English from 5 - 16: Curriculum Matters 1: An HMI Series - Second Edition (Incorporating Responses)

8/8/2019 English from 5 - 16: Curriculum Matters 1: An HMI Series - Second Edition (Incorporating Responses)

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Department ofEducation and Science


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Department ofEducation and Science

EnglishfromstoI6Second Edition(incorporating responses)Curriculum Matters 1AN HMI SERIES


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Crown copyright 1986First published 1984Second Edition 1986ISBN 0 11 270595 2


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ContentsForeword to the second edition

English from 5 to 16Introduction: the aims ofEnglish teaching

2 Objectives: at 7, 11 and 163 Some principles ofEnglish teaching4 Some principles ofassessment5 Conclusion6 References

English from 5 to 16: the responsesI The responses in outlineII Degrees ofaccordIII The objectivesIV Matters arisingV ConclusionsAppendix: Objectives for English

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Foreword to the second editionEnglish is a key subject in the school curriculum. I t is essential to thedevelopment of pupils as individuals and as members of society. I t is anenriching and satisfying subject in its own right as well as a tool and achannel oflearning in all subjects for all pupils in England and Wales. Thedevelopment of agreed national objectives for English teaching is thereforea particularly important part of the Government's policies for raisingstandards in schools, outlined in Better schools1The series of HMI documents entitled Curriculum Matters is intended tostimulate discussion about the curriculum as a whole and about itsindividual components. English from 5 to 16, the first in the series, dealswith curricular aims and objectives; it sets out views on the aims andobjectives of English teaching and on the related professional issues of theprinciples of English teaching and the assessment of pupils' progress inlanguage. Like the other documents in the series, when it was firstpublished in 1984 it invited responses from readers. This second edition ofEnglishfrom 5 to 16 incorporates an analysis ofthose responses and HMI'scommentary on them.The intention is to carry forward a professional view about the objectives ofthe 5 to 16 curriculum so as to advise and inform those concerned withdeveloping the policy statements which are to emerge. Another purpose isto inform and stimulate further discussion focussing on the purposes,principles and objectives of English teaching. For, while national policystatements will set out broadly agreed objectives, the professional debateabout the objectives and approaches advocated and about translating theminto practice must continue - among teachers above all, but also amongparents, employers, elected members and governing bodies.The responses to English from 5 to 16 made clear that a prerequisite to anational policy statement about the teaching of English is agreement aboutwhat all our children should be taught about the English language and howit works. Such agreement is necessary if they are to grow up to be informed,effective and sensitive users of our language: in control of it, rather than atits mercy and open to manipulation by those who use language to persuadeand to confuse. Without such agreement and without some generallyaccepted ways to talk about the workings of our language, we are not in aposition to determine what pupils and teachers need to know or how to setabout teaching it.1. Cmnd 9469, HMSO, 1985.


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It is essential that this document should be read as a whole, since allsections are interrelated. For example, the lists of objectives must beseen in relation to the defined aims and to what is said about theprinciples of English teaching and assessment.


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1ENGLISH FROM 5 TO 16

Introduction: the aims ofEnglishteaching1.1 Achieving competence in the many and varied usesofour language isa vital part of the education of pupils in our schools. All teachers, whatevertheir other responsibilities and whatever age groups they teach, have acontribution to make to this process, since (where English is the only orprincipal medium of instruction) all areas of the curriculum involveteachers and pupils in using English: the teachers' responsibility lies in themodels of language they provide, in the ways they require pupils to useEnglish, and in the attention they give to the language aspects of pupils'performance.1.2 However, in every school there are teachers who have directresponsibility for the development of their pupils' competence in English.This paper is principally addressed to them; but also to heads of schools,LEA advisers and officers, and those responsible for initial and in-servicetraining of teachers. I t is hoped that the paper will also be of interest toparents and employers.1.3 The way in which the teaching of English is organised (and evenwhat it is called) varies with the type of school. In most primary schools itis usually in the immediate charge of the class teacher, who takes a classthroughout the school day and teaches English both as a distinct aspect ofthe curriculum and as part of other areas of work. In many primaryschools there is also an English or Language 'consultant' whose role is toadvise and assist class teachers over the teaching of English. In secondaryschools, English is usually separately timetabled, and taught by designatedteachers who in most, but by no means all, cases have specialistqualifications in the subject. In middle schools, older classes aresometimes taught by specialists, and younger ones usually by classteachers. Despite these different organisational patterns, however, theaims and principles of the teaching are, or should be, the same; and thedevelopment of pupils' ability to use their language should be continuousand progressive throughout the years of schooling.1.4 All who teach English are explicitly concerned with every aspect ofthe growth of their pupils' command of language; and this is a complexmatter because language is complex. It is the principal means by which wethink, define what we experience and feel, and interpret the world inwhich we live; and the principal means by which we communicate withother people. Very often, as in a discussion, the definition of ideasdevelops in the process of communication. We use language in many


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ENGLISH FROM 5 TO 16

1.5 Before starting school, most children already have considerableexperience in and command of at least spoken English (though this willnot necessarily be true of those Welsh children and those from ethnicminorities for whom English is not the language of the home: their oralcommand and competence will be in languages other than English. Thesepupils may need special provision). The subsequent development of thiscompetence in English takes the form of:an increase in the range and variety of purposes for which pupils canunderstand and use language;correspondingly, an increase in the range and variety of appropriateforms, techniques and styles of language that they can respond toand use.

These principles apply throughout the primary and secondary phases ofeducation and apply to all four modes of language - speaking, listening,reading and writing.1.6 Those four modes constantly interrelate. As the Bullock Report putsit ... language competence grows incrementally, through an interaction ofwriting, talk, reading, and experience, the body of resulting work forming anorganic whole. 1The promotion of that interaction should be a basic principle of theteaching of English. It is nevertheless helpful to consider in terms of eachof those modes what the aims of English teaching should be. We suggestthe following: Education in the spoken word should aim:to develop pupil's ability to speakwith confidence, clarity, fluency and in appropriate forms ofspeech,in a variety of situations and groupings for a variety of audiences,for a range of purposes of increasing complexity and demand;and correspondingly to develop their capacities to listen withattention and understanding in a similar variety of situations and fora similar range of purposes . In the area of reading, the aims should be to enable pupils:to read fluently and with understanding a range of different kinds ofmaterial, using reading methods appropriate to the material and thepurposes for which they are reading;to have confidence in their capacities as readers;to find pleasure in and be voluntary users of reading, forinformation, for interest, for entertainment, and for the extension ofexperience and insight that poetry and fiction of quality afford;to see that reading is necessary for their personal lives, for their


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As to writing, the aims should be to enable pupils:to write for a range of purposes;to organise the content of what is written in ways appropriate to thepurposes;to use styles of writing appropriate to the purposes and the intendedreadership;to use spelling, punctuation and syntax accurately and withconfidence .

