With the advent of the 1128 syllabus, the changes in the examination format was meant to close up the gap between the ‘O’ and ‘A’ Level standards of English. New to the syllabus is the assessment for language for impact – a component which demands candidates to be sensitive and critical about the language used, and to be able to evaluate how language is used to achieve meaning.

As such, the English Language programme offered here is designed to train up students’ sensitivity towards the language, and to hone critical reading such that they are able to handle difficult comprehension text types. Every student enrolled into the programme will first be taught language for impact, by which they will undergo lectures on the basic literary devices and techniques that they will need to know in order to fully answer language for impact questions in the comprehension section. This is important as such question types have become Cambridge’s new favourite since the introduction of the 1128 syllabus.

In addition, we also train students in preparing for the writing component in Paper 1, with an emphasis on the expository and argumentative genres. Students will be taught the ideal structure of writing an essay, and will be given detailed lectures on how to make their writing work. We will also drill them in situational writing, making them understand that creativity and treating the question like a real-life scenario is key to doing well for this section.

Lastly, the programme is meant to debunk the usual fear that English is a daunting subject. The programme aims to stretch the students to their fullest, but it is meant to do it in a jovial and enjoyable way.