WAEC English language Syllabus 2021/2022 | See Current English language Syllabus Here
– WAEC English language Syllabus –
WAEC English language Syllabus 2021 is Out: The English language 2021/2022 West African Examination Council (WAEC) Syllabus is aiming at preparing candidates for the Board’s examination.
SCOPE OF THE SYLLABUS
This examination sets out to test the different basic skills of communication in English using the mediums of speech and writing. The examination will test the receptive and productive abilities of candidates.
These abilities will be shown in the following forms: Reading Comprehension, Summary, Vocabulary, Lexis and Structure, Listening comprehension and Recognition of different aspects of English speech.
AIMS AND OBJECTIVES
The objective of the syllabus is to measure the extent to which the aims of the teaching
syllabuses of member countries have been realised in candidates‟ Secondary School career.
The examination sets out to examine candidates‟ ability to
(i) use correct English;
(ii) write about incidents in English that are appropriate to specified audiences
and situations;
(iii) organise materials in paragraphs that are chronologically, spatially and
logically coherent;
(iv) control sentence structures accurately;
(v) exhibit variety in the choice of sentence patterns;
(vi) comply with the rules of grammar, spelling and punctuation;
(vii) comprehend written and spoken English;
(viii) recognise implied meaning, tones and attitudes;
(ix) use an acceptable pronunciation that others can comprehend;
(x) isolate and summarise relevant information from set passages.
OUTLINE
They will require candidates to take three papers. Total marks for the three papers will be
220 marks for The Gambia and Sierra Leone and 200 for Nigeria.
PAPER 1: 2½ hours – Essay Writing, Comprehension and Summary – 120 marks
PAPER 2: 1 hour – Multiple Choice questions (Lexis and Structure) – 50 marks
PAPER 3: 45 minutes – Oral English – 50 marks (for the Gambia and Sierra Leone)
PAPER 3: 45 minutes – Test of Orals – 30 marks (for Nigeria only).
SECTION A: ESSAY WRITING (50 marks)
They will require candidates to spend 50 minutes on this section. There will be five questions in all and they will require candidates to answer only one question.
The questions will test candidates‟ ability to communicate in writing. The topics will demand the following kinds of writing:
(i) letter;
(ii) speech;
(iii) narrative;
(iv) description;
(v) debate/argumentative;
(vi) report;
(vii) article;
(viii) exposition;
(ix) creative writing.
Credit will be given for
(i) Content: relevance of ideas to the topic and its specified audience and
purpose;
(ii) Organization: formal features (where applicable), good paragraphing,
appropriate emphasis and arrangement of ideas;
(iii) Expression: control of vocabulary and sentence structure;
(iv) Mechanical Accuracy: grammar, punctuation and spelling.
The minimum length expected will be 450 words.
SECTION B: COMPREHENSION (40 marks)
Candidates will be required to spend 50 minutes on this section. The section will consist
of two passages each of about three hundred (300) words. Candidates will be required to
answer questions on the two passages.
The questions will test the candidate‟s ability to
(i) find appropriate equivalents for selected words and phrases;
(ii) understand the factual content;
(iii) make inferences from the content of the passages;
(iv) respond to uses of English expressions to reveal/reflect
sentiments/emotions/attitudes;
WEST AFRICAN SENIOR SCHOOL CERTIFICATE EXAMINATION
ENGLISH LANGUAGE
They will choose the passages and explain their functions as they appear in the context;
(vi) identify and explain basic literary terms and expressions;
(vii) recast phrases or sentences into grammatical alternatives.
They will choose the passages from a wide variety of sources, all of which will be suitable for this level of examination in terms of theme and interest.
The passages will be written in modern English that will be within the experience of candidates. The comprehension test will include three questions based on (vi) above in any one paper.
SECTION C: SUMMARY (30 marks)
They will require candidates to spend 50 minutes on this section. The section will consist of one prose passage of about five hundred (500) words and will test the candidate‟s ability to
(i) extract relevant information;
(ii) summarise the points demanded in clear, concise English;
(iii) present a summary of specific aspects or portions of the passage;
(iv) avoid repetition, redundancy and extraneous material.
They will select the passage from a wide variety of suitable sources, including excerpts from narratives, dialogues and expositions of social, cultural, economic and political issues in any part of the world.
PAPER 2: This is an objective/multiple choice paper comprising 100 questions: 40 lexical and 60 structural items. Each question/item will have four options lettered A to D.
LEXIS
Besides items testing knowledge of the vocabulary of everyday usage (i.e. home, social relationships, common core school subjects) questions will be set to test the candidate‟s ability in using the more general vocabulary associated with the following fields of human activity:
- (a) Building;
(b) Plumbing;
(c) Fishing;
(d) Finance – commerce, banking, stock exchange, insurance;
(e) Photography;
(f) Mineral exploitation;
(g) Common manufacturing industries;
(h) Printing, publishing, the press and libraries;
(i) Sea, road, rail and air transport;
(j) Government and politics;
(k) Sports and entertainment;
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(l) Religion;
(m) Science and Technology;
(n) Power production – hydro, thermal, solar;
(o) Education;
(p) Transport and Communication;
(q) Military;
(r) Journalism and Advertising.
- Idioms, i.e. idiomatic expressions and collocations (e.g. “hook, line and sinker”,
“every Tom, Dick and Harry” etc.) the total meaning of which cannot be arrived at
simply by consideration of the dictionary meanings of the words in the structures in
which they appear.
III. Structural elements of English e.g. sequence of tenses, matching of pronouns with
noun referents, use of correct prepositions.
- Figurative usage
By “more general” vocabulary is meant those words and usages of words normally associated with the field of human activity in question which is generally known, used and understood by most educated people who while not engaged in that field of activity may have occasion to read, speak or write about it.
Thus, for example, in the vocabulary of transportation by sea, one would expect knowledge of terms such as “bridge” and “deck”, which most educated people understand, but not “halyard”, “dodge”, “davit” or “thrust block”, which are specialized.
They will phrase all items in such a way as to test the use and understanding of the required lexis, rather than dictionary definitions and explanations.
In practice, the test of lexis will be so designed as to explore, not merely the extent of the candidates‟ vocabulary but more importantly their ability to respond to sense relations in the use of lexical items e.g. synonyms, antonyms and homonyms.
In the testing of figurative language, they will expect candidates to recognise when an expression is used figuratively rather than literally.
- STRUCTURE
The structure here is used to include:
(i) The patterns of changes in word-forms which show number, tense,
degree, etc.;
(ii) The patterns in which different categories of words regularly combine to
form groups and these groups, in turn, combine to form sentences;
(iii) The use of structural words, e.g. conjunctions, articles, determines,
prepositions, etc.
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PAPER 3 ORAL ENGLISH (50 marks)
This paper will test candidates‟ knowledge of Oral English.
There will be three alternatives for this paper:
Alternative A for School Candidates in The Gambia and Sierra Leone, Alternative B for Private Candidates in The Gambia and Sierra Leone and Alternative C for Nigeria Candidates only.
ALTERNATIVE A: LISTENING COMPREHENSION
This paper will be a Listening Comprehension Test.
This will comprise 100 multiple choice objective items:
Recognition of consonants, consonant clusters, vowels, diphthongs, stress and
intonation;
Understanding of dialogues and narratives.
Section 1: Test of word-final voiced-voiceless consonants in isolated words mainly,
but other features, such as consonant clusters, may also be tested.
Section 2: Test of vowel quality in isolated words.
Section 3: Test of vowel quality and consonant contrasts in isolated words.
Section 4: One of three alternatives below will be used in different years:
(i) test of vowel and/or consonant contrasts in sentence contexts;
(ii) test of vowel and consonant contrasts in isolated words – to be
selected from a list of at least four-word contrasts;
(iii) test of vowel and consonant contrasts through rhymes.
Section 5: Test of rhyming.
Section 6: Test of comprehension of emphatic stress.
Section 7: Test of understanding of intonation through brief dialogues.
Section 8: Test of understanding of the content of longer dialogues and narratives.
NOTE: 1. Tape recorders will be used for the administration of this Listening
Comprehension Test.
Features to be tested:
WEST AFRICAN SENIOR SCHOOL CERTIFICATE EXAMINATION
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1. CONSONANTS
(a) Single Consonants – Candidates should be able to recognise and produce all the significant sound contrasts in the consonantal system of English.
For the guidance of candidates, a few examples of such contrasts are given below.
Initial Medial Final
they – day buzzes – buses boat – both
ship – chip parcel – partial breathe – breed
fan – van sopping – sobbing wash – watch
pit – fit written – ridden leaf – leave
pit – bit anger – anchor cup – cub
tuck – duck faces – phases cart – card
card – guard prices – prizes –
gear – jeer – –
(b) Consonant Clusters – Candidates should be able to produce and recognize consonant clusters which may occur both initially and finally in a syllable.
They should also be able to recognize and produce consonant sounds in a consonant cluster in the right order.
For the guidance of candidates, a few examples are given below.
Initial Final
play – pray rains – range
sting – string felt – felled
scheme – scream sent – send
crime – climb nest – next
flee – free ask – axe
three – tree lift – lived
true – drew missed – mixed
blight – bright seats – seeds
tread – thread hens – hence
drift – thrift lisp – lips
glade – grade coast – coats
marks – masks
2. VOWELS
(a) Pure Vowels
(b) Diphthongs
(c) Triphthongs
WEST AFRICAN SENIOR SCHOOL CERTIFICATE EXAMINATION
ENGLISH LANGUAGE
Candidates should be able to recognise and produce all the significant sound contrasts in the vowel system of English. For the guidance of candidates, a few examples of such contrasts are given below.
seat – sit
sit – set
peck – pack
pack – park
cart – cat
load – lord
pair – purr
park – pork
hard – heard
word – ward
let – late
cheer – chair
pet – pat – part – pate
hat – heart – height – hate – hut
part – port – pot – pat
caught – cot – cut – curt
pool – pull – pole –
bird – bed – bared
but – bat
3. STRESS
(a) Word Stress – Candidates should be able to contrast stressed and unstressed syllables in words that are not otherwise distinguished.
