In Junior Secondary School 2 (JSS2) in Nigeria, English Studies plays an important role in the academic curriculum. This subject is central to developing students’ English language proficiency, comprehension, and communication abilities. Through English Studies, students explore different aspects of the English language, including Speech Work, Grammar, Reading and Comprehension, Composition, and Literature in English.
English Studies in JSS2 prioritizes discussion, group activities, and interactive sessions to facilitate language comprehension, understanding, and acquisition. This goes a mile in helping students articulate their thoughts effectively, while enhancing their listening and comprehension skills.
In junior secondary schools, how students are assessed in English studies can differ from school to school. However, typically, they are evaluated through tests or quizzes (Continuous Assessment Tests) and end-of-term exams.
Grading follows a scale from A to F, with A representing excellent performance, typically scoring around 70% or 80%, and F indicating failure, usually below 50% or 45%.
| LAGOS STATE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION: UNIFIED SCHEMES OF WORK FOR JUNIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL | ||
| English Studies Scheme of Work for Junior Secondary School 2(JSS2) | ||
| Class | J.S.S 2 | |
| Subject | English Studies | |
| Term | First Term | |
| Week | Topic | Breakdown |
1 | SPEECH WORK | Listening and Speaking – Revision of pure vowel sound. |
| GRAMMAR | Revision of parts of speech – Nouns, Pronouns, Verbs and Adjectives. | |
| READING AND COMPREHENSION | Review of the SPQ3R reading technique. | |
| COMPOSITION | Writing an outline for a Narrative Essay – How l spent my last holiday. | |
| LITERATURE IN ENGLISH | I. Revisit Features of Prose (setting, theme, characterization,…) II. Figures of speech – Alliteration, Personification. | |
2 | SPEECH WORK | Revision of consonant sounds with emphasis on consonant clusters. |
| GRAMMAR | Transitive and Intransitive verbs | |
| READING AND COMPREHENSION | Reading to understand the writer’s purpose | |
| COMPOSITION | Descriptive Essay – Writing an outline on a place of interest l visited. | |
| LITERATURE IN ENGLISH | Use the recommended text on prose. | |
3 | SPEECH WORK | Listening and speaking – The / ɪə / sound as in ear, clear, hear, bear, etc. |
| GRAMMAR | More on Active voice and Passive voice. | |
| READING AND COMPREHENSION | I. Identification of words that to the writer’s intention on contemporary issues like corruption. II. Vocabulary Development – Word families – in the hospital. | |
| COMPOSITION | Elements of Composition – pre – writing, writing, editing, body and conclusion. | |
| LITERATURE IN ENGLISH | I. Features of folktales (didactic, entertaining, riddles,…) II. Use the recommended text on prose. | |
4 | SPEECH WORK | The / əʊ / sound (go, blow, mow, know…) |
| GRAMMAR | More on Tenses (Present, Past and Future) | |
| READING AND COMPREHENSION | I. Critical Reading – Meaning and steps of critical reading. II. Vocabulary Development – Word families – The police officers job | |
| COMPOSITION | Descriptive Essay – A local festival | |
| LITERATURE IN ENGLISH | Use the recommended text on prose. | |
5 | SPEECH WORK | Revision of consonant sounds (t, d, k, g) |
| GRAMMAR | The present continuous tense. | |
| READING AND COMPREHENSION | I. Reading to identify the meanings of word in various contexts. II. Vocabulary Development – Word families – A place of worship | |
| COMPOSITION | Revisit the format of an informal letter and a formal letter. | |
| LITERATURE IN ENGLISH | I. Use the recommended text on drama II. Theme/Setting in the recommended text drama. | |
6 | SPEECH WORK | Contrasting consonants / p / and / t / (pan, tan, prim, trim,…) |
| GRAMMAR | The Past Perfect Tense | |
| READING AND COMPREHENSION | I. Reading to identify the facts and opinions in a given passage. II. Vocabulary Development – The language of sports | |
| COMPOSITION | Narrative Essay – What l do every day. | |
| LITERATURE IN ENGLISH | I. Use the recommended text on drama. II. Characterization and plot in the recommended text | |
7 | SPEECH WORK | The consonant sounds / f / and / v / – (contrast) – vampire, favour, vanish, famish) |
| GRAMMAR | Making sentences with Conjunctions. | |
| READING AND COMPREHENSION | I. Reading to explain the facts and opinions in a selected passage. II. Vocabulary Development: Word Families – Journalism. | |
