English

course outline

Topics

• PREAMBLE

  This examination sets out to test the different basic skills of communicating in English using the mediums of speech and writing. The examination will test the receptive and productive abilities of candidates. These abilities will be demonstrated in the following forms: reading, comprehension, summary, vocabulary, lexis and structure, listening comprehension and recognition of different aspects of spoken English.

• Examination Scheme

  This module details the structure, content, and requirements for Papers 1, 2, and 3 of the Literature-in-English examination.

• Prescribed Texts (2021-2025)

  This module lists the set texts for the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) for the 2021-2025 period across various genres and origins.

• A. LEXIS (For candidates in The Gambia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone and Liberia)

  This section tests vocabulary of everyday usage and general vocabulary associated with various fields of human activity, as well as idioms, structural elements and figurative usage. Emphasis is on the use and understanding of lexis in context, including sense relations like synonyms and antonyms.

• B. STRUCTURE (For candidates in The Gambia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone and Liberia)

  This section covers patterns of word-form changes (number, tense, degree), word group and sentence formation, and the use of structural words like conjunctions, determiners, and prepositions.

• A. LEXIS (For candidates in Ghana only)

  Tests everyday vocabulary and general vocabulary from various fields, idiomatic expressions, structural elements, and figurative language. Focus is on contextual use and sense relations.

• B. STRUCTURE (For candidates in Ghana only)

  Covers changes in word forms (number, tense, degree), patterns of word combinations into groups and sentences, and the use of structural words (conjunctions, determiners, prepositions).

• C. LITERATURE (For candidates in Ghana only)

  Objective questions on Drama, Prose, and Poetry, requiring study of one prescribed text each for Prose and Drama.

• SECTION A: ESSAY WRITING (50 marks)

  Tests writing ability through various forms such as letter, speech, narration, description, argument, report, article, exposition, and creative writing. Marks are awarded for content, organization, expression, and mechanical accuracy. Minimum length is 450 words.

• SECTION B: COMPREHENSION (20 marks)

  Tests the ability to understand a passage of at least 350 words by finding equivalents, understanding factual content, making inferences, understanding sentiments/emotions/attitudes, identifying and explaining grammatical structures and literary terms, and recasting sentences. Includes at least four questions on factual content.

• SECTION C: SUMMARY (30 marks)

  Tests the ability to extract relevant information, summarize points concisely and clearly, and present summaries of specific aspects of a prose passage of about 500 words.

• Listening Comprehension Test (For candidates in Ghana, The Gambia and Sierra Leone)

  Sixty multiple-choice questions testing consonants, consonant clusters, vowels, diphthongs, stress, intonation patterns, dialogues, and narratives. Includes sections on word-final consonants, vowel quality, consonant contrasts, sentence contexts, rhymes, emphatic stress, and comprehension of dialogues and narratives. CD players will be used.

• Features to be tested in Listening Comprehension

  Detailed breakdown of features including Consonants (single, clusters), Vowels (pure, diphthongs, triphthongs), Stress (word, sentence, emphatic), and Intonation (falling, rising patterns, combined patterns, contrastive stress).

• Test Of Orals (For candidates in Nigeria and Liberia)

  Sixty multiple-choice objective questions covering vowels, consonants and clusters, rhymes, word stress, syllable structure, emphatic stress, intonation patterns, and phonetic symbols.