ENGLISH LANGUAGE CURRICULUM

Gymnasium: Languages – 4 hours per week, total 148;

General Gymnasium, Social Sciences,
Mathematics and Information Technology - 3 hours per week, total 111;
Natural Sciences – 2 hours per week, total 74

INTRODUCTION
Learning is a complex process of discovery, collaboration, and
inquiry facilitated by language. Composed of interrelated and rule
governed symbol systems, language is a social and uniquely human way
of representing, exploring, and communicating meaning. Language is an
essential tool for forming interpersonal relationship, understanding social
situations, extending experiences, and reflecting on thought and action.
Language is the principal instrument of thought and the primary basis of
all communication.

PHILOSOPHY

The program for English language will emphasize the importance of

experiencing language in context. Learners’ background knowledge,
skills and attitudes will be used as means of developing communicative
abilities: interpreting, expressing and negotiating meaning through oral
and written texts. As the learners develop communicative skills, they also
increase their linguistic awareness and develop language learning skills
and strategies.
In the English language program students will acquire various kinds
of knowledge, skills and attitudes about:
 Interpreting, expressing and negotiating meaning (communi-
cation).
 Patterns of ideas, behaviours, manifestations, cultural artefacts
and symbols (culture).

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  Sounds, written symbols, vocabulary, grammar and discourse
(language).
 Cognitive, socio-affective and meta-cognitive processes
(general language education).

Learners will learn to communicate in English through the processes

of ‘reception’, ‘comprehension’, ‘production’ and ‘negotiation’. Recepti-
on is receiving the information and decoding the message. Comprehen-
sion involves deriving meaning or significance from an oral or written
text. Production is expressing meaning by creating oral and written texts
to suit different participants, topics, purposes and reasons for communi-
cation. Negotiation is the interaction process: participants in the
communication process must adjust to the needs and intentions of others.
Integral to all three processes are the communicative intents or com-
municative functions, inquiring reporting, or describing and so on, which
are developed in the experience / communication component. Students
will also learn about the language and how to use it: the sound – symbol
system, vocabulary, structures and discourse elements that are needed to
convey ideas and enhance communication in an oral or written context.

AIMS
Following the long-term aims of the English Language Curriculum,
in order to communicate effectively and increase their cultural under-
standing, in grade twelve learners should:
 Further develop, deepen and apply the four language skills;
 Deepen and broaden their linguistic and meta-linguistic
knowledge;
 Use the target language for real-life purposes in order to
integrate English with other learning areas;
 Develop respect and tolerance for cultures worldwide by
increasing their awareness with regards to cultural similarities and
differences;
 Become active participants in the learning process taking
greater responsibility for their own learning and deepening their
critical thinking skills;

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  Increase their capability to learn independently and monitor
their own progress as part of the process of becoming life-long
learners.

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The Scope of Grade Twelve English Language Curriculum

I COMMUNICATION
Enable learners to deepen their language skills and gain ability and confidence for effective communication both with native and
non-native speakers of English.
1. Listening
General objective: Enable learners to listen to a wide variety of spoken discourse, including teachers, peers, and electronic media, and gain
an increasing level of comprehension of newly acquired language.
Specific objectives Suggested language activities Attainment targets
Learners should be able to:  Following instructions; Learners can:
 Listen for general meaning and  Filling in charts;  Cope with language spoken at more
respond orally or in writing;  Completing incomplete extensive speed with little interference and
 Listen for specific information and texts; hesitancy;
respond;  Summarising in their  Identify and note the main points ;
 Listen to more extended speech or own words the passage they  Understand specific details
lectures; listened about; including viewpoints;
 Follow more complex lines of  Listening to radio/TV  Understand the main points of
arguments; commercials; radio, or TV programmes on topics of personal
 Listen to most TV news;  Viewing a film; and professional interest when the delivery is
 Listen to a live or taped lecture,  Listening to telephone at near normal speed;
take notes or write summary; conversation, recorded lectures,  Understand (comprehend) the
 Listen for information or pleasure; current events discussion; majority of films, most TV news and current
 Listen and gather data, take notes,  Listening to oral affairs in Standard English;
and outline; presentation of a poem, short story  Understand extended speech and
 Listen and raise awareness of how or reports on cultural events; follow more complex lines of argument
voice quality and intonation can convey  Listening to provided when the topic is reasonably familiar;
meaning. monologues, radio programmes,  Understand a range of materials
interviews and presentations; that contains some more complex sentences
 Identifying moods; and unfamiliar language.

