In order to participate confidently in public, cultural and working life, students need to be able to speak, listen, read and write English fluently and accurately. Equally important, students need a programme that develops a lifelong love of reading and writing. As students move through the grades, they are required to use language with greater fluency and proficiency in a variety of situations.
When students are learning to use a language in the Primary years, they do more than master the basic skills. They learn to express feelings and opinions and, as they mature, to support these opinions with sound arguments and research. They become aware of the many purposes for which language is used and the diversity of forms it can take. The study of English helps students understand how language works by looking at its patterns, structures and origins. Through using this knowledge, students can choose and adapt what they say and write in different situations and contexts. The language expectations of Year 1 to Year 6 students are organised into four strands that correspond to the main areas of language use. The four strands are:
- Reading
- Writing
- Listening
- Speaking
The aims of the Primary English language curriculum are to:
- Develop the skills to help students become effective communicators, and develop the ability to explore, to create and to order ideas in a logical and disciplined manner;
- Provide a learning environment that nurtures the love of reading so that the children will develop their vocabulary and become effective and discerning readers. Encourage and provide writing activities that students see as meaningful and that challenge them to think creatively about topics and concerns of interest to them;
- Develop oral and visual communication skills to help students understand and interact with others to express their own ideas with fluency and confidence;
- Develop oral communication and listening skills by providing numerous opportunities to listen and talk to others for a variety of purposes and about a range of subjects--including personal interests, current affairs and schoolwork.
