COMPONENTS OF THE

COMMUNICATION STUDIES
SYLLABUS
 RATIONALE
•The ability to communicate
thoughts, emotions, ideas, and
attitudes is a critical factor in the
management of our physical and
social environment.
 THUS:
•Communication Studies builds
students’ awareness of the centrality of
language to the normal functioning of
human beings, and facilitates their
ability to operate in the Caribbean
linguistic environment and beyond.
• It also provides students with the
confidence to respond appropriately and
creatively to the implied challenges of that
environment, through the development of
their language awareness and
communicative competencies.
• The fact that communication is a complex
set of processes to which language is
central, informs this programme of study.

• The focus of language in this context

emphasises its nature as both a marker of
personal, cultural and national identity,
and as an instrument of social and political
interaction.
 Consequently:
• The syllabus integrates, enhances, deepens and broadens language skills and
awareness already developed in the CSEC English A Curriculum. It focuses
primarily on the development of advanced competencies in Standard English,
particularly Caribbean Standard English. At the same time, it attempts to
develop an appreciation of the linguistic diversity of the Caribbean.

• It also explores the implications of this diversity for social, cultural, and
economic transactions.
 Overall:
• The syllabus emphasises the wider framework
of communication principles, systems and
processes within which language use has
context, achieves coherence and is enhanced.
The role of technology in the enhancement or
retardation of communication is also
considered important.
 Essentially, Communication Studies is characterized by:

• consideration of linguistic and non-linguistic communication, so

that the dynamics of any communicative act can be clarified;

• a dynamic range of communicative experiences and an

appreciation for how language functions as an instrument of
educational, social, personal, vocational and spiritual development;

• providing students with opportunities to explore, in theory and

practice, the use of register, code, and style in relevant social
contexts;
• helping students to understand the relationships between language,
society and identity and to develop an awareness of language variety
and diversity;

• considering the impact of technological advances on communication

and the implications of this impact for language variety and society;

• facilitating and enhancing students’ ability to gather and process

information using a variety of modes and strategies;

• facilitating and enhancing students’ own critical, creative and

aesthetic responses to, and production of language.
 The Syllabus Aims to:
• develop an understanding of the nature of language and its
various functions in social, aesthetic, work-related and other
contexts;

• develop an appreciation of speech and writing as mental and

social processes;

• enable students to use language varieties and register

accurately, appropriately and effectively in a range of contexts;
 Aims…
• provide an understanding of the use of technology
and its impact on communication;

• develop an appreciation of the role of language in

shaping Caribbean cultural identity;

• encourage students to use communication strategies

appropriate to specific discourse contexts.
 Skills and Abilities to be Assessed
• I) Comprehension – The ability to understand and respond
appropriately to written, oral and visual communication from a
variety of sources.
• II) Language Awareness and Use – The ability to understand and
discuss the various features and roles of language in general and
Caribbean languages in particular and to apply them appropriately
in different communication contexts.
• III) Expression – The ability to speak and write Caribbean Standard
English with effectiveness, precision, clarity and fluency.
 STRUCTURE OF THE COURSE: 3 MODULES
• Module 1: Gathering and Processing Information

• Expression (oral and written)

• Comprehension
• Summary
• Current issues – Evaluating sources
• Organizing skills (Oral and written)

● Discourse Analysis essay will be tested in the December 2022 exam, along
with a full multiple-choice paper
 Module 2: Language and Community
• Expression (oral and written)

• Defining language (characteristics); differentiate

between ‘language’ (generic) and ‘a language’; purposes of language
etc.

• Salient characteristics of English Creole languages

– grammar, vocabulary (syntax), phonology

• Language in Society

• Technology, Culture, and Communication

 Module 3: Speaking and Writing

• Expression (oral and written) – mechanics

• Process of communication
• Forms of communication
• Contexts of communication
• Types of speaking and writing
• Organizing skills (oral and written)
 CAPE ASSESSMENT:
1. Internal Assessment (IA) = 4 Components:
Introduction, Reflection, Analytical Section (Typewritten), Exposition
(Oral 7-minute extemporaneous speech in front of examiners)

2. Paper 1 - Multiple-Choice = 1 Hour 30 Minutes

• Items 1-7 Listening Comprehension Exam facilitated by examiner/reader
• Items 8 - 45 knowledge and situation-type questions from the 3 modules

3. Paper 2 - The Essay Paper = 2 Hours 30 Minutes

• Section A - Module 1 = Gathering and Processing Information Essay
• Section B - Module 2 = Language and Community Essay
• Section C - Module 3 = Speaking and Writing Essay
****** All 3 questions are compulsory and each essay will range from
a minimum of 5 properly developed paragraphs to a maximum of 9