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  Answering true/false
questions.

2. Reading
General Objective: Enable learners to read a variety of texts for a wide range of purposes with an increased level of comprehension and
apply their interpretation to everyday situations.
Specific objectives Suggested language activities Attainment targets
Learners should be able to:  Matching activities; Learners can:
 Make use of different reading  Inferring (guessing  Understand and respond to pieces of
strategies; meaning of words from the writing on subject matter containing more
 Read both intensively and context); complex and unfamiliar language;
extensively;  Answering multiple  Use vocabulary and structures found
 Read extracts from magazines and choice questions; in reading to respond in speech and/or writing;
simplified novels for pleasure;  Summarising the main  Use reference material from
 Read articles and reports concerned points of the text; magazines books and multi-media more
with everyday life with an increased level of  Poems, short stories, confidently;
confidence; simplified readers;  Work out the meaning of language
 Identify and note main points with  Labelling paragraphs; they do not know, using context and their
the help of bilingual and monolingual  Jigsaw reading; knowledge of grammar quite confidently;
dictionaries;  Completing texts with  Read with a gained confidence less
 Read and analyse author’s intent. sentence gaps. complicated articles and reports.

3. Speaking
General Objective: Enable learners to communicate orally with an improved degree of fluency and a fair degree of accuracy.
Specific objectives Suggested language activities Attainment targets
Learners should be able to:  Dialogues/Role play; Learners can:
 Produce language with an increased  Conversation;  Make themselves quite clearly
degree of pronunciation and intonation;  Interviews; understood, when talking about their work in

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 Interact with a greater degree of  Retelling stories; English, to peers and teachers, although there
fluency and spontaneity that makes regular  Discussions; may be some hesitancy at times;
interaction with native speakers quite possible;  Giving opinions;  Initiate, develop and end
 Interrupt, ask about meaning and  Discussing photos; conversations;
seek clarification or repetition;  Problem solving  Discuss matters of personal and/or
 Engage in the exchange of views activities. topical interest;
and experiences with other English speakers;  Produce more accurate and fluent
 Seek and give information; language expressing opinions, likes and dislikes,
 Express assumptions, beliefs and and preferences and demonstrate an increased
interferences orally; competence in their delivery;
 Express likes and dislikes and  Participate in a structured
preferences; conversation of increasing length and
 Agree, disagree and argue; complexity;
 Describe themselves and other  Demonstrate understanding of the
people’s physical appearance and character; views and experiences of others and express
 Obtain information using critical their own viewpoints in English;
thinking skills;  Interpret the meaning of language
 Summarise and discuss the content with the help of visual and other non-verbal
of an article. clues;
 Use English orally in a number of
contexts, in order to relate, describe and explain
as well as give reasons for their clues.
4. Writing
General Objective: Enable learners to write with an increasing accuracy for specific purposes and different audiences.
Specific objectives Suggested language activities Attainment targets
Learners should be able to:  Filling in forms and Learners can:
 Write clear and quite detailed texts applications;  Apply grammar in a new context.
on a wide range of subject-related and interest-  Writing notes, Although there may be some mistakes at times,
related topics; messages and e-mails; the meaning they convey is usually clear;

