Edexcel’s International GCSE in English as a Second Language has been primarily designed as a qualification for students who are either obtaining their secondary education through English as a medium of instruction, or who are studying English in order to enhance their future educational or employment prospects. It is appropriate for teaching in both schools and colleges.

Key subject aims:

• To develop students’ understanding of a wide variety of complex reading texts, recognising implicit meaning and adapting their own style and speed of reading to different texts and purposes
• To enable students to understand standard spoken language, whether live or broadcast, on both unfamiliar and familiar topics normally encountered in personal, social, academic or vocational contexts
• To enable students to write clear, well-structured texts using an appropriate style, highlighting relevant salient issues, expanding and supporting points of view with supporting arguments where relevant and showing controlled use of organisational patterns, connectors and cohesive devices
• To develop students’ ability to express themselves fluently, spontaneously and appropriately in a range of speaking contexts with little obvious searching for expressions or use of avoidance strategies
• To develop the skills necessary for further study or employment either in English-speaking countries or where English is used as the main medium of communication for business and commerce
• To develop an understanding of the nature of language in different cultural contexts in order to build up a communicative competence.

Assessment and progression

• Edexcel’s IGCSE in ESL is aimed at students at the B2 level of the Council of Europe’s Common European Framework
• Reading, writing and listening skills are tested through two examination papers
• Grading A* to G
• Speaking is tested through a face-to-face interview at the centre. The speaking test is optional and endorsed separately.