PGCE Primary/ Early Years Pre-course English Audit
Name …………………………………………………..
During the course you are required to take personal responsibility for renewing and
updating your subject knowledge and understanding in English, identifying areas for
development, setting personal targets and addressing any areas of weakness. This
process commences now, before the course starts, and will continue throughout.
You will develop your knowledge and understanding through self-study, through
contact sessions and through school experiences.
Initial against each item in the middle column to indicate your current ‘Subject
Knowledge’ Use a self-study guide e.g. Primary English: Knowledge and
Understanding by Medwell et al, published by Learning Matters. There are many
other such guides so do look to see which best suit your needs.
As part of all courses trainees must demonstrate that they Current
know and understand:
Knowledge
I already have a
thorough and
secure knowledge
of this topic
The nature and role of Standard English
Can you define Standard English?
 dialect
 accent
 standard English;
 to be able to pick out of a written passage pieces that
are in dialect and those written to signify an accent
 some of the grammatical differences between standard
English and some N-S forms of English like Creole;
some of the grammatical terms necessary to describe
Non-standard English,
About Texts
Pre-course
Revision
I have revised this
topic and now have
a thorough and
secure knowledge
Do you know the text structure and key language features of
the following genres:

Narrative, e.g. fables and fairy stories, including
sequencing events, plot line, climax and resolution,
characterisation and the use of temporal connectives.

Poetry – the structure of various forms, e.g. haiku,
sonnet, couplet, limerick as well as language features,
e.g. simile metaphor, personification, alliteration and
assonance.

Non-fiction – the structure and language features of
non-fiction genre, e.g. recounts, reports, explanations,
instructions, persuasion and discussion?
Do you know how to evaluate texts critically: Are you able to
discuss the devices used by authors to create desired effects,
convey meaning…?
The spoken and written language systems of English
Lexical
Can you explain the difficulties of representing the
(approximately) 44 phonemes of English with only 26 letters of
the alphabet?
Do you understand technical terms?
Can you segment words by phoneme?
Do you know the difference between a digraph and a blend?
Can you define terms such as morpheme (bound and
unbound), root, suffix, prefix?
Do you know what synonyms and homonyms are?
Can you explain how derivational suffixes change the function
of a word in a sentence or form new words?
Do you know how inflectional suffixes are grammatical in
function?
Grammatical
Do you know the 8 main word classes?
Can you define a sentence?
Do you understand the subject and predicate?
Can you explain the difference between a simple, compound
and complex sentence?
Can you identify components of sentences – phrases, clauses,
and define a main clause, subordinate clause and an adverbial
phrase?
Do you know what a compound word is?
Can you explain the difference between an active and a
passive sentence?
Can you describe the differences between first, second and
third person?
Do you know the different types of verbs and how verbs
change according to tense?
Finite and non-finite verbs? Verb tense? How to write in the
first, second and third person? Present and past participles?
Punctuation
Can you identify common errors such as the comma splice and
suggest alternatives?
Do you know when you can use a semicolon?
Do you know when you can use a comma?
Can you explain how to use an apostrophe to show
possession? Omission?
Can you explain and use other punctuation marks?
Are you aware of the conventions of punctuating dialogue?
What grade would you give yourself after your first pre-course audit? Initial and date below in
the right-hand column.
After doing your pre-course revision, what grade would you now give yourself? Again, initial
and date in the right-hand column.
Initial and date
A
You have secure knowledge and understanding of all the subject
items. You see and understand the links between your knowledge of
the spoken and written systems of language and your knowledge of
children’s texts and can use that understanding for planning, to
respond to pupils’ learning needs as speakers, listeners, readers and
writers.
B
You have secure knowledge and understanding of almost all the
subject items. You have action planned to address any misconceptions
and gaps in knowledge before the end of the course. You can see
connections between your understanding and the needs of developing
readers and writers in school but need to extend this knowledge
through further experience.
C
You have adequate knowledge and understanding of the majority of
the subject items. You have action planned to address any
misconceptions and gaps in knowledge before the end of the course
and view this as a priority during University and school-based training.
D
You have serious weaknesses in knowledge and understanding of a
majority of the subject audit items. You will need to provide abundant
evidence of you successfully addressing all of your misconceptions
and gaps in knowledge before the end of the course. You will need to
work very hard to satisfy the requirements for qualified teacher status
and for the successful completion of the course.
REMEMBER TO BRING THIS COMPLETED AUIDT TO YOUR FIRST
ENGLISH SEMINAR SESSION