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 Write common narrative essays or  Advertisements;  Fill in forms and applications, and
reports for a variety of audiences;  Invitations and thank write formal and informal letters;
 Write an essay or article describing you letters;  Understand and respond to short
and analyzing common issues;  Formal and informal pieces of writing;
 Use basic capitalization and letters;  Summarise ideas in their own words;
punctuation almost correctly (proper nouns,  Writing an ending of a  Produce pieces of writing of a variety
comma, full stop, question mark…); story; of lengths related to past and present events and
 Develop a content of what they  Keeping a personal future plans, on real and imaginary subjects;
have read, seen or heard; diary;  Write with an increased confidence
 Express and justify ideas;  Vocabulary and word creative diaries, short essays, and simple stories.
 Make attempts at revising their own builders;
and peers’ writing.  Sentence and
paragraph completion;
 Writing (taking) notes
about someone;
 Transforming
interviews into reports.
II UNDERSTANDING AND USING ENGLISH
Increase learners’ awareness and deepen their cognitive and meta-cognitive skills.
1. Sound and spelling system
General objective: Enable learners to notice the basic differences between the sound system and spelling alphabet of English and the
mother tongue.
Specific objectives Suggested language activities Attainment targets
Learners should be able to:  Transcription and Learners can:
 Gain independence to learn more spelling exercises;  Spell common and familiar words;
confidently particular aspects of sound system  Long and short vowels  Match spelling and transcription of
of English related to: drills; words and make attempts at transcribing words
 Spelling and pronunciation;  Weak and strong themselves;
 Individual sounds and sounds in group; forms drills;  Identify and apply word stress;

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 Observe the rules of pronunciation  Word and sentence  Pronounce word groups and
of silent letters and correct stress; stress drills; utterances fairly accurately with appropriate
 Notice how stress and intonation  Songs; stress, rhythm and intonation;
can change the meaning of a sentence;  Matching activities;  Express increased confidence in their
 Notice and try to identify the  Intonation drills. delivery and need little support from their
accents; teacher;
 Read aloud with changing  Make an increased use of intonation
intonation to reflect affirmative, interrogative, to express emotions and feelings.
and exclamatory sentences.
2. Vocabulary
General objective: Enable learners to expand further their knowledge and skills related to areas such as vocabulary building and register in
order to increase their capability to explore and learn independently.
Specific objectives Suggested language activities Attainment targets
Learners should be able to:  Word lists; Learners can:
 Use vocabulary found in reading to  Word families;  Use mono and bilingual dictionaries
respond in speech and/or in writing;  Collocations; and other reference materials with an increased
 Understand and use new  Multi-word verbs; confidence;
vocabulary found in context;  Compounds words;  Store and recall particular words;
 Recognize and make use of  Finding synonyms for  Explain words and expressions in
synonyms, homonyms, and antonyms; words; or expressions; their own words;
 Deal with, and make use of word  Word-building;  Respond bilingually.
families, multi-word verbs, and compound  Matching questions
words; with replies;
 Choose and use aids when reading  Colloquial
texts, writing and in other activities; expressions.
 Use a range of strategies to identify
and understand unfamiliar words in texts.
3. Language Structures
General objective: Enable learners to gain and apply knowledge of particular aspects of the structure of the target language deepening their

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linguistic and meta-linguistic knowledge.
Specific objectives Suggested language activities Attainment targets
Learners should be able to:  Get your tenses right; Learners can:
 Demonstrate knowledge of  Fill the gaps;  Recognize and apply basic sentence
similarities and differences in word order of  Correct errors and patterns;
English and the mother tongue; mistakes;  Distinguish between statements,
 Recognize and understand the  Jigsaw sentences; questions, commands, and responses;
function of parts of speech;  Classify words into  Use the language with increased self-
 Explore independently rules and categories (e.g. people/objects, confidence and independence;
regularities; activities, qualities...);  Understand that spelling of words
 Correct errors and mistakes as part  Completing texts; follows certain patterns.
of learning through error analysis;  Texts with paragraph
 Show awareness of how words in gaps.
the target language are constructed and
spelled;
 Develop awareness of the
relationship of structure to meaning.