There is a fourth aim which applies over all the modes of language. Thisis to teach pupils about language, so that they achieve a workingknowledge of its structure and of the variety of ways in which meaning ismade, so that they have a vocabulary for discussing it, so that they can useit with greater awareness, and because it is interesting.1.7 It is likely that there will be little disagreement about these broadaims, with the possible exception of the last. They need, however, to betranslated into objectives. Some objectives will be constant throughout theperiod from 5 to 16, though applied to increasingly demanding purposes.Others become appropriate as the pupil grows older. What follows is anattempt to define objectives in terms of what may reasonably be expectedof most pupils at the ages of 7, 11 and 16; briefly to suggest someprinciples of teaching by which the objectives may be attained; and finallyto suggest some means by which progress may be assessed.Objectives2.1 Objectives in English are more difficult to define than objectives insome other subjects. Any use of language, oral or written, involves thecomplex interplay of many variables, and its success as a piece ofdefinition and communication depends upon that interplay.The objectives that follow, therefore, are not offered as sets of discretesub-skills to be taught and tested in isolation through 'exercises'. They areaspects of language competence which should occur in the pupils'experience of using language for the range and variety of purposes referredto in paragraph 1.5 above. As the Bullock Report says it is not the case:

" ... that language abilities can somehow be extracted from context, taught inthe abstract, and fed back in . . . the handling of language is a complex ability,and one that will not be developed simply by working through a set oftext-book exercises".2The Report goes on, however, to emphasise the responsibility of teachersfor ensuring that pupils' ability to handle language is progressivelyimproved and extended:

" ... we have equal lack of sympathy with the notion that the forms oflanguage can be left to look after themselves. On the contrary, we believe that


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Essentially, then, the objectives can best be attained by setting tasks whichrequire communication for real or realistic purposes and in whichparticular skills need to be used.2.2 Of course we have to accept that pupils vary in ability, in motivation,in the support their backgrounds afford, and in many other ways.Differences of ability must be taken account of. In some subjects this maybe done by setting out objectives in an ascending scale of difficulty, or bydefining a limited range of skills and content that most pupils should beable to master and then adding others which are suitable only for the abler.This is not appropriate in English. Since the various aspects ofcompetence intermingle in various combinations in any utterance, allthose defined in the following lists of objectives are necessary and aretherefore targets to be aimed at by most pupils. Differentiation accordingto ability will occur in two ways: in the difficulty of the tasks to which theskills are applied, and in the degree of success achieved by individualpupils in carrying out those tasks. For example, most 16 year olds shouldbe able to read and understand a wide range of reading matter, but thedifficulty of the texts presented to them must be matched to their variousabilities. And whereas most 11 year olds should be able to explain aprocess, some will do so more clearly and effectively than others. Of theobjectives defined, none has primacy and none should be neglected infavour of any other: the aim should be for each pupil to achieve the highestlevel of performance of which he or she is capable in every aspect oflanguage use represented in the lists of objectives. Some teachers may, atfirst sight, find the scope of the objectives formidable; but it is better toseek to equip pupils as fully as possible with the rage of competence inlanguage that they will need in actuality than to limit objectives to an easilyattainable minimum.Objectives for 7 year old pupils2.3 When children first embark on the period of compulsory schoolingthey are likely to differ considerably in their pre-school experience oflanguage. For example, their experience of listening and speaking atlength will vary; some will have had books read to them and may havebegun to read, while others will not. Their teachers, therefore, face aformidable challenge in enabling all or most of them to achieve theobjectives set out below. Nevertheless, it is vital that firm foundations ofcompetence and of interest are laid in the early years of schooling. I f theyare not, the effects may be long lasting, or even permanent. If a basic levelof literacy and articulateness is not attained by the age of 7, it becomesvery difficult to achieve competence in other learning, much of whichrelies on the ability to read, to discuss, and to record in writing. Theeffects may persist, and become increasingly disadvantageous, throughoutthe primary stage and beyond. It is often the case that children of normal


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2.4 At the age of 7, therefore, most children should be able to:ListeningListen to simple instructions and carry them out accuratelyComprehend the main ideas in simple items of information or explanationgiven orallyListen actively, so as to be able to ask questions, make comments, andrespond in other relevant ways to what they have heardMaintain their listening attention for a reasonable length of time whentheir interest is engagedFollow an uncomplicated plot in a story and recall the main eventsListen responsively to the language and the patterns of sound and rhythmof rhymes and poemsSpeakingIn all oral activities, speak sufficiently clearly and audibly to beunderstoodNarrate simple experiences and series of eventsExplain what they are doing when involved in a taskWhen taking part in a group task, discuss it constructively with the otherchildrenExpress their feelings to known adults and to other childrenAsk relevant questionsDescribe what they have observedConverse confidently in social situationsSpeak in role in dramatic playUse gesture and movement in association with the voice when effectivecommunication demands itReadingRead and understand labels, simple notices and written instructionsRead with understanding simple stories, rhymes and passages ofinformation, to themselves and aloudKnow the alphabet, and apply their knowledge of alphabetical order whenconsulting simple dictionaries and other reference books


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Objectives for 7 year old pupils - ContinuedUse books as sources of information to support aspects of their work in theclassroomWritingWrite legiblyWrite about personal experiences in prose and in poetryAssociate their writing with pictures, graphs, plans and diagramsRecord simple investigations and other practical experiences accurately,and comment on the resultsWrite simple stories of reasonable coherenceWrite informal letters to relatives and friendsSet down directions and instructions when there is a clear purpose fordoing soWrite descriptions in which the salient features are conveyed clearlyUse a sufficiently wide vocabulary for the purposes of their writingUse a sufficient variety of sentence structures to express not only sequence(" ... and . . . then" etc) but other relationships between events,experiences and ideas ("... when ... because ... if", etc)Use full stops and capital letters appropriately.Objectives for 11 year old pupils2.5 At the end of the primary phase of education, most children shouldhave reached a level of competence in English which will allow them toembark upon secondary schooling, in all aspects of the curriculum,without hindrance or handicap; and which will assist their personal andsocial development as they move from the world of childhood into theexciting but often stressful and confusing world of adolescence.2.6 By the age of 11, therefore, most children should be able to:ListeningListen to fairly complex instructions and carry them out accuratelyComprehend the main ideas in information conveyed orallyFollow the plot of a story or a broadcast play written for this age groupListen responsively to poetry and verse


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Listen with patience, attention and understanding to other speakers in adiscussionSpeakingSpeak clearly and audibly, with appropriate expression and withsensitivity to the response of the listener or audienceHave some ability to match vocabulary, syntax and style to therequirements of different situations and listeners, and be aware of the needto do soConverse confidently and pleasantly in social situationsParticipate courteously and constructively in discussionsFrame pertinent questionsMake clear statements of factDescribe in appropriate terms what has been seen or experiencedExplain a process accuratelyGive instructions or directions clearly and succinctlyMake confident and effective use of the telephoneNarrate a story or experience in such a way as to hold the listener'sattentionExpress feelings and ideas accuratelyPut a point of view and sustain it in discussionShow imagination and adaptability in improvising language in imaginedsituationsIn all speaking, make appropriate use of eye contact, gesture, facialexpression, pause, tempo, and intonationReadingHave formed the habit of voluntary and sustained reading for pleasure andfor informationKnow how to fmd books they need or want in a libraryUse a variety of strategies to establish word meaningFollow the gist of a story or shorter narrative passage so as to be able torecount it and discuss itSelect, interpret and collate evidence gathered through reading and applyit to a particular enquiry or task in hand


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Objectives for 11 year old pupils - ContinuedRead critically, distinguishing fact from opinionBe able from a text to draw inferences, make predictions, and formjudgementsFollow a series of written instructions or directionsUse a dictionary, an index, and general reference books such asencyclopaedias, atlases and gazetteers; and other informational mattersuch as timetables, catalogues and brochuresInterpret non-verbal information, such as maps, signs and symbols,associated with the texts they readDistinguish between the literal and the figurativeWritingWrite clearly about personal experiences and the thoughts and feelingsgenerated by themWrite stories and poems, using where appropriate descriptive or figurativelanguage to make the reader imagine the experience vividlyRecord experience and events accuratelyExplain processes such as how to make something, how to playa game, etcFrame instructions and directions clearlyWrite accurate descriptions of people, places and thingsWrite in order to persuade the reader to the writer's point of viewWrite informal and formal letters for a variety of purposesMake notes as an aid to learning, as a prompt for the memory, and as anaid to planningHave some ability to adjust the form, content and style of writing to thenature of the task and the needs of the readerExercise sufficient control over spelling, punctuation (at least the full stop,question mark and comma), syntax, and handwriting to communicatetheir meaning effectivelyUse and control not only simple and compound sentences, but, whereappropriate, complex sentences, in which ideas are linked through the useof main and subordinate clausesOrganise material into paragraphsAbout languageThey should know:


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The difference between vowels and consonantsThe functions and names of the main parts of speech (noun, pronoun,verb, adjective and adverb), and be able to identify these in their ownwriting for the purpose of discussing what they have writtenThe difference between statements, questions, commands and exclama-tionsThe terms 'subject' and 'object' and be able to identify them in their ownwritingThat a sentence has a subject and a verb, and that the two must agreeThat word order determines meaning.They should:Be aware of differences between tenses, and recognise when the past,present, or future tense is being usedKnow that language can be literal or figurative, and be aware of thedifference when they use or respond to languageBe aware of some of the ways in which written language differs fromspoken language

Objectives for 16 year old pupils2.7 At 16, pupils have reached the end of the statutory period ofschooling. Some will continue their school education to a higher level;some will enter further education or training; some will enter the world ofwork, and some, sadly, will fail to do so. All, whatever their educational orvocational future, will face the personal and social demands of adult life.For all these purposes, they need competence in a rangeofuses of English.2.8 At 16, therefore, most pupils should be able to:ListeningListen to instructions of some length and complexity, ask relevantquestions to elucidate them if necessary, and carry them out accuratelyComprehend information conveyed orallyListen with concentration to extensive exposition or discussion, notingdown the salient pointsListen critically to attempts to persuade them, so as to recognise speciousarguments and 'loaded' language


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Objectives for 16 year old pupils - ContinuedGive instructions or directions so that they may be understood and carriedout by someone elseClearly explain a process of some complexityNarrate, with some feeling for the shaping and delivery of the narrativeEngage in cooperative discussion in order to clarify or explore a matter orto produce an agreed outcomeArgue a caseIn discussion or argument, be sensitive to the language limitations ofothers and able to accommodate to themBe sensitive to the listener's reception of what is being said, and ready toelucidate, amplify or rephrase as necessaryMake and take telephone calls, giving and receiving informationaccuratelyGive short talks on matters of which they have knowledgeBe aware of the need to match the way one speaks to the purpose, contextand audience; and be able to do so in a range of situations, social andotherwise (ie use the appropriate 'register' of language)Be aware that spoken language differs from written language in importantways, and requires different strategies (such as emphasis, pause,repetition) to achieve clear communicationUse the grammar and vocabulary of Standard Spoken English wherenecessary or appropriateSpeak clearly, audibly and pleasantly, in an accent intelligible to thelistener(s)Read written material aloud so that its meaning is fully expressedUse the resources of the voice (modulation, tone etc) expressivelyUse and be sensitive to non-verbal accompaniments to speech, such as eyecontact, facial expression, gesture, stance, and the manifestations ofresponsiveness to other speakersReadingRead and understand a range of reading matter including literature (prose,poetry and drama), and information materials in a variety of formats(books, newspapers, documents, leaflets, official forms, material ingraphic form, timetables, etc). The range should take account of all thelikely reading needs and interests that pupils will have after 16, in their


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Read whole books of some length and requiring some persistenceRecognise and distinguish between explicit and implicit meanings in whatthey readRead newspapers, magazines and advertising material critically so as todistinguish between unbiassed information and attempts to manipulatethe reader; and apply similar critical attitudes to television reporting andadvertisingHave some awareness of the relevance of imaginative literature to humanexperience; recognise some of the ways in which writers of fiction, poetryand plays achieve their effects; and have some ability to judge the valueand quality of what they readHave some ability to apply similar judgements to entertainment in othermedia - theatre, cinema or video films, television and radioHave experienced some literature and drama of high quality, not limitedto the twentieth century, including ShakespeareAbove all, regard reading as a normal and habitual source of pleasure,interest and information

WritingWrite clearly and perceptively about personal experiences and theirresponse to themUse writing to explore an issue and arrive at a conclusionWrite imaginatively in prose and poetry, with some awareness of structureand stylistic effectsWrite accurate descriptions of people, places and thingsWrite direct and reported speech as appropriateRecord experiences and events accuratelyExplain processes clearlyFrame instructions and directions clearly and succinctlyWrite to request somethingWrite in order to persuade the reader to the writer's point of view or to acourse of actionWrite personal and formal letters for a variety of purposes, includingapplications for employmentCompose a curriculum vitae to attach to a letter of application foremployment


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Objectives for 16 year old pupils - ContinuedMake notes ofmaterial heard or read as an aid to learning, as a prompt forthe memory, or as an aid to planningSummarise the salient points of material heard or readAdjust the form, content and style of any piece of writing to the nature ofthe task and the needs and expectations of the readerExercise control over spelling (including the apostrophe), punctuation (atleast the full stop, question mark, comma, and quotation-marks), andsyntaxParagraph, and organise paragraphs into passages of appropriate form andlengthSet out written material in tabulated form when appropriateAbout languageThey should:Know the functions and names of all the main parts of speech (noun,pronoun, adjective, article, verb, adverb, preposition, conjunction) and beable to identify them in their own writing or in what they read, for thepurpose of discussing languageBe able to distinguish between sentence, clause and phrase in what theywrite or readBe aware of differences in usage, eg between formal and informal modesRecognise differences between standard and dialect forms of the languageBe aware that language embodies values, conveys attitudes and definesrelationships; and that it is by no means always concerned with theobjective transmission of informationBe aware of 'register' (the use of different styles of language for differentpurposes)Be aware that meaning is not confined to the content of what one says orwrites: it is determined by how one says or writes it. The 'how' will affectthe listener's or reader's understanding and responseRecognise that language is a spectrum which ranges from simple factualstatements to complex uses of the sound and texture ofwords, of rhythm,of imagery and of symbol; and that such effects are not confined to poetrybut occur in daily life (eg in advertising)Have a vocabulary for discussing stylistic effects, including 'simile','metaphor' and 'cliche'Recognise that we constantly use figurative expressions; that alertly used


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Some principles of English teaching3.1 Teaching English well is a complex and demanding art, and there ismuch more to be said about it than this brief document can encompass. Itis suggested, however, that teaching should be based on the followingsalient principles.3.2 Teaching English at any level needs to be founded on understandingof the nature of language and the way in which it is acquired anddeveloped. The teacher must have a clear grasp of the range of purposesfor which we need and use language. We need it for the transactions of oureveryday lives. We need it for personal and social relationships. We need itfor reflecting on and understanding our experiences, for responding to theworld about us, and for understanding and sharing the experience andinsights of others. We use it to resolve problems, to make decisions, toexpress attitudes. Part of the skillof the teacher is to show how the varioususes of language illuminate each other: how, for example, the languageresources used in a poem differ from and complement those used in a setof instructions for carrying out a process. Good teaching of English, at anylevel, is far more than the inculcation of skills: it is an education of theintellect and the sensibility.3.3 In infancy, we begin to acquire language because weneed it, both tomake sense of our world and to communicate. The same principle holdsgood throughout and beyond the period of schooling: the most effectiveway of developing language competence is by applying it to an increasingrange and variety of real needs and real purposes, in which something ofgenuine interest is communicated. The teacher's responsibility is to deviseprogrammes of work appropriate to the age and stage of the pupils inwhich such needs and purposes arise.3.4 Schools must ensure that progress in the pupils' learning takes place.This requires schemes of work which deal with aims, objectives andmethods, planning of programmes of work, assessment, recording, andre-adjusted planning in the light of what the assessments show.3.5 The planning of programmes of work and the assessment andrecording of the progress of individual pupils should be continuousthroughout the primary years as pupils pass from class to class. Thisrequires liaison between class teachers under the leadership of the headand/or the language consultant. In secondary schools these responsibilitieslie with the English department.3.6 It is no less essential that there should be adequate curricular liaisonbetween contributing and receiving schools when pupils pass from the


