English Language – SSS 2 3rd Term Course Description
This term’s English Language syllabus for Senior Secondary School 2 (SSS 2) deepens students’ mastery of advanced writing forms, grammar structures, phonetics, and vocabulary enrichment. Over eight weeks, learners will contrast formal and informal correspondence, craft expository essays, analyze complex sentence elements, practice specialized word groups, and begin report writing. Each week combines theory, practical activities, and assignments to cement understanding and polish communication skills.
Week 1 – Letters & Pronouns
Topics:
- Formal vs. Informal Letters: Structure, tone, salutations, closings.
- Pronouns: Definitions, uses, and types (personal, possessive, reflexive, relative, demonstrative, interrogative, indefinite).
Activities:
- Compare sample letter pairs; rewrite an informal note as a formal letter and vice versa.
- Pronoun identification drills in paragraphs; replace nouns with appropriate pronouns.
Assignment:
- Write one formal business letter and one informal personal letter (each ~120 words).
- Create sentences using each pronoun type correctly.
Week 2 – Expository Essay & Consonant Clusters
Topics:
- Expository Essay: Purpose, planning (outline), development of clarity and coherence.
- Consonant Clusters: Definition and pronunciation of blends (e.g., /str/, /pl/, /kn/).
Activities:
- Draft an outline for a 300-word expository essay on a chosen topic (e.g., “The Impact of Social Media”).
- Phonetic drills: listen and repeat lists of words with target clusters.
Assignment:
- Write a full expository essay (250–300 words) using the outline.
- Record and submit a 1-minute audio clip practicing three different consonant clusters.
Week 3 – Conjunctive Adverbs & Conjunctions
Topics:
- Conjunctive Adverbs: (however, therefore, moreover, nevertheless) linking independent clauses.
- Conjunctions: Coordinating (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so), subordinating, correlative.
Activities:
- Sentence recombination: join simple sentences using conjunctive adverbs and conjunctions.
- Identify connectors in a reading passage and classify them.
Assignment:
- Compose a 200-word paragraph on “Healthy Living,” using at least five different conjunctive adverbs and conjunctions correctly.
Week 4 – Word Association & Schwa Sound
Topics:
- Word Association (Motor Vehicles): Vocabulary sets related to cars, trucks, maintenance, traffic.
- Schwa Sound (/ə/): Recognition and pronunciation in unstressed syllables.
Activities:
- Match vehicle-related terms with definitions and use them in sentences.
- Minimal-pair listening exercises to identify schwa (e.g., about vs. abet).
Assignment:
- Create a mini-glossary of 15 motor-vehicle terms with definitions and sample sentences.
- Mark and practice the schwa sound in a given 50-word paragraph.
Week 5 – Prepositions & Word Association (Law & Order)
Topics:
- Prepositions: In-depth analysis of usage, prepositional phrases, common errors.
- Word Association (Law & Order): Legal and justice terminology (e.g., verdict, bail, testimony).
Activities:
- Diagram sentences showing prepositional phrases; correct misplaced prepositions.
- Group activity: classify law-and-order terms by category (court, police, legal process).
Assignment:
- Write ten sentences using complex prepositional phrases.
- Compose a short scenario (100 words) incorporating at least ten law-and-order vocabulary items.
Week 6 – Sentences: Types & Features I & II
Topics:
- Sentence Types: Simple, compound, complex, and compound-complex.
- Features: Subject-verb agreement, clause integration, punctuation intricacies.
Activities:
- Transform simple sentences into each other type, labeling features.
- Identify errors in subject-verb agreement and correct them.
Assignment:
- Write one example of each sentence type (4 total), underlining the subject and verb and labeling clause types.
Week 7 – Adjuncts: Forms & Functions I & II
Topics:
- Adjuncts: Grammatical roles (manner, time, place, reason), forms (adverbial phrases, clauses), and functions.
- Distinguish adjuncts from complements and disjuncts.
Activities:
- Sentence parsing: highlight adjuncts, complements, and disjuncts in sample texts.
- Compose sentences varying adjunct placement for emphasis.
Assignment:
- Create a short dialog (6–8 lines) using at least three different adjunct types, clearly marked.
Week 8 – Report Writing: Types & Examples I
Topics:
- Report Writing: Purpose, audience, structure (title, introduction, body, conclusion, recommendations).
- Types: Incident reports, book reports, field trip reports.
Activities:
- Analyze a sample incident report; identify its sections and tone.
- Group exercise: brainstorm and outline a field trip report.
Assignment:
- Draft a complete incident report (~200 words) on a hypothetical classroom event, following proper report format.
Ongoing Exercises & Assessment
- Weekly Quizzes: Objective tests on each topic.
- Portfolio Compilation: Submit all written assignments in a term-end portfolio.
- Oral Presentations: Present your expository essay or incident report excerpts to the class.
By term’s end, students will confidently distinguish tone in correspondence, write structured essays and reports, manipulate complex sentence elements, employ specialized vocabulary, and refine their pronunciation and grammar for clear, effective communication.