4. Discourse
General objective: Enable learners to increase their understanding of the majority of discourse concepts and elements including social
context, coherence and cohesion, exposing them to a wide range of situations involving communication within and beyond classroom
settings.
Specific objectives Suggested language activities Attainment targets
Learners should be able to:  Concept questions Learners can:
 Recognize discourse features in (WH- Questions);  Initiate, maintain and end
more extended spoken texts (e.g. words,  Dialogue practice; conversation;
expressions signalling introduction,  Listening to a  Take turns at talking and listening;
exemplification and conclusion; conversation and modelling it into  Interrupt and change the topic;
 Demonstrate knowledge of a role play;  Vary the language to suit context,

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 different types of social relations;  Reading a report of an audience and purpose;
 Comprehend most visual and non- event and modelling it into a role  Make use of visual and non-verbal
verbal clues; play; clues;
 Use the information from the  Discussing issues;  Generate and ask questions (of
discourse to make well-informed predictions;  Gaining time; outside experts).
 Learn ready-made sets of  Taking turns in group
interrelated interactions; discussion;
 Read newspapers and magazines to  Reacting to
form opinions; suggestions;
 Make attempts at discussing issues;
 Assimilate articles and short videos
in the target language on topics being studied.
III MAKING CONNECTIONS
Enable learners to integrate learning areas and using English for real-life purposes and fulfilment of tasks.
1. Subject matter connections
General objective: Enable learners to make and apply subject matter connections in order to transfer and reinforce content and skills
of other areas such as science, fine arts, and sports.
Specific objectives Suggested language activities Attainment targets
Learners should be able to:  Measuring and Learners can:
 Reinforce their knowledge and comparing;  Use English to broaden knowledge of
skills developed in sciences (mathematics,  Listening and other subject areas;
physics, etc.); guessing;  Present facts effectively orally and/or
 Demonstrate understanding of  Listening and acting; in writing;
exchange rate and currency;  Listening and writing;  Produce extended texts on a wide
 Develop understanding of fine arts  Doing quizzes; range of subjects, explaining viewpoints on
and music and beginning to describe them;  Solving problems and topical issues, arguing advantages and
 Listen to, speak, read, and write puzzles. disadvantages of various options;
about subject matter information;  Use sports terminology to discuss
 Listen to/watch sports programmes popular games and sports events of target

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 of various sports events in English and write language countries and make attempts at writing
simple reports; short reports;
 Cope positively with situations in  Make attempts at discussing a range
sporting activities; of issues.
 Use a variety of topics for
conversation;
 Select relevant from irrelevant
information;
 Extend the sources of information
available to them (“have a new window on the
world”);
 View short videos in the target
language on topics being studied.
2. Transfer of skill and content
General objective: Transfer the skills and content of foreign language in order to better understand the skills and content of the mother
tongue.
Specific objectives Suggested language activities Attainment targets
Learners should be able to:  Read labels and ads in Learners can:
 Compare and contrast English and English and translate them into  Translate and interpret the gist of
the mother tongue; the mother tongue; written and oral texts;
 Understand similarities and  Read a text in  Summarize the main points of written
differences between English and the mother English/the mother tongue and and oral texts;
tongue by comparing texts in both languages; summarize it in the mother  Present clear detailed descriptions on
 Explore materials of interest to tongue/English; a wide range of subjects;
them, analyse the content, compare it to  Read two similar texts  Relate proverbs, anecdotes or similar
information available in their own language, in both languages and locate in the target language with those in the mother
and assess the linguistic and cultural similar and contrasting tongue.
differences; information;
 Consider the mother tongue more  Telling anecdotes and

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 analytically; jokes;
 Use new information and  Viewing a
perspectives to compare their experiences with documentary film.
those of their peers in the target language;
 Compare a proverb, a quotation, an
anecdote or a fun activity from the English
speaking world that may be similar to their
mother tongue.
3. Cross-curricular and extra-curricular issues
General objective: Enable learners to make connections to vocabulary and processes important for the world of work.
Specific objectives Suggested language activities Attainment targets
Learners should be able to:  Listening to dialogues; Learners can:
 Relate the information studied in  Discussing career  Produce clear, detailed text on a wide
other subjects to their learning of the foreign options; range of subjects;
language culture;  Discussing medical  Explain viewpoints on topical issues
 Explore cross-curricular issues by and health issues; giving the advantages of various options;
listening to authentic recordings understanding  Reading newspaper  Distinguish facts from opinion and
key vocabulary items; and magazine articles and fiction;
 Use a variety of topics for extracting information;  Express knowledge of music art and
conversation;  Filling incomplete literature of the target culture.
 Understand and apply the dialogues;
vocabulary of particular fields of human  Summarising and
activities (jobs, community service, discussing viewpoints represented
recreational activities); in various oral and written texts.
 Read and understand texts
containing extensive vocabulary confidently,
including subject specific texts;
 Create a draft using a word
processor.

