Studying English Language GCSE or IGCSE will teach you to read critically and respond to challenging texts from the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries. The examined texts cover a wide range of genres and types and will support you in developing your own thinking and writing through the provision of effective models.
As well as the study of literature and extended literary non-fiction the course also covers the more practical uses of English in writing essays and various types of letter, reviews and different kinds of journalism. The materials we look at are sourced from both printed and online texts.
When writing, you will learn to write for impact and to produce cogent arguments with clear and coherent content.
You will build a familiarity with a range of fiction and non-fiction texts and you will learn how to engage with creative as well as real writing contexts. The course will provide opportunities to develop sophisticated reading and critical thinking skills, encouraging genuine enquiry into different topics and themes.
What factors should I take into account when choosing the course to study?
You should consider the points made below before you decide to choose either the GCSE or the IGCSE, but please remember that they are not interchangeable once you begin your studies. At the point of enrolment you must decide on one or the other and discussion with one of our experienced Student Advisers will help you to make your choice.
Course Content
Both GCSE and IGCSE English courses are of a very similar level and they carry equal weight with further institutions.
Both are designed to develop competence in and a love for the English language. They do use different texts and our senior tutors feel, not that the questions are easier in the IGCSE but that the intention behind the examination questions is clearer to most students, especially if English is not their first language.
Course content is not paramount but it may help to compare specifications.
Examination Structure and Availability
The GCSE has 2 exams, both 1 hour 45 minutes long. The IGCSE also has two exams, but the first is 2 hours 15 minutes and the other is 1 hour 45 minutes.
The GCSE has a spoken language endorsement (oral) which makes it more expensive to buy and it adds an extra cost and complication to the exams even though the oral result does not make any difference to the grade you receive. The IGCSE offers the spoken endorsement (oral) as an option but our students do not take it.
Please note that Private Candidates can take an IGCSE examination abroad but GCSE exams are usually only offered in the UK.
UK exam centres often charge more to offer the IGCSE than the GCSE. This is worth checking.
Qualification Recognition
These days there is no difference in recognition between GCSEs and IGCSE. They are both academically rigorous level 2 qualifications recognised by employers and further education institutions alike.
Anything else to consider?
You may want to think about what other exams you will be taking at the same time and if possible perhaps take all IGCSEs or all GCSEs.
If they agree to help Private Candidates then most exam centres will offer both GCSE and IGCSE, so it is quite possible to mix them. However, if you are taking three or four other IGCSEs, then it makes sense to choose the English IGCSE as well. All your results will appear on one certificate and should you ever lose your certificate you will only need to replace one.
Communicate better, Apply now!
Need further information? Enquire Now!
English GCSE Topics
Module 1: Reading Unseen Literature
- Approaches to Unseen Prose
- First Person Narrative
- Structure: Endings
- Creating an Atmosphere
- Finding the Message or Moral
Module 2 Exploring Creative Writing and Non-Exam Spoken English Assessment
- Introduction to Creative Writing
- Creative Writing: Structure and Organisation
- Imagined Experiences
- Developing Descriptive and Narrative Writing
- Spoken English Non-Exam Assessment
Module 3 Reading Non-Fiction Viewpoints and Perspectives
- Introduction to Reading Non-Fiction
- Reading for Meaning and Understanding
- Travel Writing
- Memoirs and Autobiographies
- Journalism: Opinion Pieces
Module 4 Reading Non-Fiction Viewpoints and Perspectives II
- Autobiographies and Biographies
- Reportage
- Speeches and Presentations
- ‘Broadsheet’ News Journalism
- Reading Nineteenth Century Texts
Module 5 Presenting Written Viewpoints
- Presenting Viewpoints – Transactional Writing
- Structuring A Persuasive Argument
- Presenting Viewpoints – Writing to Argue and Advise
- Creating Viewpoints – Writing to Inform, Explain
- Examination Preparation
Oxford Home Schooling’s English GCSE course is designed to prepare students for the AQA GCSE in English Language (8700)
English International GCSE Topics
Module 1: Non-Fiction Anthology Reading
- Introduction to Reading Non-Fiction
- Reading for Meaning
- Non-Fiction Anthology – Emma Levine
- Non-Fiction Anthology – Kari Herbert
- Non-Fiction Anthology – Ngozi Adichie
Module 2 Non-Fiction Anthology Comparing Non-Fiction and Unseen Texts
- Non-Fiction Anthology and Unseen – Zephaniah
- Non-Fiction Anthology and Unseen – Ralston
- Non-Fiction Anthology and Unseen – Zeppa
- Non-Fiction Anthology and Unseen – Alagiah
- Non-Fiction Anthology and Unseen – Morris
Module 3 Transactional Writing
- Transactional Writing
- Persuasive Texts
- Writing to argue and advise
- Writing to inform and explain
Module 4 Poetry and Prose Anthology Texts
- The Necklace and Out, Out-
- The Night and Disabled
- The Story of an Hour and Still I Rise
- Whistle and I’ll Come for You and The Bright Lights of Sarajevo
- Significant Cigarettes and An Unknown Girl
Module 5 Imaginative Writing
- Introduction to Imaginative Writing
- Imaginative Writing: How It is Told
- Imagined Experiences
- Developing Narrative
Oxford Home Schooling’s English IGCSE course is designed to prepare students for the Edexcel International GCSE in English Language (4EA1).
