb sites and other resources as w ell as useful

addresses. For exam ple the B B C address is included there if you w ant to obtain a B B C Shakespeare

production.

C am bridge run A sk the E xam inerdiscussion groups after each exam ination session, usually in N ovem ber

and February. These can be very helpful for clearing up any doubts or issues about the syllabus or the

exam inations. O n the C am bridge site there are also discussion groups for m ost subjects (check if there

is an English Literature one currently available) and there are Tutor-led online courses on teaching English

Literature at A S/A level. C heck on the Events and Trainingsection of C IE O nline at w w w .cie.org.uk/events

It is a good idea to consider w hat resources are available to you for presenting the prim ary text itself.

Shakespeare plays are w idely available as film s or television adaptations, as are other dram as. There m ay

also be the possibility of seeing plays live at the theatre. M any of the classic novels, including H ardy, A usten

and D ickens have been adapted for film or TV as w ell. R adio adaptations for m any texts are available and it

is possible to get hold of recordings of fam ous perform ances on C D or perhaps online. Poetry readings arealso available. A good starting point to see w hat is readily available is to search the internet.

D o be aw are though that som e w ell know n film versions of plays and books are not alw ays trueto the

original text and you w ill need to check carefully that any version you use is balanced by close reference to

the C am bridge recom m ended text as w ell. In fact this in itself can be a fruitful part of your schem e of w ork

for a text: com paring film , radio and TV versions of the text w ith the original version of the w riter, to evaluate

w hat has been added or lost in the adaptation process.

A s part of your planning you should m ake a list of the texts you m ight choose to teach and then:

see how m any recorded versions of the texts (in all m edia) you can find

identify at w hat stage in the schem e of w ork you w ould use w hich version

decide how you w ould present it to your learners

6.4 Planning to use the resourcesThere is a w ealth of m aterial available to you and perhaps the m ost difficult task is selecting those resources

w hich w ill add m ost to your schem e of w ork. There are tw o separate w ays to consider the resources w hich

do interlink though you m ight find it helpful to keep them separate in your initial planning.


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6.4.1 Firstconsider the skills and know ledge requirem ents

These are linked to the A ssessm ent O bjectives and you w ill need to think about w hich resources w ill help

you teach those specific skills. This m ight be for exam ple a literary analysis of a poem .

W hat help can you find on the C am bridge sites and in suggested secondary m aterial (for exam ple, theresources listed in the schem e of w ork)?

Is there a helpful glossary of critical term inology available and do you need to do som e w ork on this first

w ith your learners?

W hat unseen m aterial m ight you need? This could be a selection or collection of poem s your learners

are not fam iliar w ith, w hich perhaps are of varying com plexity and challenge? This w ould be even m ore

useful if you could find com m entaries on the poem s as w ell. This sort of scoping exercise w ill help you

identify w here you w ill need to create or find your ow n resources too.

6.4.2 Secondconsider the texts you have chosen

The prim ary resource is of course the text itself, butw hat secondary resources are there?

W e have considered adaptations and perform ances of them already but w hat about the period in w hich

the w riters lived, relevant historical background perhaps for D ickens and A usten learners?

D o learners need an introduction to the w riters them selves: a biographical context as w ell as a

sociological one?

If these are areas you feel learners can usefully learn about considerw hat resources are available. O n

D ickens for exam ple there is a great deal of m aterial on the w eb pages The Victorian A gew hich m ight

be useful to explore.

6.4.3 Finally, are there useful critical w orks you can use?

Thinking especially of A ssessm ent O bjective 5 w hich looks at different interpretations of the text,are there

useful critical w orkson the texts you m ight w ant to use in your schem e of w ork? A gain the skill w ill be in

selection as the m ajor authors are a constant source of literary study in university English departm ents

around the w orld. The im portant point is to keep the A O in focus. Learners need to be able to show they

understand w hy there m ight be different view s of a w hole text or, for exam ple, a single character in a text.

They dont need to know every theory or opinion to be w ell prepared.

Example resources and their uses

A t the tim e of w riting, these w ere just a few of the available resources on som e of the topics covered in this

guide. O ther resources w ill becom e available over tim e.

w w w .geoffpetty.com /differentiation.htm la resource on differentiation

Sam ple lesson plans in the appendices of this guide.