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 Develop their ability to use aids
and critically examine sources of information;
 Consult various sources in the
language to obtain information on topics of
personal interest.
IV ENGLISH IN THE WORLD
Increase learners’ awareness of cultural similarities and differences in order to develop respect and tolerance for cultures other than their
own.
1. Comparison of language and cultures
General objective: Increase learners’ awareness with regards to cultural similarities and differences.
Specific objectives Suggested language activities Attainment targets
Learners should be able to:  Special occasions and Learners can:
 Listen to different varieties of clothes;  Discuss issues of cultural diversity
English, using authentic recordings of the  Family relations; and make comparisons;
speech of people from various parts of the  Greeting and leave  Show respect for ethnic, religious and
world and respond; taking; cultural diversity by writing e-mails and greeting
 Demonstrate understanding of  Eating and drinking cards on special occasions (national and religious
interpersonal relations within the family in the habits; holidays);
English speaking cultures;  Times of regular  Show that they accept the fact that
 Identify a range of cultural values, meals and composition of meals; people of different cultures may think and act
nuances, attitudes and moods of the English  Working hours and/or differently, by debating, approving or
speaking world; leisure activities; disagreeing.
 Develop cultural and social  Food, cooking and
attitudes in accordance with the values and eating out.
principles of an open society gaining
understanding of the existence and origin of
cultural differences;
 Change gradually their world view
as they gain a better understanding of their

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 own and the foreign language culture.
2. Interactions with the representatives of the target language
General objective: Enable learners to communicate effectively with people from other cultures where English is spoken either as a first, a
second, or an international language.
Specific objectives Suggested language activities Attainment targets
Learners should be able to:  Filling in forms; Learners can:
 Comprehend gestures and body  Writing e-mails;  Interact with people with an
language often used in everyday interaction in  Writing formal and increased confidence orally and in writing;
the target language; informal letters;  Produce more extended media
 Understand , work and create  Writing anecdotes; messages;
extended print and/or hand written media  Advertisements,  Talk about a poem, piece of music or
messages in the target language modelled on posters, brochures, web-sites and painting;
media examples, such as hand written texts, similar;  Teach a game from the learner’s own
newspapers, magazines, books, video, satellite  Games, songs and role culture;
TV, the Internet and similar; play;  Participate in debates and
 Summarize the main points of  Reading a literature discussions.
selected media presentations in the target extract, an Internet page and/or a
language; magazine article;
 Discuss the significance of the past  Talking about a poem,
and present cultural perceptions of their own a piece of music or painting;
lives and the lives of the others;  Telling jokes.
 Explore how to redraft their writing
to improve it’s accuracy and presentation
including the use of ICT;
 Consult various sources in the
language to obtain information or topics of
personal interest.

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3. The use of the target language for leisure and personal enrichment
General objective: Enable learners to gain the habit of using English for personal enjoyment in leisure time, leading them gradually to life-
long learning.
Specific objectives Suggested language activities Attainment targets
Learners should be able to:  TV commercials, ads, Learners can:
 Present an original production songs, and similar;  Use bilingual and monolingual
using known vocabulary and grammatical  Using given words to dictionaries;
structures; complete a task;  Summarize the main points of
 Discuss, read, and write and debate  Matching words to selected materials;
about the theme and the setting of selected other words e.g. collocations,  Demonstrate activities associated
materials in the target language with assistance synonyms, and opposites; with the target language;
of glossaries, guided questions and outlines;  Matching descriptions  Show evidence of becoming life-long
 Broaden and further their to the right words; learners by using the language for personal
knowledge of other subjects through the  Matching captions enjoyment and enrichment;
English language; with pictures;  Prepare a description to recent
 Cultivate informed attitudes  Writing a film review; personal experience (e.g. Leaving home…..);
towards lifestyle, social conventions, beliefs,  Sequencing events.  Make use of the ICT in redrafting
opinions of other people and similar their writing, in checking its accuracy; in
information; preparing a presentation and similar.
 Use various media from the
language and culture for entertainment or
personal growth.
4. Understanding tradition and perspectives of the target language
General objective: Enable learners to appreciate the tradition of the target language cultures in order to develop respect and tolerance for
cultures worldwide.
Specific objectives Suggested language activities Attainment targets
Learners should be able to:  Greetings, Learners can:
 Gain background knowledge and celebrations, story telling,  Foster cultural awareness of other
increase their awareness concerning cultural exclamations; cultures and tradition;

