ELZ: English

Holiday Support
Summer 2019

Extension​
Year 10 Punctuation Revision
Year 10 Punctuation Quiz
Year 10 Sentence Length
Year 10 Spellings

Exam Board Specs

Recommended Reading
Year 7
Year 8
Year 9+
Revision and Practice

Years 7-9

“The act of reading…is a powerful predictor of life success by any measure. It is the best predictor of who goes to university regardless of socio-economic background. It is the best predictor of life income, career options, even life partner choices. And neuroscience is proving that reading fiction is one of the most powerful means of developing sympathetic individuals, with better social skills and higher levels of self esteem, resulting in increasing self improvement and positive social behaviours.”

• The Huffington Post, article on recent research into reading habits of young people, 2018

If you are in Years 7-9, your English summer homework is all about reading for pleasure.

1. Read a fiction book for pleasure. This could be a novel or a collection of short stories; it might be something written very recently, or something written a long time ago. You could visit The School Reading List for recommendations; ask for reading recommendations from friends and family or use the English Department’s reading lists (see link). You can also find a number of books to read online for free, at places like Guttenberg.
2. If you already read a lot, then set yourself a challenge to read something you would not usually read – perhaps a different author or genre. If you’re a reluctant reader, then persevere: keep looking for a book that is just right for you.
3. Use the Reading ‘Takeaway Menu’ to help you engage even further with what you have read. You can choose to complete as many of these tasks as you like.
4. You should be ready to talk about what you have read in your English lessons after the summer break, and to share with your teacher and class the activities you have done based on your reading.
5. Finally, enjoy it: read outside on sunny days, or curl up and get cosy when it rains. Read on the beach; in bed; in the garden; on the plane or in the front room. But allow yourself a little time away from other distractions to really focus on what you’re reading.

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Year 10
Your class teachers may have set specific homework for over the break based on the needs of your class. You should, however, also spend some independent study time to do the following in order to take control of your own learning and to get ahead in your studies.
Compulsory: When you return to school after the summer break, you will begin to study Shakespeare’s Macbeth for GCSE English Literature. This play was written during the reign of James I, also known as the Jacobean era. Find out as much as you can about this period in history. In particular, you should try to find answers to the following questions and be ready to share your learning in your first English lessons after the break:

• Why was the Jacobean audience so interested in ideas of treason and loyalty?
• Why was the Jacobean audience so concerned with who had a right to the throne and who should be the next king or queen?
• What was the relationship between England and Scotland at the time?
• Why was the Jacobean audience so interested in witches and the supernatural?
• What does the term ‘Tragedy’ mean to you? What are the features of a ‘Shakespearean Tragedy’?

Extension: Follow this link to watch a performance of Macbeth at the Globe theatre and make notes on your initial responses to characters and ideas in the play https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PFwHmgA9nno
 
You may also find it useful to consolidate your revision notes on the poetry you have studied so far, as well as An Inspector Calls and A Christmas Carol. The following website is also really useful:
www.senecalearning.com/en-GB/
 
Year 12
English Language
When you return to school following the Summer break, you will begin to learn and about the history of the English Language and how it has changed over time for the second half of the paper on Language Variation. In order to take control of your own learning, you should complete the following tasks and be ready to share your findings in lessons after the holiday:

1. Compulsory: Find out what is meant by the term ‘etymology’ and add this to your Language Glossary. Next, find out the etymology of your surname. Where did it come from, and what does it mean? Then, see if you can find out more about your surname and family history using the following link: https://www.bl.uk/subjects/family-history If you struggle to find any useful results, then think about the reasons WHY.
2. Compulsory: Choose one of the following domestic items: car; washing machine; personal hygiene product. Find two examples of an advertisement for this type of item. One should be from 1990s onwards, the other should be from 1900-1960. These may be very different in terms of genre and mode, and may involve printed text or film.

• Consider the ways in which these two texts are different using the following frameworks: lexis; grammar; discourse; graphology; semantics
• Consider the ways in which your two texts are similar and different, especially in terms of persuasive techniques
• Consider the ways in which social and historical context might have influenced changes to the genre of advertising.

1. Compulsory: Work through the ‘Identity’ data pack to remind yourself of the first half of the language variation paper
2. Compulsory: Complete the first draft of your second coursework piece
3. Extension: Follow this link to watch Michael Rosen’s ‘Word of Mouth’ series on words, language and the way we speak: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006qtnz/episodes/player
4. Extension: Read The Adventure of English by Melvyn Bragg – a really enjoyable and accessible book!

You should be ready to share your chosen texts and findings following the summer break. You should also spend some time consolidating your notes.
 
English Literature
You should use the summer break to continue preparing for your coursework. You should read The Great Gatsby and complete the reading and tasks in the preparatory booklet.