English

English language learning is a diverse and multi-layered tapestry of human relations and experience. The English curriculum at Cranleigh Abu Dhabi delivers the full and coloured history of the English language and its rich and diverse literature.

We delve deep into the Middle Ages and continue our studies right up to the present day as we aim to give students a firm grasp of its history whilst preparing them for 21st century communication.

Our resources, activities, learning styles, assessment projects and performances cater to the demands of modern world interactions and digital literacy.

Despite being an active and developing language, English remains rooted in fundamental principles of literacy that allow the language to be such a pervasive medium. We aim for strong levels of literacy to ensure that, in an international environment such as Cranleigh Abu Dhabi, pupils are confident in using English as the language of inclusion. Our English teaching aims to promote the ability of each student to think for themselves and to express their feelings and ideas effectively with a strong sense of empathy.
 

English also enables children to explore the stories of past, present and future; fantasy and reality; myth and legend; tales of different cultures and traditions. These many forms and styles can inspire imaginative and individual writing.
“Read as a writer; write as a reader”. English is a cornerstone of the Cranleigh Abu Dhabi’s curriculum. We explore the worlds of communication and transaction; culture and entertainment; and emotion and expression. We seek to find meaning whilst exploring style and methodology.

English courses run through the school from initial literacy in our youngest year groups, up to English Literature and English Language at A Level study. Throughout pupils’ tenure, Language and Literature are intertwined and offer a reciprocal nature of learning. The more a child explores the field of literature, the stronger their language skills become. The further a child develops their linguistic ability, the greater the literary texts they may explore. 

English in the Senior School

At GCSE level we enter students for both Language and Literature iGCSE qualifications. Both are compulsory study options at GCSE here at Cranleigh. They provide firm foundations in literacy, text analysis and essay-writing that are transferable to all other subjects. In Language, we look at decoding authorial intention and the purpose of transactional texts. We study a range of modern travel and adventure non-fiction such as George Alagaiah’s Passage to Africa and Aaron Ralston’s 127 Hours: Between a Rock and a Hard Place. In the realm of Literature, classes study novels such as Of Mice and Men, To Kill a Mockingbird and Things Fall Apart. These novels are accompanied by a review of poetry ranging from the Shakespearean era into the modern day as well as modern drama. 
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English in the Sixth Form

A Level study continues this theme of a comprehensive exploration of texts, ranging from Middle-English to the modern day. Students will explore poetry written in a post-2000 context as well as a host of romantic poetry, Modern American Drama and more established texts from the Literary Canon. A Level Literature is a key subject in developing skills of argument and critical thinking. The course encourages engagement with the opinions of others and skilful judgement of concepts and opinions. It fosters empathy and understanding as we explore characters and motivations as well as the lives of authors and the times in which they lived. A Level Language explores the production and reception of a range of communication modes and investigates how the English language can be crafted for a multitude of purposes.  The course covers the history and development of the English language as well as its diverse forms and variations in our world today.  Students will also explore the theories of Child Language Acquisition and the development of speech and writing in children.    

A successful study of English, in its forms of Language and Literature, underpin every career in terms of communication, performance, empathy and creativity. It can be seen in the skillset of the journalist, the closing arguments of the Lawyer and the considered words of the CEO’s speech. We are a world of communicators in written and spoken forms. A child’s progress in their time at Cranleigh Abu Dhabi will lead to a lifetime of success in the world beyond.
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