Our English Curriculum is based on Dr Pereira's successfully tested Literature-Driven English Curriculum.

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As part of her doctoral research (Pereira, 2006), our founder and curriculum developer, Dr Mary Delfin Pereira, conducted a research into designing the Literature-Driven English Curriculum (LDEC) © . As the then Assistant Professor at the NIE, NTU , Dr Pereira continued with her passion for research into designing lessons that will enhance skills while increasing the motivation in students to learn the English Language. The five language skills – reading, writing, oral communication, listening and viewing, were taught as an integrated whole. Grammar rules were naturally incorporated into the lessons and thus became a joy to learn.

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The LDEC © curriculum works on the principle that there is a practical basis for the learning of language skills. Language is to be learnt to be used and appreciated for its communicative purposes; therefore, language skills, grammar and conventions are to be taught from a utilitarian perspective. While understanding the different techniques and concepts, learners of language should enjoy and use what they learn.

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Dr Pereira, tested upper and middle ability students in Singapore secondary schools. The results were overwhelmingly positive. Students reported that they enjoyed the lessons and their language skills were enhanced. She then tested the typically low achieving Normal (Technical) students. It also showed positive results. Students were found to have improved in their conceptual understanding of grammar and they also displayed enhanced skills when analysing reading passages.

 

Dr Pereira launched The Pear Tree to bring her highly effective LDEC methodology to any student who wants to achieve high levels of fluency in their English regardless of their current abilities. For more on the research or how literature can enhance language skills, please refer to:

Thesis on the LDEC

Abstract on LDEC in English in Education

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At The Pear Tree, the curriculum has been further developed to nurture confident thinkers, speakers and writers who are fluent in expressing their thoughts, ideas and opinions as well as in articulating the explicit and inferential information found in different kinds of text, be it print, visual or auditory. Lessons are also created with the objective of ensuring that students sit for their examinations with confidence.

 

Hence, at The Pear Tree, we work towards nurturing the Confident-Fluent thinker, listener, writer and speaker.

Our objectives are laid out in the diagram below:

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