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and experienced by the time they transfer. Records in agreed form whichcontain reasonably full assessmentsof the individual child's progress in allthe language modes should be passed to the receiving school and usedthere as the starting point for further development. The secondary schoolmust in turn ensure that programmes of work are progressive and thatcareful assessment and recording of the pupil's development take place.3.7 Learning about language is necessary as a means to increasing one'sability to use and respond to it; it is not an end in itself. I t should arisefrom the activities of talking, listening, writing and reading for realpurposes; and take the form of encouraging children's curiosity aboutlanguage.3.8 There is much confusion over whether grammar should be explicitlytaught. It has long been recognised that formal exercises in the analysisand classification of language contribute little or nothing to the ability touse it . One consequence of this, however, is that many pupils are taughtnothing at all about how language works as a system, and consequently donot understand the nature of their mistakes or how to put them right. Wesuggest that if some attention is given to the examination and discussion ofthe structure of the language pupils speak, write, read, or listen to for realpurposes, their awareness of its possibilities and pitfalls can be sharpened.In the course of this, it is reasonable that they should learn suchgrammatical terminology as is useful to them for the discussion oflanguage. But what and how much terminology they should be taught atany given stage must depend on how much they can assimilate withunderstanding and apply to purposes they see to be meaningful andinteresting. The least able at using language are the least likely tounderstand the terminology, let alone apply it in any useful way. As theBullock Report3 remarks:

Explicit rules and facts about language ... have direct practical value to apupil when(a) they solve particular problems in the tasks he is engaged on, or(b) he is able to reconstruct for himself the analysis that led to the rule

3.9 Punctuation needs more attention in English teaching than itsometimes receives. It is a systematic aspect of the written language andessential to meaning, for it performs two vital functions. One is thegrammatical function of making clear the relationship between parts ofsentences and of paragraphs. The other is the rhetorical function ofindicating tone, attitude, feeling and emphasis. In speech, both thesefunctions are carried out by such means as pause, pitch, pace, intonationand volume, often accompanied by facial expression and gesture. In thewritten language, accurate punctuation is the necessary substitute forthose resources.


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from the purposeful use of language. An exercise may be a useful way ofhelping a child to reinforce something he has learned through usinglanguage; but it should relate to an identified need.

3.11 Talking, listening, reading and writing should constantly andnaturally interrelate. The time available for teaching English, whetherthroughout the curriculum in a primary school or as a specialist subject ina secondary school, should be so used as to ensure that all four modesoccur in appropriate proportion.3.12 The language children bring with them from their home back-grounds should not be criticised, belittled or proscribed. The aim shouldbe to extend their language repertoires. This should include enabling themto use the grammar and vocabulary of Standard Spoken English when thatis appropriate if they do not already do so.3.13 Accent or pronunciation is a different, though related matter.There is a rich and fascinating variety of English accents related tolocalities and regions not only in the United Kingdom but elsewhere in theworld where English is the native language. Moreover, in any region,there is a range of accents related to social status, education and otherfactors such as vocation. No one form of English accent, however, isinherently superior to any other. What is necessary is that pupils shouldlearn to speak clearly and intelligibly; and if their accent is difficult forthose outside their speech community to understand, they should be ableto modify it when necessary.3.14 Drama, ranging from the role play of infants to improvisation andthe scripting of plays by older pupils, is an important means of extendingthe pupil's language repertoire, his confidence in speech, and hisawareness of how other people speak and behave. It is an essential part oflanguage teaching in primary and secondary schools. If in the secondaryschool there is a separate drama department, its work should be closelyrelated to that in English; if not, drama work should be part of the Englishprogramme.3.15 In both primary and secondary schools, the reading habit should befostered by providing time for 'private reading' , a suitable rangeof books,advice on what to read, and, especially in primary schools, an environmentwhich encourages reading as a pleasurable activity.3.16 The ability to read responsively and critically should be fostered bygroup attention to a range of reading matter. This should include fiction,poetry and plays; but it should also include reading for information andfor the understanding of public affairs.


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writers is to start with what they want or need to say and then to help themto say it more effectively. Few adult writers are satisfied with the firstdrafts they produce: they redraft to ensure that they have said as well aspossible what they mean. The same principle should apply to children'swriting. Constructive discussion of what they have written, of how farthey have succeeded and of how they might do better still is offundamental importance.Whatever the language task, its purpose and requirements should bediscussed with the pupils in advance so that they understand both whatthey are to do and why they are doing it.

Some principles of assessment4.1 It is desirable that assessment of pupils' progress should take twocomplementary forms: continuous assessment of day to day work and, inthe junior and secondary stages, periodic testing.4.2 Periodic testing is a valuable means of assessing progress across aclass or year group and, for the staff concerned, of checking that criteriaand standards of judgement are shared and common. The tests, however,should involve realistic tasks based upon curricular objectives. The rangeof tests developed for the Assessment of Performance Unit's (APU)language programme, and described in their primary and secondarylanguage surveys4 and other documents, affords valuable models becausethey are based on the range of language activities which occur in goodpractice in schools, and, indeed, particularly in the case of oracy, point toways in which practice may be improved. Although these tests weredevised for purposes of national sampling, the principles and techniquesinvolved could be adapted for the purpose of schools; and we commendthem to the attention of teachers.4.3 However, periodic tests are inevitably limited in scope: they cannotassess performance in all the activities that occur in the teaching andlearning of English; and there is inevitably some degree of artificialityabout them since they are in the nature of special occasions.4.4 It is essential, therefore, that in the day to day work of teachingEnglish the progress of pupils towards attaining the defined objectivesshould be continuously and methodically assessed. The following princi-ples of assessment are offered as guidelines for this process.4.5 Any piece of language production or reception involves a complex of


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arrive at a precise objective measurement of success in a piece of Englishwork; attempts to do so usually concentrate on obvious surface featuresand ignore more important and complex elements. Assessment of work inEnglish is not a matter of precise measurement, or, usually, of simplymarking things as right or wrong. It is a matter of the application ofjudgement, based on experience and knowledge of what to look for and anawareness of the whole as well as the parts. It is subjective; but subjectivejudgements based on professional knowledge and experience and clearlystated criteria are far preferable to the spurious objectivity of assessing thefew aspects of English work that can be mechanically marked and ignoringthe far more important ones that cannot. It is impressionistic - but goodimpression marking involves awareness of the elements that contribute tothe success of an utterance or a response. This principle holds good forassessment in all language modes - the spoken word, reading andwriting.4.6 Moreover, language is always about something. It follows thatassessment is not merely of a pupil's success in operating the 'skills' oflanguage; it is inevitably and properly concerned with the quality ofwhatis said - with the depth, validity and perspicacity of the writer's orspeaker's thoughts, with the logic of their development, with the aptnessand truth of his or her perceptions and the sincerity of his or her feelings.In teaching English we are teaching pupils to think clearly, to be selfaware, and to be responsive to their experience of the world of people andthings about them. We must therefore assess their progress as peopleusing language for the purposes necessary to people, not as mere languageoperators.4.7 The assessment of a particular piece of work should relate to thepurposes it was meant to achieve. For example, writing a set ofinstructions demands different skills from writing a story. The teacherneeds to decide what the requirements of the task are, and to assess howfar they have been met.4.8 Assessment should establish and make clear to the pupil what hasbeen successfully achieved, as well as what has not been. It is all too easyto notice obvious errors such as spelling mistakes, and fail to notice thatthe sentence in which they occur is otherwise successful in conveying athought in apt vocabulary and well handled syntax.4.9 When pupils are unsuccessful, and particularly when they makerecurring mistakes, the nature of their difficulties needs to be identifiedsothat corrective action can be taken. General instructions suchas "Improveyour punctuation" are useless; the pupil needs to have a clear indicationofwhat is wrong in order to put it right.


