IGCSE English Language

About this GCSE English Language Course

This course is designed to teach and prepare you for the Edexcel GCSE English Language course specification 4EB1. This course is designed to teach spelling, grammar, punctuation and a wide variety of literary techniques used in writing. We will look at using English in a variety of different forms and from different sources including fiction, letters and English used in the media. With a home study GCSE English course you are free to work at your own pace and can sit your examination as a private candidate to receive the same level of qualification as in school.

Study Time:	120 hours
Enrolment length:	12 months
Course Format:	Online
Entry Requirements:	None Specific

To get the full Edexcel GCSE, students must enter themselves as a private candidate for the exam. You can learn all about this process by visiting our GCSE exam guide page.

Qualification

This course prepare you to sit the Edexcel English Language GCSE specification 4EB1 which is assessed by 1 written paper in May/June each year. By enrolling on the GCSE English Language course with Online Learning College, students will be able to work through a variety of lessons, assignments and mock examinations to get ready for their Edexcel exam. GCSEs are qualifications that are undertaken in the UK and internationally to show a level of achievement at a high standard. This course is a English Language GCSE qualification and is awarded through Edexcel, which is a subsidiary of the largest awarding body in the UK- Pearson. Edexcel GCSEs and A Levels are taught in schools throughout the UK and overseas and are seen as being one of the most recognisable and robust standards of education in the world. You can find the Edexcel specification for this GCSE Mathematics course on their website by clicking here.

Course Content

Included in this course are the following units:

Unit 1 – Language Basics

This unit will cover the basic principles of English that are required to complete the rest of the course successfully. Be sure to refer back to this unit as it will become a useful aid throughout your course and in your IGCSE English Language examination.

This unit will teach you to:

• Understand Standard English and the importance of using this form of writing in your exam
• Recognise the different types of phrases, clauses and sentences of the English language and how to structure them
• Understand the different word classes, what they mean and how to use them
• Correctly use and understand tense, spelling and punctuation
• Write an effective paragraph using a topic sentence
• Understand a range of literary devices, how to recognise these in texts and how to write some of your own

Unit 2 – Reading and analysing texts

The focus of this unit consists of reading and being able to analyse a diverse range of texts. This unit directly corresponds with the skills and tasks that will be required of you during Section A of the exam.

This unit will teach you to:

• Understand what is meant when we refer to the purpose, audience, form and tone of a text
• Become comfortable reading and analysing a range of fiction texts
• Become comfortable reading and analysing a range of non-fiction texts
• Use inference and quotation skills when answering an essay question
• Understand how to plan essays effectively
• Understand how to successfully annotate texts
• Be able to successfully compare texts to each other
• Understand Section A of the IGCSE English Language exam, how it is structured and how to appropriately prepare for it

Unit 3 – Reading and writing

This unit will focus on teaching you the information that is directly related to completing the Section B exam question.

You will be taken through several different types of texts and how you should approach writing them in the exam. These include:

• Writing stories
• Writing letters
• Writing magazine/newspaper articles
• Writing diary/journal entries
• Writing scripts
• Writing advertisements
• Writing reports
• Writing reviews
• Writing speeches

This unit will conclude with an overview of what you can expect in Section B of the exam and several assigned writing tasks are provided at the end of this unit to help you further prepare.

This unit will teach you to:

• Appropriately plan and structure your writing assignments in Section B of the exam
• Correctly analyse a text’s purpose, audience, form and tone (PAFT)
• Understand the individual conventions and techniques of different forms of writing
• Apply PAFT in your own writing and understand how to use the conventions appropriate for different forms of writing in your own writing
• Be fully prepared for Section B of the exam by informing you what is required and expected of you in this section

Unit 4 – Creative writing

This section will focus on the techniques of writing three different forms of text. We will also discuss the differences between descriptive writing and narrative writing. Finally, we will look into narrative writing and discuss the techniques associated with this. We will discuss the importance of planning; the Three Act Structure; themes of a narrative; different narrators and perspectives; and characterisation and description in narrative writing. These three forms of writing are essential in being able to pass Section C of the exam.

This unit will teach you to:

• Understand the individual skills and techniques involved in argumentative/discursive writing, narrative writing and descriptive writing
• Write your own pieces of argumentative/discursive writing, narrative writing and descriptive writing
• Understand what is required and expected of you in Section C of the exam so you can be fully informed and prepared

Online study and instant enrolment

All of our students are given access to our Online Campus through their own personal login and password. As soon as you complete your enrolment, you would have immediate access to your account which allows you to make a start working through the lessons. Tackle your assignments as your own pace and contact your tutor to access any help and support you need. The course itself is set out in a very simple layout, making it easy to work through the topics and complete your assessments.

Our Online Campus includes:

• Instant enrolment – access everything on your course from the moment you enrol.
• Personal account logins – login any time, 24/7.
• Full support throughout – message your tutor, use our online chat or give us a call.
• Online assignment submissions – upload work online from the comfort of home.
• Self-led learning – study at your own pace so you can pass much faster.
• Safe e-portfolio system – store all of your work in your account.
• Progression tracking – easily see what assignments you have left to complete.
• Details help centre – get instructions and guidance every step of the way.
• Unlimited attempts – submit as many attempts at your assignments as you need.

Unlimited assessment submissions

All of the assessments for this course are completed through our Online Campus. You can attempt each one as many times as needed to ensure you pass. After every attempt, your tutor will provide detailed feedback and tips on how you can improve going forward. Quickly see your progress during your studies by checking your progress bar and seeing the remaining assessments you need to complete.

On this IGCSE English Language course you are required to enter yourself for the Edexcel examinations. This means that you will need to contact an Edexcel centre local to you in order to sit your exam and pay any fees that are required for this. Exam fees can vary between centres but are much cheaper when organised early so we advise to book your exams long before the actual examination date.

Get full tutor support

Throughout your enrolment with the Online Learning College, you can access support at any time you need. All students are assigned a personal tutor who will mark all of your work and provide detailed feedback after every submission. Your tutor will be an industry expert with a full knowledge of the course content and will be able to help you at any point along your learning journey. One of the best tools at your disposal is your tutor – you can ask as many questions of them as you wish to and they will be happy to help at any time.

We also have a brilliant support team on hand and available through email, online chat and over the phone. This team is there to help with any questions which are more generic, such as providing support in submitting work through your account or getting your certificate when you have completed your course. We pride ourselves on ensuring the support you receive is the best in the business – help and guidance is fast and detailed every time you contact a member of the team.

Assessments

On this GCSE English Language course you are required to enter yourself for the Edexcel examinations. This means that you will need to contact an Edexcel centre local to you in order to sit your exam and pay any fees that are required for this. Exam fees can vary between centres but are much cheaper when organised early so we advise to book your exams long before the actual examination date.

Enrolment Length

All of our courses are allocated plenty of time for students to complete their studies and all materials are self-led so that you can complete the course at your own pace, but you have access to the course on the Campus for 12 months from your enrollment date. Should you require additional time on one of our courses you can extend your enrolment by 30 days for an additional fee of £60. As well as this we operate a 14 day money back guarantee on every one of our qualifications- that’s how confident we are of how you will love studying with us!