Course Overview
The CXC English syllabus is organized for examination as English A and English B. Syllabus objectives are organized under understanding and expression in order to guide both content development and the assessment scheme.
Understanding indicates more than basic comprehension, and Expression is of more significance than the ability to employ structural and
grammatical correctness. The syllabus seeks to express and invite the recognition of Reflection as being intrinsic to both. English A emphasizes the development of oral and written language skills through a variety of strategies; English B provides opportunities for students to explore and
respond critically to specific literary texts, to observe and appreciate the author’s craft, and to make meaningful connections with human daily interactions. The English Syllabus encourages receptive and expressive exploration of the three major literary genres – Drama, Poetry, and
Prose – and the varieties related to those major divisions – in order to develop awareness of and familiarity with the many functions and purposes of language.
It is recognized that a good language syllabus provides opportunity to discover and appreciate that the five facets of the language arts: listening, speaking, reading, writing and viewing. In addition, this syllabus
strongly promotes reflection on the principle that reflection is the tool which helps individuals to clarify their own understanding, and enables them to provide themselves and others with satisfying responses. This recognition is seen as being fundamental if teachers are to help students to reach their full creative potential. The literature of the region is fore-grounded so as
to foster the positive sense of selfhood and Caribbean-ness. The focus encourages recognizing our region’s talents, valuing regional varieties of language, and developing the skills of selecting
form, tone and register appropriate to the transactional context. The syllabus also recognizes that language is essential to basic, effective transactions – personal, social, scientific, technical and business. Literary texts are also chosen, therefore, to help in the development.
