Courses

Course Description

CBSE Class 11th English

Students are expected to have acquired a reasonable degree of language proficiency in English by the time they come to class XI, and the course will aim, essentially, at promoting the higher-order language skills. For a large number of students, the higher secondary stage will be a preparation for the university, where a fairly high degree of proficiency in English may be required. But for another large group, the higher secondary stage may be a preparation for entry into the world of work. The Core Course should cater to both groups by promoting the language skills required for academic study as well as the language skills required for the workplace.

Objectives

The general objectives at this stage are:

• to listen and comprehend live as well as record in writing oral presentations on a variety of topics
• to develop greater confidence and proficiency in the use of language skills necessary for social and academic purpose
• to participate in group discussions, interviews by making short oral presentation on given topics
• to perceive the overall meaning and organisation of the text (i.e., the relationships of the different “chunks” in the text to each other
• to identify the central/main point and supporting details, etc., to build communicative competence in various registers of English
• to promote advanced language skills with an aim to develop the skills of reasoning, drawing inferences, etc. through meaningful activities
• to translate texts from mother tongue(s) into English and vice versa
• to develop ability and knowledge required in order to engage in independent reflection and enquiry

At the end of this stage learners will be able to do the following:

• read and comprehend extended texts (prescribed and non-prescribed) in the following genres: science fiction, drama, poetry, biography, autobiography, travel and sports literature, etc.
• text-based writing (i.e., writing in response to questions or tasks based on prescribed or unseen texts) understand and respond to lectures, speeches, etc.
• write expository / argumentative essays, explaining or developing a topic, arguing a case, etc. write formal/informal letters and applications for different purposes.
• write items related to the workplace (minutes, memoranda, notices, summaries, reports etc.
• filling up of forms, preparing CV, e-mail messages., making notes from reference materials, recorded talks etc.
• The core course should draw upon the language items suggested for class IX-X and delve deeper into their usage and functions. Particular attention may, however, be given to the following areas of grammar:
• The use of passive forms in scientific and innovative writings.
• Converting one kind of sentence/clause into a different kind of structure as well as other items to exemplify stylistic variations in different discourses modal auxiliaries-uses based on semantic considerations.

Specific Objectives of Reading

Students are expected to develop the following study skills:

refer to dictionaries, encyclopaedia, thesaurus and academic reference material

• select and extract relevant information, using reading skills of skimming and scanning
• understand the writer’s attitude and bias
• comprehend the difference between what is said and what is implied
• understand the language of propaganda and persuasion
• differentiate between claims and realities, facts and opinions form
• business opinions on the basis of latest trends available
• comprehend technical language as required in computer related fields arrive at
• personal conclusion and comment on a given text specifically develop the
• ability to be original and creative in interpreting opinion develop the ability to
• be logically persuasive in defending one’s opinion making notes based on a text

Develop literary skills as enumerated below:

personally respond to literary texts

• appreciate and analyse special features of languages that differentiate literary texts from non-literary ones
• explore and evaluate features of character, plot, setting, etc.
• understand and appreciate the oral, mobile and visual elements of drama
• identify the elements of style such as humour, pathos, satire and irony, etc.
• make notes from various resources for the purpose of developing the extracted ideas into sustained pieces of writing

Listening and Speaking

Speaking needs a very strong emphasis and is an important objective leading to professional competence. Hence, testing of oral skills must be made an important component of the overall testing pattern. To this end, speaking and listening skills are overtly built into the material to guide the teachers in actualization of the skills.

Specific Objectives of Listening

Students are expected to develop the ability:

• to listen to lectures and talks and to be able to extract relevant and useful information for a specific purpose.
• to listen to news bulletins and to develop the ability to discuss informally on a wide ranging issues like current national and international affairs, sports, business, etc.
• to respond in interviews and to participate in formal group discussions.
• to make enquiries meaningfully and adequately and to respond to enquiries for the purpose of travelling within the country and abroad.
• to Listen to business news and to be able to extract important information.
• to develop the art of formal public speaking.

