O Level English

The implementation of the new O Level English (1128) Syllabus now examines students on the following components:

1. Writing (70 marks – 35%)

Section A: Editing – Identify and edit grammatical errors (10 marks)

Section B: Situational Writing – Write 250-350 words on a given situation with the aid for a visual text (30 marks)

Section C: Continuous Writing – Write 350 – 500 words on one of four topics set (30 marks)

2. Comprehension (50 marks – 35%)

Section A: Respond to questions based on a visual text (5 marks)

Section B: Respond to various questions which is a narrative/recount text (20 marks)

Section C: Respond to various questions based on a non-narrative text and write a 80 word summary (25 marks)

3. Listening (30 marks – 10%)

Section A: Respond to various listening tasks which students hear twice (24 marks)

Section B: Simple note taking exercise which students hear once (6 marks)

4. Oral Communication (30 marks – 20%)

Part 1:  Reading aloud

Part 2: Spoken interaction on a topic based on a visual stimulus

Q: Who will be the tutor teaching English?

A: You may find my profile by clicking here.

Q: How do I improve my English?

A: As English is a language based subject, a mastery of both content and skills is required in order to ace this subject. A wide exposure to various types of reading material on global and local issues and a keen awareness of the analytical rigour involved in both Paper 1 and Paper 2 is necessary. 

Q: What will you cover in your English classes?

A: There will be a good mix of both content and practice taught in class. For Paper 1, I would give my students a model essay / situation writing and an outline of how they can write before assigning this as a writing exercise so that students don’t feel lost. I also conduct a general discussion of what points can be written so that students get the chance to participate in brainstorming and thinking independently. For Paper 2, I would use a range of materials which would include practice papers from other schools to gain exposure to various comprehension texts. 

Q: Do you teach grammar in class?

A: Yes, and it will be part of the on-going learning process. Grammar lessons will be covered periodically and these are the different forms of grammar which students can expect to learn: Nouns, Determiners, Pronouns, Adjectives, Verbs, Tenses, Modals, Adverbs, Prepositions, Phrases, Sentences, Active and Passive Voice, Direct and Indirect Speech, Punctuation and Cohesion.

Q: Is it ok if I do extra practice on my own and request you to mark?

A: Definitely! In fact, I strongly encourage my students to take their own initiative in writing. I believe that if a student is willing to work hard, my role as a tutor is to work even harder to ensure he or she attains his or her educational goals. 

Q: I find it difficult to develop the habit of reading. Is there anything I can do?

A: You would probably already know that knowledge comes from purposeful reading. I emphasise on “purposeful” reading because you need to reflect on what you have read to see what are the issues raised in the text which you have just read and to evaluate the opinions and strength of arguments raised by the author and finally make your own judgment. If you find difficulty developing a reading habit, I suggest that you begin with an area which interests you. This could very well be something on sports, fashion, technology or travel. There are so many platforms (social media, internet news, blogs, books, encyclopaedias) available now that opens your world to wide selection of reading materials and knowledge. 

Q: Great, so how do I sign up for classes?

A: You may contact 96790479 or 98639633 to register for classes. Feel free to drop me a Whatsapp text at 91391636 if you have any queries about English classes. Thanks for reading!