In addition, they should be aware of the possibility of shifting stress from one syllable to another in different derivations of the same word with consequent change in vowel quality.
For the guidance of candidates, a few examples of changing word stress are given below.
„increase (noun) in‟crease (verb)
„import “ im‟port “
„rebel “ re‟bel “
„convict “ con‟vict “
„extract “ ex‟tract “
„record “ re‟cord “
„subject “ sub‟ject “
(b) Sentence Stress – Candidates should know stress in sentences in English occurs at regular intervals in time.
English is therefore called a stress-timed language.
They should also be aware that in most sentences unless some sort of emphasis is introduced, only nouns, main verbs (not auxiliaries), adjectives and adverbs are stressed.
WEST AFRICAN SENIOR SCHOOL CERTIFICATE EXAMINATION
ENGLISH LANGUAGE
Final pronouns Should not be stressed, unless some kind of contrast is intended; relative pronouns should not be stressed, nor should possessive pronouns.
Thus, for example, the following sentences should be stressed as indicated:
He „went to the „town and „bought some „oranges.
I „told him to „go to the „station to „ask when the „train would „leave.
Did you „ask him?
I „read it but I „didn‟t understand it.
They ar‟rived „yesterday.
The „man who „came.
I „fetched his „book.
NOTE: There are a few words in English that are pronounced differently depending on whether or not they are stressed in the sentence.
These are usually called strong and weak forms.
(c) Emphatic Stress – Candidates should know the use of emphatic stress, most commonly to show a contrast, which is realised partly as a change in pitch within the intonation pattern.
The falling pitch illustrated below is one of the common ways of indicating this:
4. INTONATION
Candidates should realize the different forms English intonation takes in relation to the grammar of the language and the attitudes conveyed by the speaker.
There are two basic intonation patterns or tunes: the falling and rising patterns.
They should also realize that whereas the normal place for the changing pitch in an intonation pattern is on the last stressed syllable of the utterance (as indicated below), placing the changing pitch elsewhere implies a contrast to the item on
which this changing pitch falls.
For example:
He borrowed “my newspaper
He “borrowed „my newspaper
He borrowed my “newspaper
“He borrowed my „newspaper
(i.e, not hers)
(i.e, he did not steal it).
(i.e, not my book).
(i.e, not someone else).
WEST AFRICAN SENIOR SCHOOL CERTIFICATE EXAMINATION
ENGLISH LANGUAGE
(a) Falling Pattern
(b) Rising Pattern
Note that (i) the two patterns stated above may be combined in longer sentences,
(ii) candidates should note, in addition, that any unstressed syllable following the last stressed syllable of the sentence is said on a low-level pitch when the pattern is falling but continues the rise if the pattern is rising.
The same rule applies to tags following quoted speech.
They ar‟rived to‟day
„Where did he „go?
„Come „here!
Statement
WH — question
Command
( )
( )
( )
Did he „see the „principal?
When the „train arrived
They arrived to‟day?
Yes/No question
Incomplete
Question
( )
( )
( )
e.g: When the „train ar‟rived, the passengers were on the platform.
( )
WEST AFRICAN SENIOR SCHOOL CERTIFICATE EXAMINATION
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ALTERNATIVE B
Alternative B is a multiple-choice paper of 50 items testing the content of the syllabus as
outlined for Alternative A.
The 50 items will cover the recognition of:
(1) pure vowels (5) word stress
(2) diphthongs (6) sentence stress
(3) consonants (7) emphatic/contrastive stress
(4) consonant clusters (8) vowel and consonant contrast through rhymes.
ALTERNATIVE C: TEST OF ORALS (For School and Private Candidates in
Nigeria)
A Test of Orals format is a multiple-choice paper of 60 items testing a wide range of areas
or aspects of Orals as contained in the syllabus.
The Test of Orals will cover the following areas:
(1) Vowels – pure vowels and diphthongs;
(2) Consonants (including clusters);
(3) Rhymes;
(4) Word Stress/Syllable Structure;
(5) Emphatic Stress/Intonation Patterns;
(6) Phonetic Symbols.
The items to be tested in the specified areas are in accordance with the following blueprint:
SECTION AREA/FEATURE NO. OF ITEMS
1.
2.
3.
4
5.
6.
7.
Test of Vowels
Test of Consonants
Test of Rhymes
Test of Stress (4 – Syllable word)
Test of Stress (2/3 – Syllable word)
Test of Emphatic Stress/Intonation
Patterns in Sentences
Test of Phonetic Symbols
15 (10 pure vowels, 5 diphthongs)
15
5
5
5
5
10 (5 vocalic and 5 consonantal)
60
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