English in junior cycle aims to develop students’ knowledge of language and literature, to consolidate and deepen their literacy skills and make them more self-aware as learners.

More specifically it encourages all students to:

• be creative through language and to gain enjoyment and continuing personal growth from English in all its forms
• develop control over English using it and responding to it with purpose and effect through the interconnected literacy skills of oral language, reading and writing
• engage personally with and think critically about an increasingly broad range of spoken, written and multimodal texts
• develop an informed appreciation of literature through personal encounters with a variety of literary texts
• use their literacy skills to manage information needs, and find, use, synthesise, evaluate and communicate information using a variety of media
• gain an understanding of the grammar and conventions of English and how they might be used to promote clear and effective communication.