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Assessing performance: suggestions - Continuedthe pupil's work over a period of time, such as a term. It is then possible tosee in what ways progress has been made and in what ways it has not,which enables future work to be planned.4.11 Assessment must be followed up, so that it leads to improvement.Strengths should be built on by being applied to more demanding tasks.Weaknesses must not be allowed to persist: the pupil should be shownhow to do better and should be expected to do so.4.12 The following suggestions may be useful in considering performance in the different language modes.The spoken word Whatever the task, the main criterion for assessing pupil's competencein speaking is the communicative effectiveness of what they have said.Different tasks make different demands. What needs to be assessed,therefore, is the pupil's success in achieving the purposes for which he orshe is speaking. This is best done by impression marking based uponawareness of the elements involved in effective use of and response to thespoken word. It must be recognised that spoken language differs in significant waysfrom written language. Even a prepared and scripted speech has to takeaccount of the fact that listeners cannot refer back as readers can, and thatwhat is said must consequently be less compressed than it could be inwritten form; that the syntax must be less complex; and that repetitionand recapitulation will be necessary to get points across. In the much moreusual situation of dialogue, the speaker must constantly monitor theresponse of the listener and adjust to it. This can involve repetition,rephrasing, deliberate hesitation to allow time for response: such speech ismore like thinking aloud than the 'finished product' of a piece of writing.The listener, too, adopts different strategies from the reader. The listenermay ask questions; may prompt reformulation by indicating, in words orby facial expression, that he or she has not fully understood or acceptedwhat is said. Probably the easiest aspect of assessing pupils' listening is theirresponse to some exposition, explanation or set of instructions given bythe teacher or another pupil. They can be asked questions which revealtheir understanding: these should not be limited to those requiring brieffactual answers, but should include questions requiring pupils to respondin their own words at some length. But, also, questions from the pupilsshould be invited; and these will reveal how far they have understood andassimilated what has been said. I f the exposition has been in preparation


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More complex, however, is assessing performance when the pupil is aparticipant as both listener and speaker in a discussion. What needs to benoted in assessing performance in his listening role is:Whether he listens with attention and patience to other speakers, oris simply waiting his turn to speak. What he says when he does speakwill probably reveal thisWhether his demeanour encourages the speaker, ie does he lookresponsive, inattentive, or impatient?Whether his own contributions take account of what others havesaid, whether by agreement, disagreement, requests for furtherinformation or explanation, pertinent questions, or developing andtaking further the ideas he has heard; and whether they are relevantWhether he responds courteously, reasonably and, if necessary,tactfully

In assessing pupils' utterances, the elements to be borne in mind are:audibility and intelligibilitythe relevance and cogency of what is saidthe appropriateness of the organisation and sequential structure ofwhat is saidthe appropriateness of the choice of wordsthe clarity and coherence of the syntax and its appropriateness to theneeds of the listenerfluencyawareness of the listener and sensitivity to whether he or she is"getting the message"use of the register (style) of language appropriate to the situation andthe relationship between speaker and listenerappropriateness of tone, intonation, use of pause, emphasis, tempoetcuse of non-verbal features (gesture, posture, eye contact, facialexpression)confidence and conviction

Reading 'Reading' is a simple word for activities ranging from the decoding ofprint to critical appreciation. Whatever the level, however, it must involvethe understanding of meaning: simply voicing words is not reading. Aswas said in Language performance in schools. Primary survey report No. 14,


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Assessing performance: suggestions - Continuedrecognise this and to assess the reader's full response, not just, forexample, his understanding of individual words or phrases. Thus,assessment of reading is also a matter of impression marking. There are several ways by which reading, after the earliest stages, canbe assessed, which may be used separately or in combination, ie:

By asking pupils to read passages aloud, having given them time toread them silently and consider them. This is not the same as thekind of "hearing children read" which simply checks whether theyrecognise and voice the individual words on the page. The purpose isto determine from their expression of what they read how far theyhave understood and responded to it. This form of assessment canencompass at one extreme the 6 year old making sense of a simplesequence of sentences and at the other the 16 year old interpretingwith his or her voice the nuances of demanding works of literatureBy asking questions, to be answered orally or in writing. Questionsshould not be limited to localised features of the text, but shouldrequire understanding of and response to extensive passages or thewhole text. They should not be confined to literal understanding,but should direct attention to the writer's purposes and the range ofways by which these are achievedBy setting written work in which the pupil writes about what is readBy written or oral tasks which involve pupils in reproducing themeaning of the original in a different formBy tasks which involve selecting and re-ordering information fromone or more pieces of reading matter

The abilities to be looked for through such tasks are indicated in thelists of reading objectives in paragraphs 2.4, 2.6 and 2.8 above. What wewish to stress here is that, once fluency is achieved, assessment should bebased on what pupils are actively reading for real interest and realpurposes, rather than on exercise material. It is all too common to findthat the progress of primary pupils is assessed by how far they have gotthrough a graded reading scheme, rather than by their understanding ofand interest in material read for a purpose, for curiosity or because it isenjoyable. It is all too common to find that the reading of junior andsecondary pupils is assessed in terms of their ability to perform'comprehension exercises' on out-of-context passages in text books or onwork cards, rather than on their response to, say, the class reader, tonewspaper and magazine articles, or to informational material, such asbrochures, of the kind that they do or will need to use. Finally, where a pupil is found to have difficulties with reading, it is


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Writing In the early stages, children's written language has a close affinity withtheir spoken language. As they progress, however, they should developcontrol of written modes appropriate to an increasing range of purposes.As with the spoken word, the main criterion for assessing writing iswhether or how far it achieves its purpose. Different purposes requiredifferent styles and make different demands on the writer's competence.For example, reporting a series of events demands less complexgrammatical structures than deploying an argument; ana writing abusiness letter requires greater conciseness than writing a story. However, as is said in the APU's second report on languageperformance in secondary schools: 5

The ability to write, although dependent on separable skills, consists notmerely of the mastering of techniques (such as spelling, sentence division orpunctuation), but of their incorporation into a complex of cognitive and socialabilities. Because writing is not simply a hierarchy of skills, but one of themeans by which we make sense of the world and communicate it to others, theassessment of children's writing needs to go beyond a consideration of basicskills; the ability to organise thought, to control the expression of feeling or tosustain a viewpoint for a particular readership are aspects of writing whichassessment cannot afford to overlook.

The best form of assessment of writing, therefore, is impressionmarking, which assesses a script as a whole communication, not as asummation of discrete performances in a set of skills. But impressionmarking can sometimes be unduly influenced by obvious characteristicssuch as poor spelling and weight these disproportionately to the qualitiesof the composition as a whole. Therefore, the teacher needs to have in mind what the main elementsof writing are, both so that the overall assessment will be a balanced oneand so that particular strengths or weaknesses in what has been writtencan be identified and discussed with the pupil. We distinguish thefollowing elements:

Content: the nature and quality of what thepupil says and its approprietness andrelevance to the task.Organisation: the ordering and sequencing of what issaid, and its suitability for the task.Appropriateness and style: the choice of vocabulary and sentencestructure suitable to the kind of task

being done and the intended readership.Grammar: the relation of words to each other in


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Assessing performance: suggestions - Continued

5

ing in a non-standard form for aspecific purpose).Punctuation: which supplements grammar in determining the relationship of words,phrases, clauses and sentences.Spelling: which is certainly a matter of convention, but not therefore to be regardedas unimportant, since inaccurate spelling can obscure meaning.

Consideration of these elements must, of course, be related to the stageof development of the pupil. But whatever the age and stage of the pupil itmust also be related to the nature of what is being written. The point ismost clearly exemplified in imaginative writing, particularly but not onlypoetry, where grammar may be, as it were, bent to achieve particulareffects and punctuation may be omitted to produce, quite deliberately, thepossibility of alternative relationships between ideas. Creative uses oflanguage may sometimes reject accepted usage and forge their owndisciplines, and it is legitimate and desirable for young writers toexperiment in such ways. But such liberties with language need to beaccompanied by clear awareness of how and why accepted usage is beingrejected and of what is needed in more utilitarian communications.

ConclusionThis paper has been, of necessity and by design, brief andunelaborated. I t has put forward suggestions and assertions which in alonger document would be the outcome of extended exposition. It ishoped, however, that it will at least provide a framework for generalagreement about the aims, objectives and general principles of Englishteaching - or an incitement to others to provide a better framework. Forpresent practice in the teaching of English in our schools varies greatly,and such agreement is urgently needed.


