English is learnt throughout the Primary school. In Standard one to three, it is taught as a subject, while Mother Tongue is used as the medium of instruction. In standard four to eight it is taught as a subject and used as the medium of instruction in other subjects.
At then end of the Primary English course, all pupils are expected to have acquired a sufficient command of English, in spoken and written forms to enable them to communicate fluently, follow subject courses and textbooks, and read for pleasure and information. This syllabus deals with all the language skills relevant to the attainment of these objectives. It aims at meeting the needs of those pupils who secure admission to secondary level institutions, as well as those who will enter the world of work and get no opportunity for further education.
Language Patterns
The syllabus gives relevant sentence structures with corresponding examples. Teachers are expected to exploit these examples to elicit many more suitable sentence structures to teach the language patterns. Appropriate learning activities are also suggested.
Vocabulary
All new words are derived from themes. The lists of words given are not exhaustive. Teachers will find it useful to keep consulting the dictionary for correct pronunciation, stress and intonation.
Learning/Experiences
Learning experiences are suggested for each language skills i.e. listening, speaking, reading and writing. They are given separately so as to allow the teacher and pupils the opportunity to interact meaningfully with the language in a variety of ways.
Classroom Talk
The pupils’ ability to speak fluently depends on how exposed they are to the language. Constructive classroom talk, therefore, should be encouraged. Learners should be given ample opportunities to talk about themselves, express their ideas and opinions, tell stories, discuss events and describe experiences.
Reflective Teaching
Language is dynamic and so is the teaching methodology. Through reading teachers keep abreast of new practices and trends, and discard poor ones. They improve on the good points and become effective in their teaching. This in essence is reflective teaching.
Collaborative Learning
Collaborative learning provides the pupils with opportunities for classroom talk. The pupils work in pairs and in groups to share learning experiences.
Suggested Assessment Methods
The teacher should be an agent of change as far as assessment, monitoring and evaluation are concerned. It is in recognition of this, that the syllabus presents a variety of assessment methods, aimed at providing a wide range of approaches to continuous assessment tests.
Handwriting
This is an important area in the development of language. How well children write depends wholly on the kind of training they have received. In this syllabus, handwriting lessons are integrated with the rest of the language lessons, so that learners can practise to write legibly and neatly.
Transition
A considerable number of activities aimed at providing ground for transition from Pre school to Standard One are included in the syllabus. The assumption that all learners in Class One have attended Pre-school should not be made and Pre-reading and Pre-writing activities should be well done, so as to bring all the learners to the same level.