English Language and Literature

Department Vision: Language for Life and Learning

Department Mission: Cultivating Competent, Confident and Clear Communicators (5Cs)

The English Language (EL) and Literature Department has the vision of ‘Language for Life and Learning’, which encompasses our hope that students leave SGSS with the necessary reading, viewing, speaking, writing and listening skills. They should also bring along with them a zest for life and an ability to appreciate the beauty of the language. The Department Mission: Cultivating Competent, Confident and Clear Communicators (5Cs) firmly encapsulates what we do as teachers of English Language and Literature and our desired student outcomes.

To nurture students in EL and Literature beyond the classroom, students have opportunities to engage in key programmes which include Garden Expressions: Thoughts in Bloom (an oracy competition), READ@SGSS, participation in creative writing, literary debate, drama and choral reading competitions in the National Schools Literature Festival, theatre trips and many more.

Key programmes

Garden Expressions: Thoughts in Bloom (GETB)

The objectives of the GETB programme are to foster effective thinking and communication skills while providing a platform for students to express their authentic voice. Initially an in-house competition, GETB has grown into an inter-school event, allowing students to learn from peers in other institutions.

READ@SGS

READ@SGS is a reading programme that aims to develop in students beginning, close and critical reading and viewing skills, strategies, attitudes and behaviour (SSABs) to comprehend a variety of texts meaningfully, strengthened with wide and extensive reading and viewing. Apart from morning reading periods, SGS also holds book fairs and movie screenings (text to screen to further encourage the love of reading among students.

Lit Up @ SGS

Literature is an exciting subject offered to all lower secondary students, 3 E and 3NA selected students. The Lit Up Camp is an annual event that celebrates the achievements of the Literature family and serves also to strengthen the bonds between students and teachers. This year's Lit Up Camp has our very Literature teachers taking camp participants on a literary trail along the Singapore River, where students get to appreciate poetry written about the river and its history. The highlight of the camp is the theatre trip to Into the Woods production, where students get to experience first-hand how fairy-tales are woven into a musical production.

Literature students in SGS also get to experience:

• competitive events at the National Literature Festival

• other theatre trips

• literary writing competitions