MINISTRY OF EDUCATION SCIENCE AND SPORTSRepublic of GhanaTEACHING SYLLABUS FOR ENGLISH LANGUAGE(SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 1-4)Enquiries and comments on this syllabus should be addressed to:The DirectorCurriculum Research and Development Division (CRDD)P. O. Box 2739AccraGhana.September, 2007 TEACHING SYLLABUS FOR ENGLISH (SHS)RATIONALE FOR TEACHING ENGLISHLanguage is a key issue in our existence. It is the very essence of our humanity and an important as well as effective tool for socialization. As individuals or members of a social group, our ability to function effectively and efficiently in almost all spheres of life depends fundamentally on our language skills. In Ghana, English is used as the official language and medium of instruction in our schools from upper primary school level to all higher levels. The need to study English is, therefore, crucial for students as well as all sectors of the population since it is the principal medium for teaching and learning, for official work and for international communication. The Senior High School is the second level of education in Ghana. At this stage, students would have been introduced to the basic language skills such as listening, speaking, reading and writing. These skills must be improved considerably to give students the confidence as they communicate in the language. Another issue worthy of note at the Senior High School level is that students will begin to study some essential rules of language use.GENERAL AIMSThe general aims of teaching English as a subject at the Senior High School level are to:1.reinforce language skills and competencies acquired at the Junior High School level.2.develop further the language skills and competencies which were acquired at the Junior High School level.3.improve the communicative competence of students and give them the confidence to communicate.4.generate in students the love for reading for pleasure and the development of creative potentials.5.raise students level of proficiency in English usage and their ability to communicate with other users of English.6.prepare students to function effectively on their owna. in offices and other work situationsb. in tertiary institutions7.develop in students human values for life.8.enable all Senior High School products to deal effectively with the accumulated knowledge of their chosen fields and be able to communicate such knowledge through the speaking and writing of English.SCOPE OF CONTENTThe study of English at this level comprises Language and Literature. The Language component is an integration of both the receptive and productive skills in English. Emphasis is laid on Speechwork, Grammar, Reading for Comprehension and Summary and Composition Writing. The Literature Component, on the other hand, introduces students to oral literature and written literature. Students are exposed to the appreciation of literature using various types of literary techniques and devices studied. PRE-REQUISITE SKILLSThe English course builds on knowledge and skills already acquired at the Basic Education level. Being a core subject, English is to be studied by all students irrespective of their other programmes of study.ORGANIZATION OF THE SYLLABUSThe syllabus is structured to cover four (4) years of Senior High School. Each years work has been divided into sections with each section containing a number of units. The section and unit topics for the four years course areas are as follow:ORGANISATION AND STRUCTURE OF THE SYLLABUSYEAR 1YEAR 2YEAR 3YEAR 4SECTION 1: LISTENING AND SPEAKING (Pg. 1-7) Unit 1: Vowel Segments of English - pure vowels - diphthongs (Pg. 1-2) Unit 2: Vowels Segments - Details and contrasts (Pg. 3) Unit 3: Consonant Segments - the plosives- the affricates- the fricatives- the nasals- the laterals - the semi-vowels (p 4 5)- Trill (Pg. 4 6 )Unit 4: Consonant clusters (Pg. 6) syllable Initial syllable final the genitive the S genitive the of genitive Unit 5: Mono and Di-syllabic words (Pg.6)Unit 6: Intonation Tune 1 and Tune 2 (Pg. 6) SECTION 1: LISTENING AND SPEAKING (p.39 47)Unit 1: Vowels (Review) (Pg. 39) Unit 2: Consonant Review (Pg. 39-41)Unit 3: Syllabic Consonants (Pg. 42) Unit 4: Phonologically Conditioned Endings ed t, d, id/ s/es s, z, iz (Pg. 43) Unit 5