IGCSE English as a Second Language: Listening, Writing, and Speaking
Preparing for your IGCSE English as a Second Language (ESL) exam can feel daunting. You are not just learning grammar
Learn how to write step-by-step answers, and score A* in your exam!
Announcement: Cambridge IGCSE, O Level and AS & A Level June 2025 past papers are now available.
You may be asked to write an informal letter to a friend or family member. Often, the question will require you to describe or explain something, or it may ask you to say what you think about a suggestion or a plan. The exam question will give you some ideas, and will tell you what you should include in your letter.
Remember: It is important to show that you can write in an informal style.
Write a short introduction for this post:
Make sure that you follow all instructions very carefully and write the required number of words. Aim for 15 words plus or minus from the maximum word limit guideline.
For English First Language Extended syllabus, aim for 435 words or so; or in the range of 435－465 words.
For English as a Second Language Extended syllabus, aim for 145 words or so.
Though there is no penalty in writing more than the suggested limit, it would be self-penalising to wrote more as you leave no time for other questions.
When you write, use your imagination as much as possible, but remember that your answer must always be relevant to the question.
One way to improve your writing is by using more adjectives and adverbs.
Example:
We had food and the music was good.
The above sentence could be made better by applying some adjectives like the below sentence.
We ate delicious food and the music was fantastic!
For example: Up to nine marks are awarded for content, and up to nine marks for language.
“Content” refers to the relevance and development of ideas; “language” refers to style and accuracy.
Below are some important points about writing a formal letter in your IGCSE exam:
You may be asked to write an article or a narrative, describe something or to write something persuasive. It is important that you read the question very carefully and that you express yourself effectively. You should also show that you can vary the style of your writing, depending on the topic.
In all the English subjects papers, you’ll be required to summarise a text. Below are some important points to help you score maximum marks for this section:
You may be asked to write your opinion about something in the form of a newspaper article, or perhaps for your school newsletter or magazine.
For English First Language, be sure to cover all the bullet points given.
For English as a Second Language, usually you will be given help in the form of a list of ideas or other people’s opinions, but you do not have to use them in your answer. You are free to use your own ideas, just be sure to keep to the topic.
You must show the examiner that you can use the English language for a specific purpose and that you can organise your ideas in a logical way.
Although you don’t have much time for planning, you should underline the key word(s) in the question to ensure you do exactly what is asked.
Write very brief notes, putting your ideas into a logical order. Also, check for repetition. When you have finished your writing, check your spelling, grammar and punctuation.
Join 62,169 (and counting) IGCSE & AS/A Level subscribers who’ve taken our insanely valuable FREE email courses. Learn exam tips & score A* in your exam!
Nawal Amir
Saudi Arabia
Reinard Swart
South Africa
Preparing for your IGCSE English as a Second Language (ESL) exam can feel daunting. You are not just learning grammar
Choosing the right educational pathway for your child is one of the most significant decisions a family can make. In
The IGCSE English First Language exam places a strong emphasis on creative writing, with writing descriptive and narrative essays being
In the IGCSE English First Language Directed Writing task, you’ll be required to either write a speech, letter, or article
616 responses
Hi i would like to know what is the word count minimum and maximum for Fiction essay checkpoint year 9 as i’m sitting for the exam this year thank you
Hi Max,
Please check this with your school. We do not have any information for Checkpoint Tests as these tests are meant for school?s assessment only.
hello
how do i get an A*??? i always get a B in english
i am doing english as a second language (0510)extended
Hi Hadid,
You can check out our A* online revision courses. These had helped numerous students to score A*: https://www.skolatis.com/cambridge-igcse-revision-courses/
You can also use our available resources to help improve your English:
Exam model answers ? https://www.skolatis.com/igcse-exam-resources/
Past exam papers ? https://www.skolatis.com/cambridge-igcse-past-exam-papers/
You can also get your practice papers marked by a qualified subject expert here: https://www.skolatis.com/mark-your-papers/
hi, im really bad at writing its hard for me to put my thoughts into words.can i get help
Hi Justin,
We’d suggest you to first increase your range of vocabulary, adjectives, and verbs.
When describing something, say, a real person. Try to imagine that the person you describe has a full life, a history, a background but you only select what is needed for your writing. As you write, always ask yourself, Is this the sort of thing this person would say? or do? or think? Remember people have appearance and personality. It is personality which is more important for your readers though you can use their appearance to make a point about their personality. As with describing scenes, avoid a list-like approach and remember you don?t have to describe everything from the top of a person?s head to their toes.
Alternatively, you can also use our available resources to help improve your English:
Exam model answers ? https://www.skolatis.com/igcse-exam-resources/
Past exam papers ? https://www.skolatis.com/cambridge-igcse-past-exam-papers/
You can also get your practice papers marked by a qualified subject expert here: https://www.skolatis.com/mark-your-papers/
Hope this helps.
Hi. I am going to appear for the IGCSE Exam in this academic year. Out of 25 in Language I score around 13- 14 marks. I am weak at putting my ideas on the paper. My vocabulary is not too strong and I don’t tend to write well. so what can I do to score at least an A in my examination?
Hi Hiteshi, you can improve your vocabulary by learning a small number of new words every day. You can visit sites like vocabulary.com. Remember that you must practice putting your new words into your writing and speaking or risk not retaining them in your brain. Use repetition exercises when you first learn a word ? and consider other learning techniques, such as index cards, recording yourself reciting your words, association games, and mnemonics ? whichever works best for you. You can also try associating the formulas with certain things you enjoy, for example, a TV show. You could also use Quizlet ? it?s a fun flash card website that turns your flash cards into games and more. You can also use Quizlet to improve your Vocabulary.
You can use more complex sentences,punctuation marks,vocabulary,descriptive words and new words.will definitely help you to score superb marks as myself also studies in IGCSE however I was also weak before and my teacher recommended and believe me now I get ‘A’ grade ;7 to 8 marks out off 10
hey I am an African student and English is my second language . i am writing first language English .I am facing difficulties and the highest I can get to is a D .problems are sentence constructions and lack of vocabulary. Do you think it is to late for me to get an a* and any tips to help me improve
Hi Anopa,
It?s never too late. You?ll only have to work twice as hard to catch up.
First of all, you can improve your vocabulary by learning a small number of new words every day. You can visit sites like vocabulary.com. Remember that you must practice putting your new words into your writing and speaking or risk not retaining them in your brain. Use repetition exercises when you first learn a word ? and consider other learning techniques, such as index cards, recording yourself reciting your words, association games, and mnemonics ? whichever works best for you. You can also try associating the formulas with certain things you enjoy, for example, a TV show. You could also use Quizlet ? it?s a fun flashcard website that turns your flashcards into games, and more. You can also use Quizlet to improve your Vocabulary.
You can also use the exam model answers (https://www.skolatis.com/igcse-exam-resources/) to improve your writing.
You can find many useful resources here: https://www.skolatis.com/category/english-as-second-language/
Alternatively, you may consider registering for English as a Second Language subject instead of the English First Language. Give English as a Second Language a try, and assess your scoring marks.