English

English subject description- Finn Valley College

English is a compulsory subject for all students at Finn Valley College. English is offered at Higher and Ordinary level for both Junior and Leaving Cert classes. LCA students study English and Communication.

Students study a wide variety of novels, plays, films and poetry, with regular trips to the cinema and live productions in our local Balor Theatre and beyond.

We also have a school library, regularly available and supervised at lunchtimes, giving students a chance to relax with a good book and find joy and peace in literature. We hope to encourage our students to become better thinkers and problem-solvers as well as promoting self-esteem, self-expression and confidence.

We aim to cultivate a love and appreciation of English language by developing every student’s ability to express him or herself in oral and written contexts. We encourage reflective practice through the study of English literature, allowing our students to contemplate, analyse and challenge arising ideas or concepts. We promote reading from a wide variety of literature to develop the formation of opinions on the world around them.

As teachers of English we work to promote a positive experience and understanding of English Literature and Language and to encourage every student to achieve their full potential.

Junior Cycle English

Junior cycle English is all about developing students’ knowledge of language and literature. Students strengthen literacy skills learned in primary school and build upon these skills. The junior cycle curriculum is built around three core strands: Communicating as a reader, written communication and oral communication.

Students are encouraged to:

Be creative

Engage personally and respond critically to texts

Develop control over their language

Develop an informed appreciation of literature

Develop skills which are transferable to the world outside of school

Explore the world of language and literature

Read and engage with texts for pleasure

Students complete 2 CBAs (one Oral communication and one Collection of Texts), an Assessment Task (wherein they reflect on the learning processes of the CBAs), and a final written exam.

Leaving Cert English

Leaving cert English is offered at both higher and ordinary level in Finn Valley College.

Students build on the skills developed through the Junior Cycle, while responding to more complicated and mature literature. Students study plays, novels, films, short stories, blogs, poetry in preparation for their final exam over 2 papers at the end of 5th year. Students work on reading and responding to literature, as well as developing their own voice as writers in a world where the written word is ever growing in power and importance

Leaving Cert Applied English and Communications

Leaving cert applied students study English and communications, a subject which develops literacy skills worked on throughout the junior cycle, introduces students to more complicated literature, introduces students to the different forms of media and how to navigate them, and particularly focuses on the use of language and communication in the working world and business settings.