Message by HOD

Message by HOD (English Language and Literature)

Globalisation, changing demographics, and technological advancements are some of the key driving forces in the world today, and they will continue to shape our future. At Serangoon Secondary School, the English Language and Literature Department equips students with learning experiences that build the dispositions, skills, and knowledge they need to embrace opportunities and take on challenges of the future.

To achieve this, we have in place a 4-year learning roadmap that enhances students’ acquisition of language skills with a progressive approach. We have aligned the learning goals for English and Literature closely with the Singapore Teaching Practice and the broad aims of the syllabus. In our curricula, we place emphasis on interaction, oracy, and creative expression in the lower secondary years to ignite in students the passion and love for language so that it can be sustained in the upper secondary years and for life. The upper secondary programme emphasises more on students’ competence in using language to express themselves coherently. Students are exposed to a wider range of texts so that they can adopt a more balanced perspective on different topics and subject matter.

Staying current with technological shifts, we have curated a holistic resource bank for students via a learning microsite that serves as a valuable repository of resources for learning to take place. This has been beneficial in supporting learners of varying readiness in their grammar and writing skills, while also fostering a genuine appreciation for the English language through fun and competitive activities that promote joyful learning.

Collaboration has also been a cornerstone of our approach to the teaching of English and Literature. Together with the Humanities and Science departments, we continually help students see the link between English and other subjects through real-world and authentic contexts that reinforce strong content knowledge and communication skills.

As we focus on students’ learning needs and preferences, our department is committed to nurturing them to be confident, competent, and creative learners of English Language and Literature. Our English teachers are committed collaborators who strive to adapt current teaching methodologies to meet the diverse learning needs of our students, always looking for opportunities and platforms to build students’ love for language. This is reinforced by teaching approaches that provide students the opportunity to make meaning with what they learn, impress with their efforts, create with ideas, and to express their thoughts coherently.

With large language models and the changing context of language use, our teachers constantly leverage a suite of reliable ICT platforms to engage students, allowing them to explore and discover information and to collaborate with their peers for richer learning experiences. Through these approaches, we create pathways for students to become competent readers, confident communicators, and creative inquirers of English Language and Literature.

Mr Vincent Wong
HOD (English Language and Literature)