English Junior Cycle Study Notes

Are you ever stuck for words? Do you sometimes wish all your conversations could be done by text message? Is it a big struggle to put pen to paper? U R nt alone!

The Junior Cert English programme aims to develop all aspects of proficiency in the area of language use.  The exam incorporates a broad range of tasks which aim to assess your skills in the three main areas of personal, social, and cultural literacy. You are expected to be able to respond to a variety of unseen texts, to write in a number of different forms, and to display your knowledge and understanding of material you have studied. There are two papers at higher level and one at ordinary level.

Over the three-year course, you are given an opportunity to discover and practise the many ways in which we use language - for personal expression, for social interaction, or simply for pleasure.

You are introduced to works of fiction, drama, and poetry and see how language is used to express political ideas, to declare undying love, and to describe characters. You examine the way in which the media works and gain insights to the way newspaper articles are produced, TV scripts are written and soap powder is advertised. All the time, you are learning about character, themes, relationships…and yourself. Your powers of observation improve and you find yourself using a greater variety of words in different situations. You start to read more books and your writing ability improves. Now you have the vehicle to give flight to your imagination. You never know - the next Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings could be inside you, struggling to get out!