IGCSE English Second Language

exam board: CIE

A two-year programme developing practical communication skills in reading, writing, listening and speaking, built around twenty topic-based units covering everyday, academic and global themes.

We use an active-learning approach encouraging students to become confident, independent users of English. Each unit weaves together three parallel threads: a skills focus (reading, writing, listening or speaking), a targeted language focus, and regular exam-style practice mirroring the tasks of the IGCSE papers.

Year 10

Part 1: Leisure and Travel

Unit & Topic skills focus Language focus exam-style practice
Unit 1Sports & Free Time Reading Verbs followed by other verbs Reading: open response
Unit 2Digital Life Reading Adverbs Reading: multiple matching & note-taking
Unit 3Food Writing Linking devices Writing: formal writing
Unit 4Transport Listening The passive voice Listening: sentence completion
Unit 5Holidays Listening Words ending in -ing Listening: short extracts

Part 2: Education and Work

Unit & Topic skills focus Language focus exam-style practice
Unit 6Learning & Study Skills Reading The zero and first conditionals Reading: multiple choice
Unit 7Interviews Listening Writing Imperative verb forms Listening: interview · Writing: informal writing
Unit 8Work Reading Present perfect Reading: open response & note-taking
Unit 9Communication Writing Reporting verbs Writing: formal writing
Unit 10Education Speaking More conditionals Speaking: interview

Year 11

Part 3: People and Achievements

Unit & Topic skills focus Language focus exam-style practice
Unit 11Human Achievements Reading Past perfect simple and past perfect continuous Reading: multiple matching
Unit 12Organisations & Volunteers Writing Non-defining relative clauses Writing: formal writing
Unit 13Success & Fame Reading Discourse markers showing contrast Reading: note-taking
Unit 14Medical Care Listening Writing Future in the past Listening: dialogue · Writing: informal writing
Unit 15Healthy Lifestyles Speaking Reading Quantifying phrases Speaking: short talk · Reading: open response

Part 4: Our Modern World

Unit & Topic skills focus Language focus exam-style practice
Unit 16Animal Life Reading Adjectives with nouns Reading: multiple matching & multiple choice
Unit 17The Environment Reading Writing Reference words Reading: note-taking · Writing: formal writing
Unit 18Feeding the World Writing Noun phrases Writing: formal writing
Unit 19Lifestyles Reading Listening The position of adjectives Reading: open response · Listening: multiple matching
Unit 20Technology & the Future Speaking Describing future events Speaking: discussion
End of Course Exams
All candidates take three components at the end of Year 11. Papers 1 and 2 are externally assessed and determine the overall grade; the Speaking test is separately endorsed on the certificate with grades 1 (high) to 5 (low).

Paper 1: Reading & Writing

2hDuration
60Marks
70%of Grade

Four reading exercises: short answers, multiple matching, note-taking and multiple choice Two writing exercises of 120–160 words: an informal email and a formal article, report, essay or review

Paper 2: Listening

50mDuration
40Marks
30%of Grade

Five exercises based on monologues, conversations and interviews All questions are multiple choice Each recording is heard twice

Paper 3: Speaking

10–15mDuration
40Marks
1–5Endorsement

Interview, short talk and discussion Internally assessed and externally moderated Reported separately on the certificate