Online Course? Paper-based? Somewhere in between? It’s your choice!
All of our GCSE English students receive:
- Traditional printed learning materials
- Access to our online resources with on-the-go access to all your regular lessons
- Unmatched support by a fully qualified teacher online and by phone
Course price
Our English GCSE course fee is £495.
You may pay using our interest-free easy payment scheme. Pay a £99 deposit followed by eight monthly instalments of £49.50.
Course price
Our International GCSE English course fee is £395.
You may pay using our interest-free easy payment scheme. Pay a £79 deposit followed by eight monthly instalments of £39.50.
Multiple courses attract a discount. See our pricing page for further details.
The price difference for these two courses is due to the spoken language endorsement. This is categorised as non-examined assessment (NEA) and our tutors must both prepare students for the endorsement as well as examine and grade the student.
The spoken language endorsement does not affect the final grade so it is an optional part of the course.
GCSE Exams and Assessment
There are two papers that all students must sit in order to pass GCSE English.
- Paper 1: Explorations in Creative Reading and Writing – 1 hour 45 mins – 50% of the final mark
- Paper 2: Writers’ Viewpoints and Perspectives – 1 hour 45 mins – 50% of the final mark
Grades are awarded from 9 to 1 with 9 being the highest grade available.
The Spoken Language Assessment (optional)
The Spoken Language Assessment, should you choose to do it, requires candidates to:
- give a formal presentation (up to 10 mins)
- respond appropriately to questions and other feedback
- ask questions for clarification
- use spoken standard English
The spoken language assessment does not contribute marks to your 9 -1 grading but appears on your certificate as a separate pass, merit or distinction endorsement.
IGCSE Examinations
There are two papers that all students must sit in order to pass the International GCSE English.
- Paper 1 – Non-fiction Texts and Transactional Writing –2 hours 15 minutes – 60% of the final mark.
- Paper 2 – Poetry and Prose Texts and Imaginative Writing – 1 hour 30 minutes – 40% of the final mark.
Grades are awarded from 9 to 1 with 9 being the highest grade available.
Meet Our Tutors
I am passionate about both Language and Literature. My degree is in Literature, but I fell in love with English Language study while teaching A Level English Language in schools. Presently, I teach English Literature and Language lessons online and I tutor for KS3, GCSE, IGCSE and A Level for Oxford Open Learning. I am also an examiner for AQA GCSE English Language.
I am passionate about reading and I am excited to be studying the books on the English reading lists with you. My favourite authors are Charles Dickens, Charlotte and Anne Bronte, and Jane Austen. I love Victorian writing.
Gillian Regan
Course duration and Study time
When you enrol with Oxford Home Schooling, we will agree on an intended examination date with you. Your support will last all the way up to this examination date, regardless of whether you decide to do the course in 9 months or 30.
200 hours of study are recommended for this course.
Tutor Support
You will receive support from a fully-qualified tutor holding either a Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) or a degree in education.
