How to improve secondary school english

Familarise yourself with the requirements of the ‘O’ level English paper

The ‘O’ level English paper is demanding in that it requires that students answer in a certain way. This is best exemplified by looking at the situational writing component of the paper. There are many formats that students must commit to memory to be able to do well for this section such as the formal letter format, informal letter format and the proposal format. Students who do not put in the effort to memorise these formats would be penalised greatly in the ‘O’ level English paper. 

This is also true for the continuous writing portion of the ‘O’ level English paper 1. Students should be familiar with the stroucture expected of them by their teachers in writing their essays. For example, if the student chooses to write an argumentative essay, the student must ensure that his essay has a counterargument to show balance. 

One way to familiarise oneself with the requirements of the ‘O’ level English paper would be to read situational writing examples or model essays for Secondary School English. This would also have the added benefit of allowing students to pick up best practices from the situational writing examples and model essays for Secondary School English. 

Engage with English outside the classroom

Students need not limit their learning of the English language to only their classroom or tuition centres. English is everywhere. For instance, students can watch Channel News Asia. This would allow students to build knowledge of current affairs that would be of great help for ‘O’ level English Paper 1. This would also allow students to pick up best practices in spoken presentation that would be of great help for their Oral.

Parents should also make it a point to help their children practice for their ‘O’ level English Oral by speaking in proper English even during mundane activities such as mealtime. Such regular practice would allow students to cement best practices they have picked up in the classroom or tuition classes. 

Practice makes perfect

It is vital that students practice. There is this misconception that as the ‘O’ level English is only a language paper, it does not require much effort. However, this is simply not true. For students to build the required language and writing skills, they have to practice. Without practicing these skills, they may get rusty and impede the student’s ability to do well. 

This is especially vital to answering compre questions in the paper. These questions require a great amount of skills in identifying the question type, identifying relevant text and paraphrasing. Without sufficient practice, these skills can and will get rusty. 

Oral also requires a ton of practice to master both the ‘O’ level reading and spoken interaction components. Without practice, students would not be able to come up with ideas and enunciate them clearly in the ‘O’ level English paper.

English Tuition centres provide tuition classes such as compre drill sessions and essay writing sessions where students learn to answer questions of various types. As a result, English tuition centres prepare them well to answer similar questions in the ‘O’ level English paper. Tutors at good English tuition centres, also strive to provide instant feedback and individual attention to all our students resulting in immediate results.

Joining our good tuition centres would definitely help students on their English journey as they take care to ensure that our students are equipped with the necessary skills to tackle the ‘O’ level English. Tuition centres will ensure that their students are aware of the requirements of ‘O’ level English paper, engage with English outside the classroom and most importantly practice. 

However, even for students who do not join tuition centres, these 3 easy tips when incorporated into their ‘O’ level English journey will net students incredible results. Students can thus make giant improvements in their Secondary School English by simply using these 3 tips.