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References'A language for life. Report of the Committee of Inquiry appointed bythe Secretary of State for Education and Science under the Chairmanship of Sir Alan [now Lord] Bullock FBA. HMSO 1975. Para 1.lO2 Ibid. Para 1.lO

3 Ibid. Para 11.14 Assessment of Performance Unit reports:-

a. Language performance in schools. Primary survey report No.1. HMSO,1 9 ~ 1 . b. Language performance in schools. Primary survey report No.2. HMSO,1982.c. Language performance in schools. Secondary survey report No. J.HMSO,1982.d. Language performance In schools. Secondary survey report No.2 .HMSO,1983.e. Language performance in schools. 1982 primary survey report. DES,1984.

5 Para 4.14 of reference 3d, above.


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Englishfrom5toI6:the responses


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ENGLISH FROM 5 TO 16: THE RESPONSES

emerged were fears about centralisation and the professional integrity andindependence of teachers and comments about a 'lack of realism' which waswidely felt to characterise both the nature and the demands of the objectives.4. The main sections of the document evoked differing responses. Broadly,there was a good deal of approval for the aims, principles and assessmentsections, though with regard to assessment there was clear professionaldissent from the notion of periodic testing which was viewed as timeconsuming and as an externally imposed process. The character of thiscautious support can be gauged in several ways, not least by noting thatmany responses (wrongly) suggested two hands to have been at work in thedocument-one writing those sections they liked and another those whichthey disliked.5. Responses from the public, category (f), and from institutions whichwere not directly representative of teachers, were often at variance withthose from the profession. Seventy-four per cent of the letters from thepublic were unreserved in their approval of the paper, but it was clear alsothat some 20% of these respondents were reacting to a specific report in onedaily newspaper and not to the document itself; indeed only 11% of theletters in category (f) dealt with each of the document's sections. Many ofthese particular respondents wrote as if declining standards in English were aproven fact and they called for rigorous and prescriptive teaching on pointsof usage, many of which are themselves matters of dispute. From industryand the world of work there were disappointingly few responses and theyvaried in emphasis according to the specific activities of particularindustries. In general, they evinced a concern with writing, chiefly spellingand punctuation, and some urged schools to pay greater attention to letterwriting. Others, taking a broader view, suggested expansions of theobjectives in ways which stressed the active and responsive use of languageby young people. Thus, among the suggestions of the Institute of PersonnelManagement were such additions to the objectives as:

"Listening: listen to dialogue or conversation in order to be able to contribute tothe development of argument. . . About language: be aware that language is aliving entity: it grows and develops. New usages are constantly beingintroduced. . . "It is clear that much mutual benefit might derive from a dialogue betweenindustry and the teaching profession. Crucial to such an exchange would be adiscussion of the roles of education and training and the differences betweenthem, of the perspectives they share about the development needs of youngpeople and how schools might be assisted to develop more work which hasthe "real or realistic purposes" for language activity recommended inEnglish from 5 to 16.


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THE RESPONSES IN OUTLINE

was widely reported in the daily press in articles which were lively, variouslyinformed, partial, superficial and mischievous in their representation of itscontents. The press in general displayed an eagerness to use the document tocriticise teachers and the standards achieved by pupils and there was muchrosy sentiment about the past. The headlines in particular were unhelpful;they concentrated upon the issue of 'knowledge about language' which theyreduced to 'grammar', and dubbed the recommendations as a call for therestoration of practices which were clearly and specifically criticised in thedocument itself.

"GOOD ENGLISH TO MAKE A COMEBACKBack to basics in schools. Schools are being urged to go back to basics byreintroducing traditional lessons on grammar, spelling and punctuation.This controversial call is made in a report released yesterday by theGovernment's inspectors of schools. Its aim is to tighten up on sloppy thinkingand writing among children of all ages... (Daily Express 3.10.1984)"SCHOOL INSPECTORS SEEK OLD-STYLE READING AND WRITINGThe teaching of two of the three Rs-reading and writing-will revert to the bestof tried and true principles of 30 years ago if recommendations by theGovernment's school inspectors are adopted.They want children to receive more teaching of the rudiments of grammar,punctuation and spelling, how to speak and express themselves properly. . . "(Daily Telegraph 3.10.84)

There were many similar headlines and the small team which read theresponses formed an impression that such press reactions may have hardenedteachers' criticisms; responses which arrived several months after the pressreports were often more circumspect about the document in general and thelanguage issue in particular than were those which followed hard upon them.

7. In brief there was wide welcome for the publication of a document onthe English curriculum, though different groups welcomed the paper foroften contrasting reasons, with varying degrees of warmth and withemphasis upon the relative merits of quite different items. The objectiveshowever evoked widespread disfavour, especially from the profession, andthose which related to the fourth aim ('knowledge about language'), werestrongly criticised. The responses also focussed on a number of specificmatters raised in the original document upon which further discussion orclarification is called for. In the second part of the present paper, the broadareas of agreement and disagreement will be explored further; in the third


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I I

of the specific issues raised by respondents will be dealt with. The paper willconclude by highlighting and summarising those central matters which theresponses have shown to be important for those with responsibility for theshaping of future policy with regard to the teaching of English in our schools.

Degrees of accord8. The respondents were drawn from a wide variety of backgrounds andinterests: even the majority group, the teachers, represented both differingphases of education and contrasting experiences and philosophies. Fromtheir varied viewpoints, however, respondents found much in the introductory discussion of aims upon which they were in broad accord with what hadbeen suggested in the paper. Specifically, the clear recognition of thecomplexity and the responsibility of the English teacher's role was warmlyendorsed (paragraph 1.4), as was the firm reiteration of the key principle ofthe inter-relatedness of the four language modes (talking, listening, readingand writing) and the clear statement that "the promotion of [their]interaction should be a basic principle of the teaching of English" (1.6). Themodel of developing competence in English as growing to match anexpanding range of language uses (1.5) was also generally accepted. Thefirst three aims (1.6) were also generally endorsed, though not alwayswithout qualification (see below).9. There was a measure of division about the title of the document andwhat it was taken to imply. Some regretted that 'English', as distinct from'language', was the specific point of focus and asked if this signalled the endof attention to the pupil's development in 'language across the curriculum'.Others, taking a directly opposite view, welcomed the focus on Englishurging that responsibilities in this subject were already quite large enough.The first group may be answered by noting that Curriculum Matters No.2,which discusses the curriculum as a whole, refers to more general languagematters, but that it is the intention of the other volumes to focus aims andobjectives for the individual subjects and aspects which make up that whole.10. The fourth aim, as predicted, prompted a good deal of disagreementand division; it will be discussed in paragraphs 37 to 39 below. There wasalso some unease about what was felt to be the infusion of a narrowlyfunctional view of language in the statements of objectives; this will also bediscussed below in Part IV. Some teachers in urban primary schoolschallenged the statement that "before starting school most children alreadyhave considerable experience in and command of at least spoken English . . . " They seldom cited the obvious example of pupils for whomEnglish is not the home language, but referred instead to widespreaddisadvantage among indigenous children, which they felt had been under


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DEGREES OF ACCORD

11. The arguments concerning objectives will have a separate section oftheir own, Part III. Many respondents from schools, local authorities andhigher education, however, made points concerning the tone, layout andlocation of the objectives. They regarded them as being given greaterprominence than the more important section on principles and in their'peremptory' tone, and in many points of detail, they viewed them asinconsistent with the points of principle which they applauded. Manyreaders read messages in the positioning of objectives before principles and intheir checklist layout. They saw this as a down-grading of principles and aspart of a headlong rush to effect change at the surface, with little regard forthe 'deeper structure' of English teaching.12. For most of Section 3, on principles, there was clear support. Thatthere was substantial accord and that it represents an important development which holds promise for the further progress of pupils in schools is wellworth recording. And it is all the more important to do so given the naturaltendency of many of the respondents to discuss only briefly the points theyagreed with and to handle at greater length and in detail those which madethem either anxious or angry. Among the specific points from Section 2which were strongly and widely commended at meetings of teachers aroundthe country were the following:i. the clear understanding that: "the most effective way of developinglanguage competence is by applying it to an increasing range and variety ofreal needs and purposes, in which something of genuine interest iscommunicated" and that it is "the teacher's responsibility to deviseprogrammes of work . . . in which such needs and purposes arise". (3.3)ii. the firm assertion of the importance and complexity of the teacher'srole: "Good teaching of English, at any level is far more than the inculcationof skills." (3.2)111. the strong support for drama as: "an essential part oflanguage teachingin primary and secondary schools". (3.14)iv. the clearly stated understanding that: "Language exercises from textbooks or work cards are not effective means of initiating the learning oflanguage skills." (3.10)v. the unambiguous endorsement of the longstanding recognition that:"formal exercises in the analysis and classification of language contributelittle or nothing to the ability to use it." (3.8)vi. and that: "The least able at using language are the least likely tounderstand the terminology . . ." (3.8)Similarly, there was particularly strong support for the document's emphasisupon the importance of drafting in the writing process; it is not widely


