The two English qualifications at 16, English language and English literature, have a long, complicated history in terms of the functions they perform, the relationship between them, and the way they are used to judge both students and schools.
There has always been overlap between them (with language being understandably assessed, at least in part, via literature) but the balance has shifted over many iterations.
The relationship between language and the broader discipline of linguistics has also always been less than clear, with limited opportunities for students to show knowledge about language, as opposed to competence in using it.
The rare exception was the introduction of a controlled assessment task on ‘studying spoken language’, first taught in 2010 but last examined in 2016.
This provided an excellent opportunity for students to learn about the nature of spoken language and encounter the discipline of linguistics, making them more aware of possibilities for further study in A level English language. It also had the important side-effect of developing teachers’ own knowledge about language and led to an important backwash into key stage three.
English as a subject has always had multiple elements and aspects: literature in its own right; literature as a vehicle for the teaching of literacy; writing, in particular creative writing; and the study of language. The GCSEs (and previously O level and CSE) have also been used as a final evaluation of students’ literacy: a hurdle for progression on to higher level qualifications and a measure of aptitude for employment.
Spoken language was, up until 2014, one part of this judgement of language competency, making up 20 per cent of the GCSE English language grade. However, in summer 2014 this was changed, with a speaking and listening element (consisting of a presentation and a question-and-answer session) no longer counting towards the final grade.
Speaking and listening still have a compulsory assessment, but graded separately from the GCSE grade. The reasons for this change were that the assessment wasn’t sufficiently ‘resilient’, with teachers being too generous in their marking.
Despite Ofqual’s assurances at the time that the changes to the assessment of speaking and listening would not impact on the way it was taught, with Glenys Stacey stating that they “do not imply any downgrading of speaking and listening skills,” the reality has been that speaking and listening is no longer taken seriously at GCSE.
Anecdotal evidence suggests that schools find it a major administrative burden, teachers do the bare minimum to meet the official requirements and students themselves view it in a rather cynical, limited way.
Where should we go from here? Clearly, the whole structure of the two GCSE English subjects needs a re-think, to re-examine their shared and different purposes. Regardless of the outcomes, speaking and listening needs to play a significant part.
As the oracy commission collects evidence on implementing oracy across the curriculum, here are some thoughts for consideration about GCSE English:
Robust assessment
If an English language qualification is to continue to assess competency in language, then it must surely include the assessment of how well students speak and listen, a key aspect of future adult life.
How can this be achieved in ways that are robust and ‘resilient’ and supportive of work at key stage three?
Assessment via, not of
With concerns about AI but equally a sense among some in the profession that the loss of all coursework has shrunk the English curriculum, is there a role for assessment not of speaking and listening but rather of other aspects of the subject via speaking and listening?
For instance, might we assess a literary text – an unseen poem, perhaps – through a spoken assessment, maybe as an option if considered to be logistically difficult for all schools?
Tried and tested methods
Could the spoken language study be reintroduced in some form, given its popularity and the way in which it enriched students’ experience and teachers’ expertise?
New realities and contexts
Should there be elements of GCSE that explore language in use, to reflect changing experiences and requirements for young people in today’s world? For instance, what about opportunities to study, develop critical understanding of and use spoken language on social media, the internet and the media more generally?
Should all students have the chance to study accents, dialects and sociolects, to develop understanding of their own language and the place of English in a changing world?
This article is the third instalment in a Schools Week serialisation of essays offering perspectives on the remit of the Commission on the Future of Oracy Education in England
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