OBSERVATION
The standard of the paper compared favourably with those of previous years. The composition section tests the usual writing skills: informal letter, article for publication, official letter, speech writing and storytelling, all of which were within the experience and competence of the candidates. Similarly, the subject matter of the Comprehension and Summary passages were quite topical. The rubrics were clear and the marking scheme was comprehensive. Candidates’ performance improved when compared with that of previous years.
CANDIDATES’ WEAKNESSES
The weaknesses observed include:
√ Mother tongue interference which resulted in transliteration;
√ Poor expression as a result of wrong concord, poor punctuation marks, wrong use of tenses, poor use of prepositions and articles;
√ Failure to grasp the requirements and demands of the questions attempted;
√ Inability to construct simple and correct sentences;
√ Poor knowledge of idioms and their meanings;
√ Illegible handwriting;
√ Spelling errors;
√ Poor knowledge of the basic rules of English grammar;
√ Mindless lifting of answers from set passages;
√ Use of text message abbreviations such as “u” for “you” “d” for “the”, etc;
√ Use of long, uncontrolled and ambiguous sentences;
√ Inability to infer meaning from the passages;
√ Wrong syllabication of words and wrong use of homonyms and homophones.
SUGGESTED REMEDIES
Candidates should:
√ Endeavour to improve on their vocabulary and grammar in English Language through extensive reading;
√ Take time to understand the demands of questions before attempting to answer them;
√ Read through their works to correct spelling and grammatical mistakes before submitting their scripts;
√ Practise essay writing constantly;
√ Converse regularly using simple and correct English expressions;
√ Try to unlearn what they have learnt wrongly.
Teachers should:
Spend more time in teaching grammar topics and comprehension skills;
√ In addition to giving their students assignments frequently, teachers should also mark such assignments in order to help students identify and correct their mistakes;
√ Pay attention to spellings of words that can be confusing to students both in sound and spelling;
√ Devise teaching methods that will cater for the various needs of their students;
√ Bear in mind that language is acquired outside of the classroom and learned in the classroom, thus, they should create real-life experiences in the classroom during their teaching sessions;
√ Regularly attend workshops and seminars that would keep them abreast of global best practices in the teaching of the English Language.
Schools should ensure that:
1. Only qualified teachers are engaged to teach subject;
2. Libraries are equipped with relevant books and materials that will aid the students academically.
Candidate’s Strengths
Many candidates:
1.Demonstrated adherence to rubrics;
2. Showed improvement in their knowledge of the features of formal essay writing;
3. Wrote full length essays;
4. Were able to identify the grammatical name and grammatical function of the expression given in question 6h;
5. Were able to give appropriate synonyms to the lexical items;
6. Presented their responses in the Summary Section in independent sentences without the use of preambles.
Question 1
You are about to graduate from secondary school and you held the position of Library Prefect. Write a letter to your friend telling him/her your experiences and how they have contributed to your life in a positive way.
Observation
The question requires the candidate to write a letter to his/her friend telling him/her about the experiences he/she had as the Library Prefect and how these experiences have contributed to his/her life in a positive way.
Majority of the candidates chose this question and a good number of them did well in the general outline of an informal letter. Some of the candidates merely wrote on their experiences in their schools over the years. Those who wrote on their experiences as Library Prefect could not indicate properly how their experiences contributed positively to their lives. Some who wrote on the two aspects lacked the expression to carry through their points.
Question 2
Write an article suitable for publication in a national newspaper on the growing incidence of drug abuse among the youth, stating the causes and suggesting ways it can be curbed.
Observation
The question demands that the candidate writes an article suitable for publication in a national newspaper on the growing incidence of drug abuse among the youth, stating the causes and suggesting ways it can be curbed.
Most of the candidates that attempted this question wrote on “drug abuse” and not the “growing incidence of drug abuse” as stated in the question. Also, many failed to proffer convincing solutions.
Question 3
A friend of yours was involved in a fight that took place in school and has been expelled by the school authorities. In a letter to your Principal, give an account of the fight, and why you think your friend should not have been expelled.
Observation
The question requires that the candidate writes a letter to the Principal of his/her school giving an account of a fight that took place in the school in which his/her friend was involved. He/she is expected to give reasons why his/her friend should not have been expelled.
A few candidates chose this question and they were able to correctly set out the formal features of a formal letter. Some of them didn’t mention their friend’s name throughout the letter. Many failed to provide a graphic presentation that would lead to the unfair expulsion of their friend rather they were too quick to exonerate the “friend” and count him innocent. However, a few of them made an appeal to the Principal to recall their friend which was to their credit.
Question 4
As one of the outgoing prefects in your school, write a speech you will deliver at the send-off ceremony for prefects, on the topic: The Challenges of Prefectship.
Observation
The question demands that the candidate writes a speech he/she would deliver as one of the outgoing prefects in his/her school’s send-off ceremony for prefects on the topic: The Challenges of Prefectship. He/ she is expected to discuss the challenges of being a school prefect.
This was not a popular question before the candidates. Many of the candidates struggled to convincingly express the challenges of prefectship. They could not express themselves properly. However, most candidates got the vocatives right and some were able to talk about the responsibilities which they had to carry along with their academic work and how they were able to strike a balance.
Question 5
Write a story that ends with the statement: I wish I had listened to my parents.
Observation
The question demands that the candidate writes a story that ends with the statement: I wish I had listened to my parents. Many candidates answered this question. There was a marked improvement in the storyline. However, the organisation of the story was poor as most of the candidates’ narrations were bland. Some of the candidates still wrote irrelevant stories and tagged the statement at the end.
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