The students are expected to achieve the following by the end of Grade9.

Communication

The students should be able to speak and write according to different situations and contexts. They should do their best to use correctly all the grammar points that they have learnt and try to use any new skills that were introduced in class this year. In speaking, they should always try to keep the conversation/oral presentation going as naturally as possible and pay attention to register. In writing, they should refer to the guidelines for each piece that they write.

Intercultural Awareness

As in previous years, they should aim to develop their awareness, understanding and respect for people from different cultures as well as for the individual cultures themselves. They should now have the skills to analyse different cultural perspectives including their own, through the text they read in English and be aware of biased materials and behaviour. They should reflect on multicultural experiences and show an understanding of how customs, values and traditions help form the culture of a society, appreciating the role of the language in this.

Learning and Study Skills

This is an important year in terms of ensuring that the students develop their own effective systems of study. They should spend more time this year thinking about how they can learn better.

SKILL OBJECTIVES

READING

When the students read a text (newspapers, magazines, books, novels, poems, interviews, plays, advertisements, short stories) they should be able to

•  Understand and evaluate the information from them
•  Express their opinions and feeling on the subjects discussed
•  Recognize opinions and attitudes and find supporting evidence
•  Show an understanding of different perspectives from different cultures
•  Identify the main idea, supporting details and figurative language devices
•  Evaluate the text and show a clear understanding of organization and style
•  Identify and interpret the tone and register of the writer

WRITING

The students will be asked to write texts for different purposes and in different styles. The aim of this is for the students to:

•  develop an understanding of a variety of writing methods and aims
•  use grammar, spelling and punctuation correctly
•  plan, draft and rewrite their own work
•  demonstrate correct use of language, style, content and form for different audiences in different contexts (with special focus on compare/contrast and persuasive writing)
•  communicate effectively in writing about given situations
•  analyse critically their own and others' writing and make concrete suggestions
•  communicate effectively in writing to native speakers of English
•  take effective notes and paraphrase

SPEAKING

To develop this skill the students should aim to speak English at every possible opportunity (inside the classroom, in group/pair work, outside the classroom, talking to all teachers who teach in English). They do not live in an English- speaking country so they should create their own English-speaking environment.

This year they should aim to:

•  speak fluently and effectively in a variety of situations
•  learn how native speakers use English for everyday situations, academic studies and rofessional life
•  use appropriate gesture, tone and pace
•  pay special attention to correct pronunciation
•  develop their speaking skills by participating in class discussions, defending their ideas, drawing conclusions on a given topic and giving oral presentations
•  adapt their speaking for a range of purposes (describing, narrating, explaining, persuading, entertaining, arguing)
•  use vocabulary and grammar they have learnt for both formal and informal situations correctly

LISTENING

In order to be a good speaker they also have to be a good listener. To achieve this they should work towards being able to do the following.

•  show a good understanding of a variety of conversations on different topics
•  pick out main ideas and listen for specific information
•  understand a variety of speakers' use of grammar, vocabulary
•  maintain a dialogue with a native speaker of English or their classmates on a variety of topics including cultural issues
•  use their prediction skills and previous knowledge to deduce the meaning of the speaker's essage
•  understand a variety of contexts (narrative, interview, dialogue, poem, live talk programmes)
•  take notes while listening to a speaker