LCA English & Communications

LCA English & Communications

Curriculum Mapping
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This LCA English and Communications course develops students’ personal voice, critical reading skills, and digital awareness through four modules aligned to the Curriculum 2026 specification. Students build a comprehensive Communication Portfolio by completing 17 Key Assignments, engaging with an anchor text, reflective journaling, media analysis, creative composition, and research into digital platforms and safety. Practical work in reading strategies, dialogue writing, advertising design, poetry, drama, and oral presentation prepares learners for both continuous assessment and the final oral examination.
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Year 1 (September to January). Develops communication skills in personal and social situations through reading, writing and oral practice. Introduces the Reflective Journal and the Communication Portfolio that run across the whole course, and uses a single class-chosen anchor text (novel, short story collection or graphic novel) as a critical-literacy focal point. By the end of the module students have banked five Key Assignments and produced their first body of evidence in the portfolio.

Identity
Welcome to English & Comms: Set Up Your Communication Portfolio & Pick the Anchor Text
Who Am I, Who Are We?: Identity Warm-Up & Reflective Journal Launch (KA1)
Comprehending Everyday Texts: Reading for Information
Writing for Audience and Purpose: Letters, Blogs, Interviews, Applications
Identity Out Loud: Spoken Self-Introduction
Relationships
Comprehension Strategies for Communication
Reading Character: Identity and Relationship in Texts
The Reflective Journal as a Tool
Walking Debate or Written Stance: Identity and Relationship
Journeys: Setting Out
Meet the Anchor Text: Cover Analysis
Front Cover Design Workshop, Part 1 (KA2 prep: Novel)
Front Cover Design Workshop, Part 2 (KA2: Short Story + Graphic Novel)
Examining Openings: How a Text Sets Off
Setting and Plot Structure
Journeys: Meeting New Characters
Identifying Characters and Their Motivations
Differences Between Characters: Compare and Contrast
Writing Dialogue, Part 1 (KA3 prep)
Writing Dialogue, Part 2 + Role Play (KA3: pair/group)
Optional Drama Extension: From Page to Performance
Journeys: Finding Our Way
Mechanics of Communication: Why It Matters
Mapping Plot and Resolution
Building Suspense: How Writers Hold the Reader
Drafting and Editing Workshop, Part 1 (KA4 prep)
Drafting and Editing Workshop, Part 2 (KA4: proof + edit)
Editing Tools: AI as Drafter, Critic, Explainer
Destinations
Reflecting on the Reading Process
Forming and Defending an Opinion of the Text
Presenting an Opinion: Spoken and Written
Reflective Journal: Anchor Text Reflection (KA5)
Module 1 Recap & Bridge to Module 2

Year 1 (February to May). Extends junior cycle digital communication skills into the senior cycle, with strong workplace and Work Experience ties. Students audit their own digital identity, build research and source-evaluation skills, contribute to a class digital safety charter, research a global communication platform, and update the Reflective Journal in light of Work Experience. Banks four Key Assignments.

Digital Identity
Welcome to Module 2: Communication and the Digital World
Personal Digital Identity: What's Already Out There About You
Workplace Digital Identity: Employer and Employee Responsibilities
Spotting Bias in Digital Texts
AI-Generated Content and the Bias Question
Research Foundations: Picking a Subject and Framing a Question
The Website Analysis Template: Six Criteria
Online Research Workshop, Part 1 (KA1 prep)
Online Research Workshop, Part 2 (KA1: banking)
Unit 1 Recap: Becoming a Critical Reader of the Internet
Digital Safety
Guarding Your Information Online
Managing Your Social Network Identity
Recognising Cyberbullying
Strategies to Address Cyberbullying
Digital Safety Charter Workshop, Part 1 (KA2 prep: brainstorm)
Digital Safety Charter Workshop, Part 2 (KA2: jigsaw + drafting)
Digital Safety Charter Workshop, Part 3 (KA2: finalising + contribution)
Digital Safety Charter Final Production (KA2: banking)
Consumer Awareness Online, Part 1: Spotting Legitimate vs Scam
Consumer Awareness Online, Part 2: Rights and Reporting
Digital Citizenship and Global Communication
What Is Digital Citizenship?
Personal and Ethical Responsibilities of a Digital Citizen
Global Communication Platforms: An Overview
Picking Your Platform and Framing Your Inquiry (KA3 prep)
Research the Platform, Part 1 (KA3: history, structure, audience)
Research the Platform, Part 2 (KA3: impact, ethics, current debate)
Presentation Prep (KA3: designing the deliverable)
Present Your Findings (KA3: banking)
Multi-Modal Text Analysis
Module 2 Reflective Journal Update + Bridge to Module 3 (KA4: banking)