Sam ple links to useful internet sites on M acbeth:

a) R SC M acbeth site w w w .rsc.org.uk/educationexplore/teachers/forteachersm acbeth.htm

b) G lobe theatre M acbeth site w w w .globe-education.org/discovery-space/resource-library/docum ent/778/

research-bulletin-m acbeth-2001

c) Translation site for Shakespeares plays http://pages.unibas.ch/shine/translators.htm


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Section 7: Further support available from C am bridge


Section 7: Further support available from Cambridge

7.1 A sk C IEA sk C IE is a bank of answ ers to frequently asked questions from principals, teachers, learners, parents,

exam inations officers and other C am bridge custom ers. You can enter your query into the search box (w hich

appears on every page) or navigate using the topic list m enu on the left-hand side of the page. If at any

point you decide you w ould rather call or em ail, you m ay do so by visiting the C ontact U s page. Visit A sk C IE

directly athttp://ask.cie.org.ukor access it through the public w ebsite atw w w .cie.org.uk

7.2 Endorsed textbooksEndorsed textbooks are available in our resource lists. Endorsed titles have been w ritten to closely follow

the qualifications they relate to and are therefore suitable to be used as teaching m aterial for specific

subjects. W e also haverecommended titlesw hich are useful as reference resources w hen teaching or

studying the subject but w hich have not been w ritten specifically for the qualification they are linked to.

7.3 Training(i) Online training

Three types of online training and support are currently available to C am bridge schools. C heck the

C am bridge w ebsite events tab to see w hen courses are running and to register.

Introductory self-study

W here available these courses provide essential inform ation for teachers w ho are new to the syllabus,and include activities that prepare them for delivering the qualification. These courses do not have a

tutor. Teachers are given access to these courses for six m onths.

Online tutor-led

W here available these courses are led by a C am bridge exam iner. They focus on classroom practice.

Participants follow a three-unit program m e over six w eeks and can interact and share resources w ith

teachers from other C am bridge schools.

Online seminars

W here available these sem inars are led over a short period by an exam iner and focus on specific issues

such as syllabus changes or the recent exam ination session.

(ii) Face to face training

W e run an extensive program m e of short professional developm ent courses across the w orld for teachers

at C am bridge schools. Som e w orkshops are run by a C am bridge exam iner and others by experienced local

teachers. These courses offer teachers the chance to update their know ledge, learn new skills and netw ork

w ith other teachers.

(iii) Professional development qualifications for teachers

W e also offer professional developm ent qualifications for teachers w ho w ant to develop their thinking and

practice.

Learn m ore about the C am bridge International C ertificate for Teachers and Trainers (C IC TT) and the

C am bridge International D iplom a for Teachers and Trainers (C ID TT) at:w w w .cie.org.uk/qualifications/teacher


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Section 7: Further support available from C am bridge



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Appendices


Appendices

Sam ple Extracts from the A S Schem e of W orkExtract 1: Poetry Passage questions

Extract 2: Prose Passage questions

Sam ple Extracts from the A Level Schem e of W ork

Extract 3: U nit 8: M oving from A S to A Level

Extract 4: U nit 10: Paper 5 novel text

Exam ple Lesson Plans:

Sam ple Lesson Plan 1: A pproaching a text using film versions

Sam ple Lesson Plan 2: Poetry A nalysis

Sam ple Lesson P lan 3: Prose A nalysis

Exam ples of previously used texts

Exam ples of successful coursew ork questions


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Appendices



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LevelLiteraturein

English

40

Learning Outcomes Suggested Teaching/Learning Activities Resou

2. Point of View

Learners develop an aw areness

and appreciation of Point of view ,

Perspective and N arrative position in

poetry.

Learners and the teacher choose a range of poem s for careful

focus on the point of view or narrative position. Through

discussion, learners should consider:

D oes the poem have a clearly defined narrator? D oes it

have a first person narrator, a story-teller, an observer?

Is there only one point of view in the poem , or does it

alter? H ow are any changes signalled to the reader?

D oes the point of view give the poem a bias or particular

angle? If there are different points of view , are they

com plem entary or contrasting?

If the poem has a first person narrator, is this person

necessarily the poet?