Guidelines for Assessment in Listening and Speaking Skills

Specific Objectives of Writing

• to write letters to friends, pen friends, relatives, etc.
• to write business and official letters.
• to send faxes, e-mails[formal].
• to open accounts in post offices and banks.
• to fill in railway/airline reservation forms.
• to write on various issues to institutions seeking relevant information, lodge complaints, express thanks or tender apology.
• to write applications, fill in application forms, prepare a personal bio-data for admission into colleges, universities, entrance tests and jobs.
• to write informal reports as part of personal letters on functions, programmes and activities held in school (morning assembly, annual day, sports day, etc.)
• to write formal reports for school magazines/events/processes/ or in local newspapers about events or occasions.
• to express opinions, facts, arguments in the form a speech or debates. to draft
• papers to be presented in symposia.
• to take down notes from talks and lectures.
• to write examination answers according to the requirement of various subjects.
• to summarise a text.

About Reading

Inculcating good reading habits in children has always been a concern for all stakeholders in education. The purposes to create independent thinking individuals with the ability to not only create their own knowledge but also critically interpret, analyse and evaluate it with objectivity and fairness. This will also help students in learning and acquiring better language skills.

Creating learners for the 21st century involves making them independent learners who can learn, unlearn and relearn and, if our children are in the habit of reading, they will learn to reinvent themselves and deal with the many challenges that lie ahead of them.

Reading is not merely decoding information or pronouncing words correctly. It is an interactive dialogue between the author and the reader in which the reader and the author share their experiences and knowledge with each other. Good readers are critical readers with an ability to arrive at a deeper understanding of not only the world presented in the book but also of the real world around them.

Consequently, they become independent thinkers capable of taking their own decisions in life rationally.

Hence, a few activities are suggested below which teachers may use as a part of the reading project.

Short review

Dramatization of the story

Commentary on the characters

Critical evaluation of the plot, storyline and characters

• Comparing and contrasting the characters within the story and with other characters in stories by the same author or by the other authors
• Extrapolating about the story read or life of characters after the story ends defending characters actions in the story
• Making an audio story out of the novel/text to be read aloud.
• Interacting with the author
• Holding a literature fest where students role-play as various characters to interact with each other Role playing as authors/poets/dramatists, to defend their works and characters
• Symposiums and seminars for introducing a book, an author, or a theme
• Creating graphic novels out of novel or short stories they read
• Dramatizing incidents from a novel or a story
• Creating their own stories

Books of one genre to be read by the whole class.

Teachers may select books suitable to the age and level of the learners. Care ought to be taken to choose books that are appropriate in terms of language, theme and content and which do not hurt the sensibilities of a child.

Teachers may later suggest books from other languages but dealing with the same themes as an extended activity. The Project should lead to independent learning/reading skills and hence the chosen book should not be taught in class, but may be introduced through activities and be left for the students to read at their own pace. Teachers may, however, choose to assess a student’s progress or success in reading the book by asking for
verbal or written progress reports, looking at their diary entries, engaging in a discussion about the book, giving a short quiz or a work sheet about the book/short story. The mode of assessment may be decided by the teachers as they see fit.

Methods and Techniques

The techniques used for teaching should promote habits of self-learning and reduce dependence on the teacher. In general, we recommend a multi-skill, learner-centred, activity based approach, of which there can be many variations. The core classroom activity is likely to be that of silent reading of prescribed/selected texts for comprehension, which can lead to
other forms of language learning activities such as role-play, dramatization, group discussion, writing, etc., although many such activities could be carried out without the preliminary use of textual material. It is important that students be trained to read independently and intelligently, interacting actively with texts, with the use of reference materials (dictionary, thesaurus, etc.) where necessary. Some pre-reading activity will generally be required, and the course books should suggest suitable activities, leaving teachers free to devise other activities when desired. So also, the reading of texts should be followed by post reading activities. It is important to remember that every text can generate different readings. Students should be encouraged to interpret texts in different ways.

Group and pair activities can be resorted to when desired, but many useful language activities can be carried out individually. In general, teachers should encourage students to interact actively with texts and with each other. Oral activity (group discussion, etc.) should be encouraged.

SYLLABUS