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NGLISH FROM 5 TO 16: THE RESPONSES

13. The brief discussion of the use of drama to assist learning was givengeneral welcome and support. Drama specialists underlined the endorsementof their subject as "an essential part of language teaching in primary andsecondary schools". Several other respondents regretted its brevity and anumber urged an emphasis on the place of drama as a subject in its own rightin the curriculum, in addition to its use in mediating other learning. Aseparate and more detailed discussion of drama may appear in theCurriculum Matters series in due course.14. Section 4, on assessment, also prompted a largely favourable responseand was widely regarded as helpful and humane. Two items in particularwere strongly commended:

" . . . few aspects of English . . . can be mechanically marked. It is impressionistic-but good impression marking involves awareness of the elements thatcontribute to the success of an utterance or response. This principle holds goodfor assessment in all language modes . . ." (4.5). . . "assessment is not merely of a pupil's success in operating the 'skills' oflanguage; it is inevitably and properly concerned with the quality of what issaid . . . We must therefore assess (pupils') progress as people using language forthe purposes necessary to people, not as mere language operators." (4.6)

These, along with additional emphasis on seeking positive achievement (4.8)in pupils' work, were felt to hold important implications for teachers andexaminers, especially with the inception of the General Certificate ofSecondary Education (GCSE).15. The suggestion of periodic testing was very widely rejected. Anexternally imposed national monitoring apparatus which used simplisticobjective tests was envisaged and deeply distrusted. The apprehension wasthat such tests would inevitably determine the curriculum and in a narrowand mechanistic fashion. Disappointingly, few respondents appeared to beaware of the work of the Assessment of Performance Unit (APU)1 referredto, which in no sense matches the feared models. Nor was it seen thatperiodic tests might be of a school's own devising and planned both to assistthe assessment of individual progress and measure the effectiveness of theschool's curriculum and delivery.16. There were few other detailed or general comments on assessment,except for the warning that non-verbal features (gesture, posture, eyecontact, facial expression) in relation to the spoken word differ according toculture and may need great sensitivity. There was also the observation thatassessment in the spoken word, especially across the wide range of aspectsset out, would be a new experience for most teachers who would, therefore,require specific training.17. The brevity of English from 5 to 16, mentioned in its conclusion,I Details of APU's work and publications are available from APU, Room 4177A, Elizabeth


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THE OBJECTIVES

prompted many comments about matters of emphasis and omission. Severalof these receive attention in Part IV of the present paper, but one of thecommonest does not. The detailed discussion of methodology is beyond thescope of the Curriculum Matters series of essentially short papers, thoughthis does not preclude its discussion in other HMI publications.

III The objectives18. The bulk of comments on the objectives were strongly expressed andeither critical or anxious. Several clear strands could be discerned:1. some were opposed to statements of objectives in any form;ii. many were fearful of centralisation and saw this as being associated withthe listed objectives;l l l . many viewed the objectives in the document as prescriptive and asnarrowly drawn and functional in character (and also as potentiallydangerous in their curricular consequences or in the hands of those outsidethe teaching profession);iv. there was a widely expressed feeling that there were too manyobjectives;v. allied to (iv) was a particularly well-argued case that the objectives weretoo heterogeneous in character, that they embraced matters of widelydiffering orders of importance and that the assertion that among theobjectives "none has primacy" was indefensible;vi. above all, there was a clear belief among the great majority ofrespondents that the objectives were age-related targets for attainment by'most' pupils. Within this very large group, all but a handful viewed theobjectives as too inflexible and demanding to be applied to most pupils.Many also argued that the very process of attempting to define age-relatedtargets for attainment was an unsafe exercise in view ofwhat is known aboutlanguage development. During the rest of this paper each of these points willbe addressed either directly or indirectly.19. Those who opposed objectives in any form were a very small minority,but many others urged the much greater importance of the matters ofprinciple and practice which they had welcomed. Still in a minority, butechoing the fears of a wider group who had expressed anxieties about a thrusttowards centralisation, were those who were opposed to any model ofobjectives emerging from HMI or the DES. These wider anxieties oftenderived from a fear that the interests of pupils would be prejudiced by whatthey saw as a diminution of the teachers' exercise of professional judgementon curriculum matters. Others welcomed the offering of objectives as beingof assistance in shaping their own curricula. Together, the responses rangedfrom the sharply hostile to the adulatory, but the majority were critical or


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20. The great majority of readers responding to such phrasing in the text as'most pupils should be able to' saw the objectives as standards of attainmentwhich most children should be able to reach by the ages specified. Therewere two main strands of reaction to this: most said vigorously that theywere too demanding and referred both to the widely varying rates ofdevelopment of individual pupils and to the greatly differing circumstanceswhich can affect the language performance both of individual children andof whole school intakes. Others, taking this view a step further and referringto A language for life and the detailed investigations upon which it was based,concluded, with Bullock, that:

. . . "i t is certainly unrealistic to attempt to tie particular competences to givenage-points," (paragraph 11.22, p. 172, A language for life HMSO, 1975).They believed that this was what had been attempted and that, as shouldhave been anticipated, the attempt had foundered. What such responsesmake clear is the need for a better shared understanding of the meaning andtolerances of objectives for individual subjects. There are important mattershere which will be explored further below:i. the age-related character of objectives which is common to theCurriculum Matters series as a whole;ii. the dual nature of the objectives in English from 5 to 16 (ie as includingkinds of language experience and expectations);111. the degrees of specificity with which expectations may be discussed atdifferent levels in the education system.21. There is force in many of these criticisms and it is plain that what wasbeing sought in the discussion of objectives was often misunderstood. It isaccepted that the original paper did not set out its concerns in this regardsufficiently clearly.22. The age-related nature of the objectives is a characteristic of theCurriculum Matters series as a whole; the age-points suggested encompassthe years of compulsory schooling and are those at which most, but not all,children might expect to change school. I t is hard for those involved ineducation to argue on grounds of principle against an attempt to define inbroad terms, what might be achieved by pupils at key points in theireducation. However, it is clear that though the arguments advanced inparagraph 20 are powerful they are answerable if the dual nature of theoriginal objectives is acknowledged and adjustments made accordingly. Theobjectives of English from 5 to 16 embraced kinds of language experiencewhich pupils might be expected to have been given by common age pointsand expectations with regard to performance. The arguments of respondentssuggested that more common ground might be achieved by a threefold