Exam p

represe

Exam p

Sans M

A M an

C onver

(O kara)

A quick

reading

w w w .p

poetry/

The sit

poem s

Literatu


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3. Shape and Pattern

Learners develop an aw areness and

appreciation of shape and pattern

in poetry. They also acquire som etechnical vocabulary.


focus on shape and pattern. Through discussion, learners

should consider:

W hat does the title of the poem suggest? W hat firstim pressions of the subject m atter does it give?

H ow does the opening of the poem w ork? D oes it form

an introduction, or is it a sudden opening? C an the reader

im m ediately locate him /herself, or not?

D o the ideas of the poem develop through stanzas? Is

each stanza separate, or do ideas and sentences cross

from one stanza to the next? A re the stanzas of regular

construction?

D oes the poem feature any repetitions of w ords, phrases,

sounds (assonance,alliteration,onom atopoeia) orgram m atical constructions?

D o sentences run from one line to the other (enjam bm ent)

or som etim es stop in the m iddle of a line (caesura)?

Is there a rhym ing pattern in the poem to create links

betw een w ords and ideas?

Is there a prevailing rhythm , and if so, is it ever disturbed?

Look in particular at the beginnings of lines and for

gatherings of stressed syllables.

H ow does the ending of the poem w ork? Is it a logical

developm ent, or provide a tw ist on w hat has gone before?

H ere it w ill be appropriate for learners to learn the nam es

of certain form s of poem s as they m eet them , such as

sonnet,ballad,villanelle, etc.

Exam p

represe

Exam p

Agnes,

of the C

H ow ls

(Shelle

w w w .v

on-line

is fully

softw a

w w w .e

htm is

has thealso ha

w hich m


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4. Language and Tone


appreciation of language and tone in

poetry.


focus on language and tone. Through discussion, learners

should consider:

Is the language of the poem com plex or sim ple, form al or

inform al? Is this connected w ith the point of view ?

Is the chosen vocabulary com plem entary, or are contrasts

created?

Is the vocabulary draw n from a sim ilar area of association

(sem antic field)?

W hat responses are created by the vocabulary (shock,

hum our, disgust, excitem ent etc)?

Exam p

represe

Exam p

a N ight

R ode W

Early P

The A fr

5. Im agery


appreciation of im agery in poetry.

They also acquire som e technical

vocabulary.

Learners and the teacher choose a range of poem s for

careful focus on im agery. Through discussion, learners should

consider:

W hat kinds of com parisons are m ade in the sim ilesand

m etaphorsin the poem ? H ow do they contribute to the

poem s m eaning?

Is such im agery open to interpretation? D oes each learner

respond to it in the sam e w ay?

A re there any other figures of speech in the poem , such

as exam ples of hyperbole,m etonym y,onom atopoeia,

oxym oron,paradox,pathetic fallacy,personification,pun?

W hat do these contribute to the m eaning?

Exam p

represe

Exam pinto C h

U rn(Ke

W aving

(H ughe

(A uden


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6. W riting Exam -Style E ssays

This prepares learners for the type of

question they w ill face for the selected

poem essay in the exam ination (the b

question).

The selected poem questions (alw ays the boption) alw ays

ask for a close and detailed com m entary on the set poem or

poem s. Q uestions frequently ask candidates to com m ent

closelyon the poem and som etim es ask them to choose

another poem to com pare w ith the one on the question

paper. In other questions, candidates m ay be asked to m ake a

judgem ent about how typicalor characteristica poem is of

the ones studied. The teacher should discuss the im plications

of these types of questions w ith the learners.

The pointers above give learners a w orking m ethod to

approach the poem s for this question. They should, though,

alw ays rem em ber that they m ust com m ent on the effects

of any technique they notice and how it contributes to the

m eaning of the poem . They w ill not gain m arks for spotting

the techniques alone.

They are now prepared to attem pt their first exam ination style

essay question.

Past pa


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Appendices Extract 1 from the A S Schem e of W ork



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Extract 2 from the AS Scheme of Work

UNIT 4: Prose passage questions: tackling the passage questions; com m enting on narrative features, preparing m

Recommended prior knowledge:A reasonable standard of w ritten English and fam iliarity w ith reading prose gain

Context: This unit is designed to help learners acquire the skills to answ er the passage questions on Pape

9695 literature in english teacher guide 2012

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