Several different subjects are all called "English" in conversation. They are examined differently, they are chosen for different students, and the choice is one of the few IGCSE decisions that follows a student into a university application.
First Language English (0500)
Written for students who use English as their main language of education. It is untiered — every candidate sits the same papers and A* is available to all.
Everyone takes Paper 1: Reading, worth half the grade. For the other half a school chooses between Paper 2: Directed Writing and Composition and a coursework portfolio of three pieces written during the course, marked by the school and moderated by Cambridge. There is also an optional Speaking and Listening component, reported separately on a 1 to 5 scale, which does not count toward the subject grade.
English as a Second Language (0510 and 0511)
One course, two syllabus numbers, and the only difference is what happens to the speaking mark. Both are untiered, and both award A*–G.
| Component | 0510 | 0511 |
|---|---|---|
| Reading and Writing | 70% | 50% |
| Listening | 30% | 25% |
| Speaking | Separate, graded 1–5, not in the grade | 25% of the grade |
The speaking test itself is identical under both: a short interview, a talk on a topic the candidate is given, and a discussion of it. It is conducted and marked in the school and moderated by Cambridge. The teaching is the same for both codes — only the reporting differs — so the useful question for a family is simply which code the school has entered the student for.
Literature in English (0475)
A separate subject about set texts — poetry, prose and drama — not a version of 0500. It is taken in addition to an English language subject, not instead of one, and there is a coursework route within it as well. A student intending to study literature, law or the humanities benefits from having it on the certificate.
Proving your English later
Cambridge can issue a Certifying Statement that breaks an IGCSE English result down by component and maps it onto CEFR levels. It covers First Language English and English as a Second Language, and it requires that the speaking or oral component was actually taken — which is one practical reason not to skip it.
This matters because universities abroad often want evidence across all four skills, commonly at CEFR B2 level. Under 0510, a grade C overall together with a grade 2 in speaking corresponds to roughly that level. It is worth knowing about before paying for a separate proficiency test that may not be needed.
Two questions worth asking early
- Which code is this student entered for — 0500, 0510 or 0511 — and was that a judgement about the student or a whole-class decision?
- Is the school taking the coursework route or the examined route, and is the speaking component being entered?
日常谈话里，好几个不同的科目都被称作“英文”。它们的考法不同，适合的学生不同，而这个选择是少数会一路跟到大学申请的 IGCSE 决定之一。
第一语言英文（0500）
为以英文作为主要学习语言的学生编写。不分层级——所有考生考同一套试卷，人人都有机会拿 A*。
所有人都考阅读卷（Paper 1），占一半成绩。另一半由学校在写作卷（Paper 2：指定写作与作文）与课业作品集之间择一：作品集为课程期间完成的三篇文章，由学校评分、剑桥抽样审核。另有一项选修的口语与聆听，以 1 至 5 分单独呈报，不计入科目成绩。
第二语言英文（0510 与 0511）
同一门课程，两个考纲编号，唯一的差别在于口试成绩的处理方式。两者都不分层级，都评 A*–G。
| 部分 | 0510 | 0511 |
|---|---|---|
| 阅读与写作 | 70% | 50% |
| 聆听 | 30% | 25% |
| 口语 | 单独呈报，1–5 分，不计入成绩 | 占成绩 25% |
两者的口试完全相同：一段简短问答、一段以指定题目为主的短讲，以及针对该题目的讨论。口试在学校进行与评分，再由剑桥抽样审核。两个编号的教学内容一样，不同的只是呈报方式——因此家长真正该问的，只是学校替学生报了哪一个编号。
英国文学（0475）
这是关于指定文本（诗歌、散文与戏剧）的另一个科目，不是 0500 的另一个版本。它是在英文语言科之外加修，而不是取而代之，科目内部同样有课业评量的路线。打算修读文学、法律或人文学科的学生，证书上有这一科会有帮助。
日后如何证明英文能力
剑桥可发出一份 Certifying Statement，把 IGCSE 英文成绩按各部分拆开，并对照到 CEFR 等级。它适用于第一语言英文与第二语言英文，前提是确实考过口语部分——这也是不该省略口试的实际理由。
这一点很重要，因为海外大学往往要求四项技能都有证明，常见门槛是 CEFR B2。以 0510 为例，总成绩 C 等加上口语 2 等，大致对应该水平。在花钱另考英语水平测试之前，值得先知道有这份文件。
值得及早问的两个问题
- 这名学生被报了哪一个编号——0500、0510 还是 0511？那是针对他个人的判断，还是整班一起的决定？
- 学校走的是课业评量路线还是考试路线？有没有报考口语部分？
More in this section本部分其他文章
IGCSE剑桥 IGCSE
- What is IGCSE, and who runs it?什么是 IGCSE？由谁主办？
- How is IGCSE graded?IGCSE 如何评分？
- What do Core and Extended mean?Core 与 Extended 是什么意思？
- How many subjects, and how are they grouped?要考几科？科目怎么组合？
- Which subjects make up the pure science group?纯理科包含哪些科目？
- Which subjects make up the commerce group?商科包含哪些科目？
- When are the exams, and can I sit as a private candidate?考期在什么时候？可以以自修生身份报考吗？
- Can a subject be retaken, or changed?可以重考或换考纲吗？
Next step下一步
A question this page did not answer?这一页没答到你的问题？
Tell us the exam and the subject and we will answer it directly, usually within one working day.把考试与科目告诉我们，我们会直接回答，通常在一个工作日内。