This support includes:
- Marking all assignments for the course
- Written answers to specific study problems
- Telephone contact
When you begin this course, you will agree an examination date or dates with your Student Adviser. Your support period lasts up to this examination date.
Sample Lessons
FAQs
Why Should I choose Oxford Home Schooling?
- Oxford Home Schooling is a long-established educational trust that prides itself on
- treatment of every student as an individual
- customer service
- course quality.
- We’re rated ‘Excellent’ on Trustpilot by students who have studied with us.
- We provide online and printed resources so you can study your way – other providers do not give you that choice.
- We make it easy for you to home-educate your children with our flexible schedule, tutor support, and interest-free payment plan.
- Every year we help hundreds of children who have left mainstream education obtain the qualifications they need to progress and achieve their goals.
- Oxford Home Schooling is part of a not-for-profit trust so you can be sure that your course fees are spent on either your child’s tuition or on improving our courses.
How is the spoken endorsement for the English GCSE examined?
The Spoken Assessment
The spoken endorsement or oral is known as a Non-examined Assessment or NEA. Subjects with an element of NEA have a separate set of rules from other assessments. The NEA, in this case the oral, is tested and marked by your Oxford Home Schooling tutor rather than the examination board. In order for this to be arranged, the Oxford Open Learning Trust has to be the centre that makes your exam entry even though we do not hold any written examinations. In order for you to write your paper exams, you will need to find a ‘transfer’ host centre at which your two examination written papers can be tackled.
Full details of the NEA entering and transfer process can be found here.
To take part in the spoken assessment students will need to enter an online meeting room with their tutor. Students will require:
- A good internet connection which will sustain a high quality video feed.
- A laptop or desktop PC with a webcam. The student will need to share their presentation and their video feed simultaneously. In most virtual online environments a mobile phone is not suitable as it does not have the capacity to do this properly.
- An acceptable form of Photo ID, normally a passport or driving licence.
When can I enrol?
You can enrol any time you like, the earlier the better. The important thing to think about is when you wish to sit your exam and to give yourself plenty of time to work through your materials and revise successfully. Our cut-off dates for enrolment are usually November for the following summer exams or March for November sittings.
Once you have enrolled, you will get immediate access to your course online and your printed course materials will arrive a few days later.
How, where and when will I book an exam?
All the information you need to book your exam with an exam centre can be found in our Exams Hub. Here you will find
- detailed instructions on what to do and how to approach exam officers if there is no online booking system
- the entry codes needed to book exams
- our map of examination centres that have helped our students in recent years.
Our experienced Advisers are also always available with a wealth of knowledge about how to locate exam centres and book exams.
OHS students have the advantage of not being tied to sitting with any one centre or organisation and several offer discounts to our students. Tutors & Exams is one of the biggest operators and a good choice if you have special educational needs. They offer a discount to OHS students and they have nine exam venues across the UK in; Birmingham, Bolton, Coventry, Doncaster, High Wycombe, Romford, St Neots, Taunton and Wimbledon.
Our map also shows plenty of other centres that are also very likely to help our students and may offer a discount.
You should start to look for an exam centre as soon as possible after enrolling and preferably in the Autumn term before your summer exam. There is a lot of demand for Private Exam places and many centres are already booked up well before Christmas. The AQA Exam Board’s final date for booking summer exams without incurring late entry fees is the 21st of February, for Edexcel IGCSE it is actually the 21st March but most centres use AQA’s deadline and do not expect to find many places willing to help at this late stage.
If you want to sit in November, your choice of centres is likely to be more limited and you will need to confirm arrangements well before the start of the summer holidays.
What is the enrolment process?
First fill out our application form giving as much relevant information as possible about your child and at this stage you have not committed to anything. Once the application has been received and assessed by our Admissions Department, a Student Adviser will contact you to discuss the application, answer any more questions you may have and confirm your subject selections before you get started.
We want you to be comfortable with your choice and clear about the way forward, therefore we do not employ any high pressure sales techniques and you are free to take your time before you commit to investing in this programme.
Once you are ready, you can pay your Student Adviser in full or arrange to pay in instalments.
Communicate better, Apply now!
Need further information? Enquire Now!