| COMPOSITION | Letter writing – A letter to your father on why you like your new school. | |
| LITERATURE IN ENGLISH | I. Differentiating between a novella and a novel II. More of Figures of speech – Onomatopoeia and Personification. | |
8 | SPEECH WORK | The consonant / v / and / r /. |
| GRAMMAR | Making requests using will, could, may,… | |
| READING AND COMPREHENSION | Refer to week 2 | |
| COMPOSITION | Descriptive Essay – My favorite teacher | |
| LITERATURE IN ENGLISH | I. Retell a folktale and explain its theme II. Use the recommended text on drama | |
9 | SPEECH WORK | The consonant sound / h / |
| GRAMMAR | Direct and indirect speech. | |
| READING AND COMPREHENSION | A review of week 4 | |
| COMPOSITION | Formal Letter – A Letter of Invitation (As a guest speaker) | |
| LITERATURE IN ENGLISH | I. Revision of the recommend texts II. Revision of Literacy term | |
| 10 | REVISION | |
| 11 | TESTS | |
| 12 & 13 | EXAMINATION | |
| Term | Second Term | |
| Week | Topic | Breakdown |
1 | REVISION OF LAST TERM’S WORK | |
| SPEECH WORK | Revision of Diphthongs. | |
| GRAMMAR | Reported speech: rules guiding the use of reported speech. | |
| READING AND COMPREHENSION | Reading to provide alternative words that can fit into the context to replace the target words. | |
| COMPOSITION | Writing a report – Outline and features | |
| LITERATURE IN ENGLISH | Use the recommended text on prose. | |
2 | SPEECH WORK | Intonation – Identification of Intonation patterns in statements, questions and commands. |
| GRAMMAR | Making sentences with Prepositions. | |
| READING AND COMPREHENSION | Reading for speed with emphasis on avoidance of vocalizations, regressive reading and reading words instead of phrases. | |
| COMPOSITION | Writing a report – An accident l witnessed. | |
| LITERATURE IN ENGLISH | I. Use the recommended text on prose II. Themes / Characterization in the recommended prose text | |
3 | SPEECH WORK | Intonation/Stress – Making statements, giving commands and asking questions, using different Intonation patterns. |
| GRAMMAR | Regular and Irregular Verbs. | |
| READING AND COMPREHENSION | I. Techniques of speed reading – surveying, scanning, skimming. II. Vocabulary Development – Culture and Tourism | |
| COMPOSITION | Writing an informal letter continued. Letter to a friend about your school inter – sport. | |
| LITERATURE IN ENGLISH | I. Use the recommended text on drama. II. Themes and plot in the recommended drama text | |
4 | SPEECH WORK | Stress: Identification of the correct points of pauses in different words (im’port/ ‘import, ‘refuse/re’fuse) |
| GRAMMAR | Reported commands. | |
| READING AND COMPREHENSION | I. Dialogue. II. Vocabulary Development – ICT | |
| COMPOSITION | Formal letter – Write to the local government chairman about the bad roads in your area | |
| LITERATURE IN ENGLISH | I. Use the recommended text on drama II. Language, setting and characterization in the recommended drama text | |
5 | SPEECH WORK | Rhythm – Identification of the appropriate rhythm in a given poem |
| GRAMMAR | Reported Requests | |
| READING AND COMPREHENSION | Dialogue continued | |
| COMPOSITION | Argumentative Essay – Herbal medicines of more potent than orthodox medicines. | |
| LITERATURE IN ENGLISH | Identification of some figures of speech in the recommended prose text. | |
6 | SPEECH WORK | Review of stress/Intonation, Refer to week 3 and 4 |
| GRAMMAR | Adverbials and the Present Tense | |
| READING AND COMPREHENSION | I. More on Week 1 topic II. Vocabulary Development – Science and Technology | |
| COMPOSITION | Expository Essay – Entrepreneurship | |
| LITERATURE IN ENGLISH | I. Distinguish between Irony, Euphemism and Hyperbole. II. Write a short play on the reward of truancy. | |
7 | SPEECH WORK | Consonants / s / and / z / (sip/zip, stone/zebra, this/these, lloos/lose) |
| GRAMMAR | Introduction to punctuation marks. | |
| READING AND COMPREHENSION | Reading to summarize a selected passage. | |
| COMPOSITION | Narrative Essay – My last birthday | |
| LITERATURE IN ENGLISH | Summary of the recommend prose text. | |
8 | SPEECH WORK | Consonant sounds / k / and / g / as in cup /gulp and chaos/alligator. |
| GRAMMAR | Punctuation marks – The full stop and the comma. | |
| READING AND COMPREHENSION | Reading to identify the main and supporting ideas in a selected passage | |
| COMPOSITION | Writing a story – The Meeting. | |