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 events and celebrations and major national  Miracles of the world;  Understand cultural references;
holidays;  Comparing cultures;  Discuss cultural events, celebrations
 Recognize and appreciate cultural  Discussing, reading and national and religious holidays;
artefacts and symbols shared by particular and/or writing about lifestyles;  Demonstrate understanding and act
cultures;  Talking about food, accordingly with regard to customs and manners
 Recognize customs and manners of and eating habits; of others, other than their own.
other people;  Viewing a TV
 Recognize and understand program;
geographical and historical work relating to  Writing a description
other countries; of a party;
 Cope positively with situations of  Discussing customs
fair competition in various contexts. related to birth, weddings and
funerals.

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GRADE TWELVE – TOPICAL CONTENT

1. Identity 7. Environmental Issues

 Who are you?  Unnatural disasters
 Life’s ups and downs  Hell and high water
 Autobiography  Natural disasters
2. Journeys 8. Famous for fifteen minutes
 Backpackers on the road  Forty years in bed
 Un unforgettable journey  The hottest writer in
 The experience of lifetime Hollywood
3. Life stories  The greatest superstar of all
 Brain power and unusual 9. Parts of the body
achievements  Modern medicine
 Emotional intelligence  Illness/Disease
 Super athletes  Live a healthy life
4. It’s a deal 10. Nothing but the truth
 Money makes the world go  Vegetarians don’t eat meat
round  Mysteries of the Universe
 World’s trade  Landmarks of science
 Shop till you drop 11. Media, money and power
5. Big events  The beauty and the beast
 Festivals or celebrations in  Planning an event
your country  Paparazzi
 Getting together 12. There’s no place like home
 Organizing an international  Migrations
event  The great escape
6. Problems and oddities  Home is where you make it
 War memories
 Neighbours from hell
 Solving mysteries and
problems of the twentieth century

METHODOLOGY

The Communicative Approach and Task – Based Learning

The overall aim of the English Language Curriculum is to enable

learners to communicate successfully. Successful communication means
getting our message across to others effectively. The communicative
approach to language learning aims at facilitating genuine interaction

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with others, regardless whether they live in the neighbourhood, in a
distant place, or on another continent.
In language learning, the attention of the learners may be focused on
particular segments, or on the language as a whole. In cases when we
want to focus learners’ attention on particular segments, then a segment
may be a grammatical structure (a tense), a language function (expressing
gratitude), a vocabulary area (food and drinks), or a phonological feature
(stress or particular sounds).
On the other hand, when attention is focused on the language as a
whole, learners, through a wide range of language activities, use the
language for practical and realistic purposes. In other words, they act as
genuine users of the language. Participating actively in communicative
language activities, they in fact play roles, simulate situations related to
real life, and learn through personalisation. In the earlier stages of
learning, learners should be allowed to use gestures, body language,
facial expressions, mime, drawings and so on. When they learn by doing,
they realise that language is a powerful means of communication and will
use it as such.
Since communication basically means sending and receiving
messages, learners should develop the four language skills, which are the
core of communication. Development of receptive skills, that is, of
listening and reading skills, will enable learners to receive messages and,
depending on tasks they are expected to fulfil, select essential
information. However, since language skills do not occur in isolation, but
are normally integrated for communicative purposes, after having
received a message, learners should be able to make decisions, and
respond appropriately. In a situation that involves language, their
response is a communicative function, which is performed by one of the
productive skills either by speaking or by writing.