Year 2 (September to January). Develops communication and analytical skills around media texts: media forms and audiences, audio/visual/print media, advertising, and film studies. Unit 4 reconnects deliberately to the Module 1 anchor text via the film of (or thematically linked to) it. Banks four Key Assignments including a real-life-scenario advertisement and a film/text comparison.

Introduction to Media
Welcome to Module 3: Communication in Media + Reading Journey Setup
Examining Different Types of Media Forms
Evaluating the Appropriate Audience for Each Form
Bias and Balance in Media Texts
M3 KA1: Reflective Journal Update, Reading Journey (banking)
Audio, Visual and Print Media
Audio Media: Radio, Podcasts, and the Power of the Voice
Visual Media: Television, Film, Video Games, Streaming
Print Media: Newspapers, Magazines, Brochures, Posters, Billboards
The Comparison Rubric: Topic, Purpose, Audience
Impact of Design: Colour, Imagery, Sound Effects, Typography
Picking Your Event + Introduction to Coverage Analysis (KA2 prep)
Coverage Analysis Workshop, Part 1 (KA2: Channel 1)
Coverage Analysis Workshop, Part 2 (KA2: Channels 2 + 3)
KA2 Banking: Compare and Contrast Presentation
Media and Advertising
Advertising Techniques: An Introduction
Critical Analysis: What Is the Ad Selling, Really?
Ethics in Advertising: When the Promise Crosses the Line
Identifying a Real-Life Scenario for Advertisement (KA3 prep)
Advertisement Design Workshop, Part 1 (KA3: planning)
Advertisement Design Workshop, Part 2 (KA3: drafting)
Advertisement Design Workshop, Part 3 (KA3: refining)
KA3 Banking: Final Advertisement + Real-World Placement
Film Studies
Film Genres: An Overview
Linking to Module 1: Storytelling Across Page and Screen
Film Vocabulary: The Language of the Camera
How Techniques Are Used For Effect in Different Genres
Character Voice Creation: Writing as a Film Character
Film and Text Comparison Workshop, Part 1 (KA4 prep)
KA4 Banking: Comparison Display or Presentation
Module 3 Recap + Bridge to Module 4

Year 2 (February to May). The home stretch. Develops the student's own creative voice through critical engagement with song, poetry and drama, the composition of a personal-meaning piece, engagement with a real staged performance, and the two-year reflective journal update that anchors the oral examination and the Personal Reflection Task. Banks four Key Assignments. Every lesson doubles as oral-exam preparation.

Song
Welcome to Module 4: Express Yourself
Song Techniques, Part 1: Rhythm, Beat, Repetition, Sound Effects
Song Techniques, Part 2: Alliteration, Assonance, Internal Rhyme, Imagery, Symbolism
Applying Critical Vocabulary: Themes and Emotions in Songs
Critiquing Songs: Beyond "I Like It"
Comparing Song and Poetry
KA1 Prep: Picking Your Theme and Your Three Pieces
KA1 Banking: Theme Comparison and Named Contribution
Poetry
Poetic Terminology, Part 1: Theme, Mood, Atmosphere
Poetic Terminology, Part 2: Imagery, Symbolism, Figurative Language
A Structured Approach to Poetry Analysis
Personal Response to a Poem
Comparing and Contrasting Poems
From Spoken Word to the Page: Building Blocks of Composition
KA2 Prep: Picking Your Topic of Personal Meaning + Choosing Your Form
Composition Workshop, Part 1 (KA2: drafting)
Composition Workshop, Part 2 (KA2: revising and sharpening)
KA2 Banking: Polished Personal Composition
Drama
Drama Vocabulary, Part 1: Theme, Plot, Characterisation, Setting, Dialogue
Drama Vocabulary, Part 2: Gestures, Costumes, Props, Scenery, Makeup, Special Effects
Studying Drama: Text and Extracts
Stage vs Film: Drama Across Media
Creating a Brief Performance
Engaging with a Staged Performance: KA3 Framework + Viewing
KA3 Banking: Performance Review or Report
Reflection
Reflecting on Skills Learnt Over the LCA Course
Strengths and Areas for Development
How I Learn Now: A Metacognitive Review
KA4 Banking: Two-Year Reflective Journal Update
Oral Exam Practice + Course Farewell

Year 1 (September to January). Develops communication skills in personal and social situations through reading, writing and oral practice. Introduces the Reflective Journal and the Communication Portfolio that run across the whole course, and uses a single class-chosen anchor text (novel, short story collection or graphic novel) as a critical-literacy focal point. By the end of the module students have banked five Key Assignments and produced their first body of evidence in the portfolio.

Identity
Welcome to English & Comms: Set Up Your Communication Portfolio & Pick the Anchor Text
Who Am I, Who Are We?: Identity Warm-Up & Reflective Journal Launch (KA1)
Comprehending Everyday Texts: Reading for Information
Writing for Audience and Purpose: Letters, Blogs, Interviews, Applications
Identity Out Loud: Spoken Self-Introduction
Relationships
Comprehension Strategies for Communication
Reading Character: Identity and Relationship in Texts
The Reflective Journal as a Tool
Walking Debate or Written Stance: Identity and Relationship
Journeys: Setting Out
Meet the Anchor Text: Cover Analysis
Front Cover Design Workshop, Part 1 (KA2 prep: Novel)
Front Cover Design Workshop, Part 2 (KA2: Short Story + Graphic Novel)
Examining Openings: How a Text Sets Off
Setting and Plot Structure
Journeys: Meeting New Characters
Identifying Characters and Their Motivations
Differences Between Characters: Compare and Contrast
Writing Dialogue, Part 1 (KA3 prep)
Writing Dialogue, Part 2 + Role Play (KA3: pair/group)
Optional Drama Extension: From Page to Performance
Journeys: Finding Our Way
Mechanics of Communication: Why It Matters
Mapping Plot and Resolution
Building Suspense: How Writers Hold the Reader
Drafting and Editing Workshop, Part 1 (KA4 prep)
Drafting and Editing Workshop, Part 2 (KA4: proof + edit)
Editing Tools: AI as Drafter, Critic, Explainer
Destinations
Reflecting on the Reading Process
Forming and Defending an Opinion of the Text
Presenting an Opinion: Spoken and Written
Reflective Journal: Anchor Text Reflection (KA5)
Module 1 Recap & Bridge to Module 2

Year 1 (February to May). Extends junior cycle digital communication skills into the senior cycle, with strong workplace and Work Experience ties. Students audit their own digital identity, build research and source-evaluation skills, contribute to a class digital safety charter, research a global communication platform, and update the Reflective Journal in light of Work Experience. Banks four Key Assignments.

Digital Identity
Welcome to Module 2: Communication and the Digital World
Personal Digital Identity: What's Already Out There About You
Workplace Digital Identity: Employer and Employee Responsibilities
Spotting Bias in Digital Texts
AI-Generated Content and the Bias Question
Research Foundations: Picking a Subject and Framing a Question
The Website Analysis Template: Six Criteria
Online Research Workshop, Part 1 (KA1 prep)
Online Research Workshop, Part 2 (KA1: banking)
Unit 1 Recap: Becoming a Critical Reader of the Internet
Digital Safety
Guarding Your Information Online
Managing Your Social Network Identity
Recognising Cyberbullying
Strategies to Address Cyberbullying
Digital Safety Charter Workshop, Part 1 (KA2 prep: brainstorm)
Digital Safety Charter Workshop, Part 2 (KA2: jigsaw + drafting)
Digital Safety Charter Workshop, Part 3 (KA2: finalising + contribution)
Digital Safety Charter Final Production (KA2: banking)
Consumer Awareness Online, Part 1: Spotting Legitimate vs Scam
Consumer Awareness Online, Part 2: Rights and Reporting
Digital Citizenship and Global Communication
What Is Digital Citizenship?
Personal and Ethical Responsibilities of a Digital Citizen
Global Communication Platforms: An Overview
Picking Your Platform and Framing Your Inquiry (KA3 prep)
Research the Platform, Part 1 (KA3: history, structure, audience)
Research the Platform, Part 2 (KA3: impact, ethics, current debate)
Presentation Prep (KA3: designing the deliverable)
Present Your Findings (KA3: banking)
Multi-Modal Text Analysis
Module 2 Reflective Journal Update + Bridge to Module 3 (KA4: banking)

Year 2 (September to January). Develops communication and analytical skills around media texts: media forms and audiences, audio/visual/print media, advertising, and film studies. Unit 4 reconnects deliberately to the Module 1 anchor text via the film of (or thematically linked to) it. Banks four Key Assignments including a real-life-scenario advertisement and a film/text comparison.

Introduction to Media
Welcome to Module 3: Communication in Media + Reading Journey Setup
Examining Different Types of Media Forms
Evaluating the Appropriate Audience for Each Form
Bias and Balance in Media Texts
M3 KA1: Reflective Journal Update, Reading Journey (banking)
Audio, Visual and Print Media
Audio Media: Radio, Podcasts, and the Power of the Voice
Visual Media: Television, Film, Video Games, Streaming
Print Media: Newspapers, Magazines, Brochures, Posters, Billboards
The Comparison Rubric: Topic, Purpose, Audience
Impact of Design: Colour, Imagery, Sound Effects, Typography
Picking Your Event + Introduction to Coverage Analysis (KA2 prep)
Coverage Analysis Workshop, Part 1 (KA2: Channel 1)
Coverage Analysis Workshop, Part 2 (KA2: Channels 2 + 3)
KA2 Banking: Compare and Contrast Presentation
Media and Advertising
Advertising Techniques: An Introduction
Critical Analysis: What Is the Ad Selling, Really?
Ethics in Advertising: When the Promise Crosses the Line
Identifying a Real-Life Scenario for Advertisement (KA3 prep)
Advertisement Design Workshop, Part 1 (KA3: planning)
Advertisement Design Workshop, Part 2 (KA3: drafting)
Advertisement Design Workshop, Part 3 (KA3: refining)
KA3 Banking: Final Advertisement + Real-World Placement
Film Studies
Film Genres: An Overview
Linking to Module 1: Storytelling Across Page and Screen
Film Vocabulary: The Language of the Camera
How Techniques Are Used For Effect in Different Genres
Character Voice Creation: Writing as a Film Character
Film and Text Comparison Workshop, Part 1 (KA4 prep)
KA4 Banking: Comparison Display or Presentation
Module 3 Recap + Bridge to Module 4

Year 2 (February to May). The home stretch. Develops the student's own creative voice through critical engagement with song, poetry and drama, the composition of a personal-meaning piece, engagement with a real staged performance, and the two-year reflective journal update that anchors the oral examination and the Personal Reflection Task. Banks four Key Assignments. Every lesson doubles as oral-exam preparation.

Song
Welcome to Module 4: Express Yourself
Song Techniques, Part 1: Rhythm, Beat, Repetition, Sound Effects
Song Techniques, Part 2: Alliteration, Assonance, Internal Rhyme, Imagery, Symbolism
Applying Critical Vocabulary: Themes and Emotions in Songs
Critiquing Songs: Beyond "I Like It"
Comparing Song and Poetry
KA1 Prep: Picking Your Theme and Your Three Pieces
KA1 Banking: Theme Comparison and Named Contribution
Poetry
Poetic Terminology, Part 1: Theme, Mood, Atmosphere
Poetic Terminology, Part 2: Imagery, Symbolism, Figurative Language
A Structured Approach to Poetry Analysis
Personal Response to a Poem
Comparing and Contrasting Poems
From Spoken Word to the Page: Building Blocks of Composition
KA2 Prep: Picking Your Topic of Personal Meaning + Choosing Your Form
Composition Workshop, Part 1 (KA2: drafting)
Composition Workshop, Part 2 (KA2: revising and sharpening)
KA2 Banking: Polished Personal Composition
Drama
Drama Vocabulary, Part 1: Theme, Plot, Characterisation, Setting, Dialogue
Drama Vocabulary, Part 2: Gestures, Costumes, Props, Scenery, Makeup, Special Effects
Studying Drama: Text and Extracts
Stage vs Film: Drama Across Media
Creating a Brief Performance
Engaging with a Staged Performance: KA3 Framework + Viewing
KA3 Banking: Performance Review or Report
Reflection
Reflecting on Skills Learnt Over the LCA Course
Strengths and Areas for Development
How I Learn Now: A Metacognitive Review
KA4 Banking: Two-Year Reflective Journal Update
Oral Exam Practice + Course Farewell

Curriculum Mapping

See exactly how this course maps to official curriculum specifications

LCA - English and Communications Module Descriptor
Curriculum Area
Outcomes
Module 1: Personal and Social Communication
Unit 1: Identity
M1.U1.1 M1.U1.2 M1.U1.3
Unit 2: Relationships
M1.U2.1 M1.U2.2 M1.U2.3
Unit 3: Journeys: Setting out
M1.U3.1 M1.U3.2 M1.U3.3
Unit 4: Journeys: Meeting new characters
M1.U4.1 M1.U4.2 M1.U4.3
Unit 5: Journeys: Finding our way
M1.U5.1 M1.U5.2 M1.U5.3 M1.U5.4
Unit 6: Destinations
M1.U6.1 M1.U6.2
Module 2: Communication and the Digital World
Unit 1: Digital Identity
M2.U1.1 M2.U1.2 M2.U1.3 M2.U1.4
Unit 2: Digital Safety
M2.U2.1 M2.U2.2 M2.U2.3 M2.U2.4
Unit 3: Digital Citizenship and Global Communication
M2.U3.1 M2.U3.2 M2.U3.3
Module 3: Communication in Media
Unit 1: Introduction to Media
M3.U1.1 M3.U1.2
Unit 2: Audio, Visual and Print Media
M3.U2.1 M3.U2.2 M3.U2.3 M3.U2.4
Unit 3: Media and Advertising
M3.U3.1 M3.U3.2 M3.U3.3
Unit 4: Film Studies
M3.U4.1 M3.U4.2 M3.U4.3 M3.U4.4 M3.U4.5
Module 4: Express Yourself
Unit 1: Song
M4.U1.1 M4.U1.2 M4.U1.3
Unit 2: Poetry
M4.U2.1 M4.U2.2 M4.U2.3 M4.U2.4 M4.U2.5
Unit 3: Drama
M4.U3.1 M4.U3.2 M4.U3.3 M4.U3.4 M4.U3.5
Unit 4: Reflection
M4.U4.1 M4.U4.2 M4.U4.3 M4.U4.4

The curriculum does not include official reference codes for individual learning outcomes, so we have assigned a code scheme to make it easier to identify and track coverage.

What Students Will Learn

Learning Goals

  1. Develop effective personal and social communication skills through reflective writing, reading strategies, and oral expression.
  2. Analyse and manage digital identity, online research, and safety to navigate the digital world critically.
  3. Evaluate media forms, bias, and techniques to understand communication across diverse platforms.
  4. Create original compositions in poetry, song, drama, and advertising tailored to audience and purpose.
  5. Reflect metacognitively on learning and growth as a communicator over the course.

Learning Outcomes

  1. Apply reading strategies (skimming, scanning, close reading) to comprehend and analyse everyday, literary, and digital texts, demonstrating understanding through annotations and summaries.
  2. Adapt writing for diverse audiences and purposes, producing messages in varied registers, formats (e.g., letters, blogs, dialogues), and media, while applying editing techniques for clarity and impact.
  3. Deliver structured oral presentations and performances, including self-introductions, opinions, and reviews, lasting 60–90 seconds, with evidence of planning, delivery, and reflection.
  4. Critically evaluate digital and media content for bias, authenticity, and ethical implications, conducting research syntheses and comparisons using specified templates and rubrics.
  5. Maintain a reflective journal using a four-part structure to document personal growth in identity, communication skills, and learning processes across the course.

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