| LITERATURE IN ENGLISH | Summary of the recommend drama text | |
9 | SPEECH WORK | Consonants / m /, / n / / s / as in man, nanny, singer, etc. |
| GRAMMAR | Punctuation marks continued. The question mark, the colon and the semi – colon | |
| READING AND COMPREHENSION | As in week 8 | |
| COMPOSITION | Review the Types of Letters and Essays | |
| LITERATURE IN ENGLISH | Review the Literacy terms. | |
| 10 | REVISION | |
| 11 &12 | EXAMINATION |
| Term | Third Term | |
| Week | Topic | Breakdown |
1 | REVISION OF 2nd TERM’S WORK AND EXAMINATION QUESTIONS. | |
| SPEECH WORK | Revision of stress/Intonation. | |
| GRAMMAR | The use of conjunctions – Although and whereas as contrasts. | |
| READING AND COMPREHENSION | Reading to understand the writer’s purpose by identifying the keywords in a selected passage. | |
| COMPOSITION | A review of Formal Letters and Informal Letters. | |
| LITERATURE IN ENGLISH | Review of Literacy terms and figures of speech. | |
2 | SPEECH WORK | Consonants / t / and / d / or / p / & / b / at the initial, middle and final position of words. |
| GRAMMAR | Using despite and inspire with adequate examples. | |
| READING AND COMPREHENSION | Reading to summarize the key ideas from different paragraphs. | |
| COMPOSITION | ||
| LITERATURE IN ENGLISH | I. Use the recommended text on prose. II. More on myths and Legends themes in popular myths / Legends. | |
3 | SPEECH WORK | Consonant Sounds / tʃ / and / ʃ / as in sheep/cheap and mash /march |
| GRAMMAR | The uses of have, has and had. | |
| READING AND COMPREHENSION | Reading to infer author’s intention in a selected passage. | |
| COMPOSITION | A composition on the topic – pride goes before a fall | |
| LITERATURE IN ENGLISH | I. Characterization, Theme and Diction in the recommended prose text. II. Write a simple story on Honesty and fair play. | |
4 | SPEECH WORK | Consonant sounds / θ / and / ð / as in think/father and mouth/lathe |
| GRAMMAR | Synonyms using adequate examples | |
| READING AND COMPREHENSION | I. Reading to identify words/expressions that signal or redirect attention to main point | |
| COMPOSITION | A composition on the topic – The Responsibilities of Government. | |
| LITERATURE IN ENGLISH | I. Use the recommended text on prose. II. Writing simple poem on laziness | |
5 | SPEECH WORK | Consonants / w / and / j / as in wonder/university and win /yellow. |
| GRAMMAR | Antonyms – using adequate examples | |
| READING AND COMPREHENSION | I. As in week 1 II. Vocabulary Development – Conflict resolution | |
| COMPOSITION | A topic on – A memorable journey l once made | |
| LITERATURE IN ENGLISH | I. Identification of the moral import in the recommended prose text. II. Setting / Plot in the recommended prose text. | |
6 | SPEECH WORK | Contrasting vowels / u / and / u: / as in Look/youth and book/food. |
| GRAMMAR | The use of causative Verbs. For example, blacken – to cause to become black | |
| READING AND COMPREHENSION | I. As in week 2 II. Vocabulary Development – Words associated with Religion. | |
| COMPOSITION | Writing a Dialogue | |
| LITERATURE IN ENGLISH | I. Use the recommended text on drama II. Figures of speech in the recommended drama text | |
7 | SPEECH WORK | Contrast between vowels / ɜ: / and / ʌ / ( caught/come and lawn/love) |
| GRAMMAR | Adverbs of place – by the gate, in the school, on the field,… | |
| READING AND COMPREHENSION | As in week 3 | |
| COMPOSITION | Composition on the topic – The day l would not like to remember | |
| LITERATURE IN ENGLISH | I. Use the recommended text on drama II. Dramatization of some from the recommended text on drama | |
8 | SPEECH WORK | Consonant and vowels differentiated |
| GRAMMAR | Review of prefix and suffix | |
| READING AND COMPREHENSION | Refer to week 4 | |
| COMPOSITION | Write a composition on the topic – The Rich also Cry | |
| LITERATURE IN ENGLISH | Characterization, Diction, Plot and Theme in the recommended text on drama | |
9 | SPEECH WORK | Review of the consonant sounds with emphasis on / θ / and / ð / |
| GRAMMAR | More on Questions Tags | |
| READING AND COMPREHENSION | Review the language skills | |
| COMPOSITION | Review the components of Letter writing and Essay writing. | |
| LITERATURE IN ENGLISH | I. Review the prose text in use II. Review the drama text in use | |
| 10 | REVISION | |
| 11 | EXAMINATION |
The recommended English Studies textbooks for JSS2 include but are not limited to the following:
