English Language
Discover how the English Language Department builds a love for the language in pupils through reading, speech and drama, and creative programmes.
Our Vision
The English Language Department’s vision is for every CHS gentleman to possess a fine mastery of the English language and demonstrate a love and an ardent appreciation in acquiring the language and a flair for its culture.
We believe that the learner is at the centre of the learning process in the mastery of the English language where our pupils are taught the critical life skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing through effective and engaging strategies that are developmentally appropriate. We share STELLAR’s Vision of developing children who love reading and have a strong foundation in the English language. Through a spiral progression of explicit teaching and modelling of language skills in the English curriculum, the learner acquires the language in context. As such, our pupils are exposed to a rich English language culture through our programmes, some of which are highlighted below.
Reading Programme
A wide variety of books are placed in class for pupils to borrow and read. Our intent is to expose our pupils to as many writing styles and genres as possible, to widen their vocabulary as well as to provide them with the opportunity to apply the different writing styles and genres in their own writing. P3 and P4 pupils subscribe to the monthly newspaper ‘What’s Up’ while P5 and P6 pupils subscribe to INSPIRE, a quarterly magazine that features thought-provoking articles based on age-appropriate themes.
Speech and Drama
Speech and Drama is a springboard for developing effective communication skills and building confidence in our lower primary pupils. This programme allows pupils to express themselves freely, explore their imagination and learn a variety of speech and drama skills through fun, creative and engaging activities. All our P2 pupils will be given the opportunity to perform for an audience in Semester 2.
English Language Week – S.T.A.G.E
S.T.A.G.E., an acronym for Show Tell Act Gateway to Expressing your linguistic-self will be conducted in Term 2. The activities aim to promote the usage of standard English and experience the joy of acquiring the language in a fun and engaging manner.
Philosophy for Children (P4C)
Philosophy for Children (P4C) has, since its introduction to the UK in the 1990s, developed as a powerful pedagogical approach and met with ever-increasing popularity. Questions and dialogue are central to P4C, which helps to develop pupils’ thinking skills, their confidence to speak and listen to others, and their respect of other people’s viewpoints. In Catholic High School, the English curriculum is enriched by the strategies in the STELLAR programme, extended by our Explicit Instructional Programme (EIP in-house resources) and enhanced with the integration of P4C into English language lessons.
Recommended English Reading List
These recommended reading lists organised into lower, middle and upper primary categories and are tailored for our young gentlemen. The titles are specifically chosen to capture the interest of boys within their respective age groups. Designed as a handy resource, these lists aim to help our gentlemen and their parents select good books to read for leisure. The suggested titles cover a diverse range of themes. Many of them boast prestigious accolades such as the Caldecott Medal, Newbery Medal or recognition as Librarians' Choice titles. We hope that our young gentlemen will derive joy as they immerse themselves into the enchanting world of books. Happy Reading!
