English language in such a fast-moving era as today takes the position of utmost importance. It is considered a global language and learning English helps in prioritizing your position in the world. Effective communication skills further boost confidence and give an opportunity to be heard and noticed amongst the crowd. English education has an upper hand today and improves your chances to connect globally. Most systems of education followed in India have not failed to include English in the curriculum in the hope to increase global connectivity within the country and thereby increase the overall development at both individual and national levels. Another important reason why the language is included in the CBSE curriculum is that many students in India often opt to complete their higher education abroad and a good background in English puts the students in a position of advantage to be admitted to esteemed foreign universities. Learning English from a very young age has several advantages. It helps in better brain development and also helps in boosting confidence amongst young children and it like any other language helps students to work on their creativity and imaginative skills. English is one of the dominant languages in the present world, having access to opportunities to learn English should not be taken lightly as it can improve the chances for social and work opportunities. Understanding the language is a prerequisite in today’s world where communication is the key to maintaining effective rapport between people and English being one of the most acknowledged and widely used language cones into the forefront of good connections and services.
The English curriculum as followed and prescribed by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) contains a comprehensive syllabus covering all the necessary elements that are essential for a class 10 student. The National Council of Educational Research and Training or NCERT publishes a fixed textbook that is to be followed by the students and it includes two literature textbooks and a grammar workbook. The syllabus has separate segments and subsections that address the different skills included in the English language such as Writing skills, Reading skills etc. There are different chapters that are included in the curriculum as part of learning literature and they contain excerpts from famous books both fiction and nonfiction. It also incorporates several poems and stories of famous poets and authors. English as a subject in class 10 has a total weightage of 80 marks excluding the 20 marks which will be given based on internal assessment. The said 80 marks are divided into different sections for each aspect of the syllabus which are Reading skills carrying 20 marks, Writing skills with Grammar and literature textbook and supplementary reading text both allotted 30 marks each. The first section from the exam point of view usually includes comprehension passages which the students are to comprehend and thereby answer the questions that follow. This increases the Conceptual understanding, interpretative skills and vocabulary of the students. The writing section of the syllabus includes various portions that look to boost Creative expression of an opinion, reasoning, using appropriate format and fluency among students. It teaches the students to compose formal letters, paragraphs of analytical nature from a given map, chart or graph. This section also allows the students to grow their skills in Grammar. Concepts such as tenses, passive and active voices, direct and indirect speeches, models, subject-verb agreement, Clauses are a few that are incorporated in the Grammar section. The final segment that the English curriculum of class 10 covers is the Literature textbooks. There are two prescribed textbooks for the 10th-grade students, which are namely First Flight and a supplementary reading text called Footprint without feet. These books contain poems and pros composed by different authors. This section helps students familiarize themselves with famous stalwarts of English literature and their works. The supplementary text for Class 10 English Footprints Without Feet NCERT Books is a comparatively new addition to the syllabus and it is meant for students to read on
their own. It is included exclusively to develop the students’ reading skills. These textbooks focus on expanding reasoning skills and help students in appreciating the language, extracting relevant information, identifying the central theme and sub-themes included in the lessons, and understanding the writers’ message and writing fluently. As part of the internal assessment that carries around 20 per cent of the total weightage, the listening and speaking skills of students are assessed and marked. This is done through various activities and general assessments throughout the academic year. The assessment looks over different aspects including fluency, pronunciation, language accuracy and vocabulary along with other communicative skills. The CBSE curriculum does not believe in theoretical knowledge alone and therefore spoken English is also given equal importance. Interactive activities are promoted within the classroom itself urging all students to participate and thereby improve their efficiency in the language. Different methods are undertaken by teachers including debates, elocutions, extempores, role plays, recitation etc. Apart from these many other activities are suggested on authorized websites. The curriculum encourages teachers to keep track of the student’s improvement over time with frequent grading and assessment through ASLs too. Teachers are to presents language items, contrive situations that motivate the child to use English for the purposes of communication and expression. Aural-oral teaching and testing is an integral feature of the teaching-learning process. Electronic and print media could also be used extensively.
The main objectives of the prescribed English curriculum include boosting confidence and proficiency in oral and written communication, building greater ability and knowledge required to engage in good conversations outside the academic scope, using appropriate English to communicate in various social settings and developing curiosity and creativity through extensive reading. The curriculum prepares the students to equip learners with essential language skills to question and to articulate their points of view anywhere necessary and to develop sensitivity to, and appreciation of different languages and the culture they reflect. It facilitates self-learning to enable them to become independent learners and enable them to perform fairly well in interviews and jobs that demand English communication.