The Learning - Centred Classroom

The objective of learning centred teaching is to make teachers aware

of the importance of learner autonomy in the classroom. The teacher is
required to do more preparation before the lesson, and less stand up
teaching in the classroom. But it doesn’t mean that the teacher should sit
back and relax. The teacher has a role, to support and help learners. The
learners learn more actively and with enjoyment. The environment
requires a learning centred approach that relies on participant’s share in
the learning, and responsibility for furthering discussion. In all cases

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learners need clear guidelines and preparation for effective discussion
participation.
The major aims, or set of aims, will relate to the development of
learning skills. Such aims may include the following:
 To provide learners with efficient learning strategies;
 To assist learners identify their own preferred ways of learning;
 To develop skills to negotiate the curriculum;
 To encourage learners to adopt realistic goals and a timetable to
achieve these goals;
 To develop learners’ skills in self-evaluation.

The Use of the Mother Tongue in the Classroom

Contrary to the principles of the direct method and natural approach

in language learning, which favour exclusive use of the target language,
excluding the mother tongue completely from the classroom, most recent
approaches today suggest that the use of the mother tongue at particular
stages of foreign language learning may prove useful.
While there is clearly a place for the mother tongue in the classroom,
teachers should make efforts to keep the use of the mother tongue to a
minimum. Instead of translating words and/or asking learners to translate,
they should demonstrate, act, use simple drawings and/or pictures,
explain, and give simple definitions. If teachers readily intervene with
translation, as soon as learners are provided with an ‘equivalent’ word or
expression, as soon as their curiosity is satisfied, they may lose interest in
that particular item. In consequence, the English word or expression is
easily forgotten and cannot be easily recalled. This method is easiest for
teacher and learner, but may be the least memorable.

The Role of Grammar 

If we see language as a building, the words as building blocks or

bricks, and grammar as the architect’s plan, then we must admit that
without a plan, even a million bricks do not make a building. Similarly,
one may know a million English words, but if s/he does not know how to
put them together, s/he cannot speak English (Sesnan, 1997).
In the light of this statement, the question is not whether to teach
grammar or not, but how to teach it. We should consider which approach
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to adopt in teaching grammar, whether to teach form before meaning, or
meaning before form, and what strategies and techniques to use in order
to enable learners to put their knowledge of grammar into use and
communicate effectively. It is the teacher’s responsibility to estimate
which approach would yield best effects at a particular stage of learning,
or with a particular class.
At this level of education, learners should be ready not only to notice
the regularities in language, but also to make a conscious effort to work
out the rules. They should be ready to deal with more complex sentences,
including coordinated and subordinated clauses. Therefore, teachers
should increase the learners’ awareness about their progress in learning,
as well as to encourage them to work independently and keep record of
their own learning. Teachers should constantly bear in mind the fact that
grammar is knowledge in the mind, and not rules in a book.

Assessment and Evaluation

There are many reasons for assessing learners. Some of them are:
 to compare learners with each other;
 to see if learners have reached a particular standard;
 to help the learners’ learning;
 to check if the teaching programme is successful.

Teaching means changing the learner. Teachers will always want to

know how effective their teaching has been - that is, how much their
pupils have changed. This change can be in the amount of English
learners know, in the quality of the English they use, and in their ability
to use English. The general word for measuring the change is assessment.
Naturally, if we want to asses how much pupils have changed, we have to
know exactly what they already know and what they can already do.
There are different types of assessment (or evaluation):

Self assessment (self - evaluation) relies on:

 The amount of effort spent in research;
 The amount of organization;
 The amount of effort spent on writing.

Group assessment (group - evaluation) can be done by:

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  Evaluating individual learner progress within the group;
 Awarding group and individual marks.
This fosters cooperation among the learners. They promote higher
achievement, greater motivation, and a more positive attitude towards the
subject area and greater social skills.
Individual assessment (evaluation) is more readily accepted by
learners, shows learners activity, his/her participation level in the group
activity, willingness to respect the viewpoints of others.
Combination of group and individual assessment - the group
component may foster the spirit of cooperation, and the individual
component may permit the recognition of individual contributions.
The use of work samples, portfolios and projects. These folders or
portfolios may be used to collect samples of a range of learners’ work
over the course of a term or a year. All these may reflect the learners’
overall development and show learners’ progress.
If teachers want to find out how effective their teaching has been, or
if they want to evaluate the learners’ progress the tests are used. Tests are
conducted in class by the teacher. They measure the results of learners’
performance. Teaching and testing always go hand-in-hand. Questions
are often asked to check if the learners have understood what has been
said. Equally, they may be asked to find out whether a particular point
needs to be taught. We instinctively know why we ask a question:
whether it is to teach or to test something.
Evaluation is seen as wider than testing. Testing may be a successful
tool in evaluation, but we also think there are other criteria for assessing
someone’s performance. Evaluation is not limited to numbers or just
giving learners marks. Instead of trying to count or measure learner’s
ability to make useful contribution to the class, we can simply judge
whether s/he makes a contribution or not, and sometimes we will have to
justify, negotiate, and possibly modify our opinions. Evaluation looks for
illumination: How did you learn that? Why did you learn that? This
means that we are doing something with the learner, rather than to the
learner. By asking these questions, we learn a lot of extra information,
such as: What the learner thinks s/he is learning; what the learner thinks
is easy / difficult; what the learner enjoys / hates doing in the class;
where the teaching programme and the learner don’t meet; where the
teaching programme need re-designing.
With evaluation we attempt to help the learner to learn, so it is not an
assessment, in fact it is aid to learning. In other words, we can use
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assessment procedure to develop and improve not only the learner, but
also the teaching programme and even the school.
Note to the teachers: In order to achieve the targeted aims and
objectives of grade 12 English language curriculum and to cover the
topical content of grade twelve syllabus, teachers should select and use
materials of upper-intermediate level from textbook(s) and other sources
(magazines, TV, video, Internet). These materials should be primarily
dedicated to teenagers and young adults.

Although it is estimated that within a school year, approximately 12

content areas should be covered, it is the teacher’s responsibility to plan
the number of topical areas (units) and the composition of it, in
accordance with the total amount of hours dedicated to English in
different types of gymnasia. Apart from this, teachers may use
supplementary materials to suit the learners’ needs, that is, their
background knowledge (or lack of it), their interests, and motivation.
Supplementary materials (video tapes, documentary films, drama
activities, projects, contests and quizzes, and so on), may be used either
within regular English classes, or within additional activities planned by
the school curriculum (choice subjects, extra-curricular activities, and
similar).
On the other hand, for further methodological guidelines concerning
the topics discussed above, as well as those related to how to teach
language skills and vocabulary, how to manage the classroom, and
similar topics, see A Comprehensive Handbook of ELT Methodology (A
Handbook for English Language Teachers).

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Band Descriptors for Assessing Language Skills

Band Listening Speaking Reading Writing

Fluency Accuracy
5 Can understand all the Does task very well. Good pronunciation, use of Can understand all Work is well organised. Good
message Little or no hesitation vocabulary and grammar the text punctuation. Few or no mistakes
4 Can understand most Does the task well. Good pronunciation, Can understand Work is mostly well organised
of the message Some hesitation vocabulary and grammar. A most of the text Good punctuation. A few mistakes
few mistakes
Can understand some Does the task Pronunciation, vocabulary Can understand Some problems with the message
3 of the message adequately. Quite a lot and grammar are adequate.. some of the text and/or punctuation and/or
of hesitation Quite a lot of mistakes but it organisation, but it is possible to
is possible to understand the understand the message
learner
Can understand a little Does not do the task Pronunciation, vocabulary Can understand a Problems with the message and/or
2 bit of the message adequately. A lot of and grammar are limited. It little bit of the textpunctuation and/or organisation. It
hesitation is difficult to understand the is difficult to understand the
learner message
Can understand very Is not really able to do Very hard or impossible to Can understand very Significant problems with the
1 little of the message the task at all understand the learner. little or none of the message and/or punctuation and/or
text organisation. It is almost impossible
to understand the message

The table above sets out bands which describe levels of achievement in the four skills. This band descriptors are intended to apply to specific
tasks (e.g. listening to a story, talking about a picture, reading about an invention, writing a letter), as an aid to the teacher and learner in
assessing performance. It is of course perfectly possible for a learner to perform to different bands of achievement for different task and
different skills.

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