HOD English's Message
HOD’s Message
Language touches the heart. And in Bendemeer Secondary, there is a lot of ‘heart’ work!
In an increasingly complex world where we get myriad forms of information from everywhere, it is important for young teens to develop competencies that allow them to navigate through their daily interactions with various forms of media. In Bendemeer Secondary, we aim to equip our students with learning experiences that allow them to cultivate communication skills that will enable them to become active learners and responsible citizens, even after they have graduated.
Our English Language and Literature teachers enthuse our students in a range of learner-centred experiences, taking into account the need to develop their ability to collaborate with other individuals, as well as reflect on their own learning processes. As such, there are sufficient opportunities for our students to take charge of their own learning, as these lessons allow for different types of interaction and discussions to take place, fortifying the use of the language and reinforcing their capabilities to express ideas and opinions through the written word. At the same time, we inculcate values in our students as we harness different modes and platforms in getting them to reflect on the wide range of activities they are exposed to, through their four-to-five years of holistic education in Bendemeer Secondary School.
The Lower Sec EL programme in Bendemeer Secondary focuses on engaging our students in using the language as a form of creative expression. It reinforces some of the basic foundational skills they have garnered from their primary school education, and seeks to expose them to various modes of communication.
The Lower Sec Literature programme in Bendemeer Secondary seeks to excite our students in learning how writers, playwrights and poets use language in a creative manner to bring their thoughts, ideas and opinions alive through the written word.
The Upper Sec EL programme emphasises more on building our students’ confidence in the way they use language to express themselves and perform tasks. It encourages them to read a wider range of texts so that they can form more educated and informed opinions on different topics and subject matters.
The Upper Sec Literature programme focuses on developing our students’ abilities to analyse texts more critically, and allows them to form meaningful connections with the personas, characters, plots and contexts they study. It emphasises on deepening our students’ awareness of current and past realities, broadening their minds and increasing their sense of empathy for people around them.
With MOE’s National Digital Literacy Programme having recently ignited another phase of our country’s educational reform, our English Language and Literature teachers are more excited than ever to continue building our repertoire of tools and platforms that we have been using to engage our learners. We constantly leverage on various platforms to engage students, allowing them to explore and discover information online, and collaborate with their peers using digital platforms to form meaning and make connections. The teachers are proficient in harnessing ICT tools like Google Docs, Google Classroom, Padlet, Nearpod, Kahoot and MindMeister, infusing much joy of learning in the classroom setting.
At the same time we know we have to strike a balance in order to ensure that students do still get sufficient practice to express their ideas and views in a coherent, fluent manner, both verbally as well as in their writing. Thus, the department’s key programmes like the Reading Programme, DramaWorkz and Storytelling remain relevant, and embarking on our Debate Literacy journey has also been an area of focus. The new EL 2020 syllabus and its Voices at Play units have also enthused both teachers and students alike to explore the different nuances of the English Language with fresh perspectives.
Over the four or five years in the English Language and Literature curricula, the teachers often have to take on the mantle of facilitators of learning, in place of the traditional roles of information dispensers and opinion providers. This way, we get students to engage actively with the texts they are presented with, and open pathways for them to be empathetic communicators, discerning readers and creative inquirers.
Mr Glenn Tan Cheng Hai
HOD English Language and Literature
Bendemeer Secondary School