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THE OBJECTIVES

number and broadened in character; objectives for experience could besharply separated from objectives with regard to expectations; expectationsmight be redrawn in more general terms to accommodate the great diversityof children's abilities and rates of progress, as emphasised by respondents,while still providing teachers with indicators as to progression. Illustrationsof a process of revision which could be more fully carried out on these linesare offered in the Appendix.23. A reduction in the numbers and a widening of the objectives as notedabove would accord well with the intention of seeking "broadly agreedobjectives" which need "not mean that the curricular policies of theSecretary of State, the LEA and the school should relate to each other in anationally uniform way". I t would also accommodate "healthy diversity"and leave room for "liveliness and innovation" (Better schools HMSO, 1985,paragraph 37-this White Paper appeared after the publication of Englishfrom 5 to 16). I t would be particularly appropriate with reference to thekinds of language experience which children should be offered and wouldalso answer some of the other criticisms offered by respondents (seeparagraph 25 below). Such a re-casting in more general terms could bothprovide guidelines for and accommodate diversity of practice.24. It will now be clear that it was the objectives relating to expectations ofperformance which prompted the strongest dissent. The criticisms were bothpractical (especially of the objectives failing to match teachers' experiencesof all but the very ablest pupils), and theoretical, not only with reference toBullock (paragraph 20 above), but to the concept of the task-specific natureof performance emphasised by the APU. This suggests that the way aparticular task is set is a significant determinant of a pupil's response; itweakens the force of generalisations about language performance which canbe made in isolation from responses to known tasks. However, these are notarguments against the attempt to discuss expectations; rather they reinforcethe twofold need for a clear understanding of the limited tolerances of thegeneralisations that can be made and of the roles of the different partners ineducation of the nation's children. Thus, although the expectations of pupilswhich can be set out in a national document can certainly be founded uponsuggestions for broad categories of language experiences which most pupilsshould have been offered by certain ages, they must allow for a range ofperformance if they are to recognise the diversity of ability and rates ofdevelopment which obtain among children. Within the broad brackets whichcan be offered in this way, however, schools and teachers, familiar with theirintakes and with particular pupils, can and should be much more specificabout expectations and differentiate tasks accordingly. The model fordrawing up revised objectives for English which is illustrated in theAppendix and which has been assisted by the responses makes two furtherassumptions: that it is possible for the profession to agree the broadcategories of language experience which should be offered to pupils and that


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IV

points in mind, the discussion of expectations is possible in one way atnational level while at school level it can and should be finely tuned toaccommodate particular classes and indeed pupils. This is not to suggest thatsuch documents as those of the Curriculum Matters series, or theirsuccessors, either could or should take over the curriculum planning roles orresponsibilities of schools or English departments; they are frameworks ofthinking to assist schools in that essential and necessarily unending processof defining and clarifying their intentions for their pupils and in doing sofrom a common starting point.25. The arguments made against the view that all objectives were equallyimportant were convincing, the following being a particularly forcefulexample:"The worst feature of these miscellaneous objectives is that they lump together a few essentialaims . . . with many desirable but comparatively minor skills . . . Some of the objectives aremajor aims that will underline the whole of a pupil's school career, others will only beintroduced briefly at a particular moment; some are only slightly dependent on the teacher,others heavily so" (Response by Dr Robert Protherough of the University of Hull, printed inThe Gadfly 1985.)This is accepted, but endless and sterile debate about the placing ofindividual items must be avoided. Moreover, most of the criticisms made byDr Protherough could be eliminated or substantially minimised by revisedobjectives of the kind suggested above and illustrated in the Appendix. It isin the spirit both of the document and of the series as a whole to inviteteachers and others to establish their own hierarchies. They might also wishto make additions and substitutions-again, this would accord well with thespirit in which the list was offered.

Matters arising26. Distinct from the broad trends handled in the previous sections,respondents raised a number of important specific issues to which attentionshould be drawn. Some represented polarities of viewpoint, while othersraised matters upon which the further comment which follows may suggestgreater accord.Narrow functionalism27. Many readers felt that both the objectives and the document as a wholewere narrowly functional. At least in part, such perceptions may lie in whatis brought to the reading of a text-by fears, special interests or misleadingpress publicity. Certainly, the purposeful uses of language received strong


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MATTERS ARISING

themselves, they remain insufficiently explored in the generality of practice:a wide range of language tasks which acknowledges purpose, readership oraudience and in which pupils are helped to make appropriate responses is notyet characteristic of most classrooms. A balanced curriculum includes allthese aspects and is in no sense incompatible with literature, the aesthetic orthe affective. To achieve better balance will make new demands of manyteachers. The answer does not lie in finding room at the expense of literatureor other work designed to promote personal growth (of which it might forma part) but in an overall re-appraisal of what is done-in short of aims andobjectives. And such an appraisal should include a closer scrutiny, at schoollevel, of the specific language diet offered to pupils and in particular of theplace accorded to drills and to course book exercises, and their actual, asdistinct from supposed, effectiveness.

Standard English28. A number of critics, chiefly from urban areas, suggested that the paperhad paid only lip service to non-standard forms of written and spokenEnglish by talking of "not belittling or proscribing" the language childrenbring from their homes (3.12) instead of openly welcoming language variety.Others, with similar views, suggested that the paper had overvalued standardforms and still others suggested that this was to the particular disadvantageof children from families of Caribbean origin. Another group took exceptionto the phrase "Standard Spoken English" holding that it was a term notrecognised in linguistics, that it implied an unwelcome imposition of middleclass' forms and aspirations upon the majority and that it was in any caseunrealistic.29. The term 'Standard Spoken English' was used in an attempt todistinguish between written and spoken forms. Some linguists will, no doubt,wish to continue a debate concerning its necessity, but the paper made itclear (3.13) that 'accent' or pronunciation was not an aspect of the concept.What is left is the grammar and vocabulary of Standard English-exactlythose features of the language which, irrespective of a specific accent orpronunciation, characterise the wide range of formal and semi-formal usesfor which it is employed in so many countries around the world. What isreassuring is the finding of the 1982 APU secondary survey of languageperformance in schools' which discovered that "all of the pupils in this oracysurvey were able to adopt standard usage and a widely intelligible accent in asituation which they interpreted as requiring them to do so" (page 19-ouritalics). This is precisely what was sought in English from 5 to 16 andsubstantially rebuts the claims of those critics who suggested that the paperwas being unrealistic and over-demanding in this regard. I t will be noticedthat neither the APU quotation nor the discussion paper either mentioned orurged the use of Received Pronunciation (RP) and there is no intention of


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30. "Standard English dialect (remember we are referring to patterns of grammarand vocabulary but not to pronunciation) has no local base. On the contrary it isaccepted throughout the English-using world. And it is spoken with any accent.Consequently it is the only dialect which is neither localised in its currency norpaired solely with its local accent . . . There are remarkably few variations ingrammar in Standard English, whether the writer comes from Britain or Ghanaor Canada or Hong Kong or India or the United States. There are a number ofvariations in vocabulary . . . but they are quickly learned and rarely cause morethan momentary hesitations in comprehension." (Peter Strevens: 'Standards andthe Standard Language' in English Today Vol. 2 April 1985).

In its extraordinary currency, its homogeneous form and in the wide range ofuses for which it is employed, lies the importance of the Standard Englishdialect, and there can be no doubt that ease and familiarity in using andresponding to it must be central to the work of all English teachers. In anEnglish speaking country to deprive pupils of such ease and familiarity withstandard spoken and writ ten forms is to deny some of their rights as citizens.This is not to say that non-standard forms are inherently inferior, or limitedin their capacity to convey meaning; in some respects indeed they may be'superior'-it has long been recognised that non-standard dialects canembrace some kinds of activity and feeling with a force which may be lackingin standard forms and usages. A well-devised language education willrecognise these aspects of standard and non-standard. It will also recognisethe importance of repertoire. Confidence and encouragement lie at the coreof a child's language development in school and for many pupils the mosteffective route toward a grasp of standard forms may well be through thenon-standard. This is to reinforce long-standing educational principlesconcerning the development of competence and understanding by workingfrom the familiar to the less familiar.The spoken word31. Many readers perceived in English from 5 to 16 what they regarded as astrengthened emphasis upon the importance of the spoken word. I t was apoint they welcomed and about which there were few, if any, dissentingvoices. This consensus is a matter of the greatest importance and should beborne in mind when matters of reservation are dealt with below. Despite thewelcome for the paper's discussion of the spoken word, the responses seldomadded suggestions for its development and some noted that it was an areaupon which teachers would need assistance. The in-service trammgimplications of making widespread advances in this respect may beconsiderable.32. There were however three strands of criticism.i. I t was widely suggested that the 'standards' implied by the spoken word

Documents

English from 5 - 16: Curriculum Matters 1: An HMI Series - Second Edition (Incorporating Responses)