English Language and Literature

Discover how Zhenghua Secondary's English and Literature Department builds confident communicators through drama workshops, debates, and national competitions.

Last updated 9 August 2026

Department Information

A group of about 15 people posing on wooden stage steps in front of a red curtain, smiling at the camera.

English Language and Literature department staff and roles

Head of Department:
Ms Rafiyah Begum
Subject Head:
Ms Vivian Koh
Senior Teacher:
Ms Rachel Tan
Members of the Department:
Ms Claudia Tan	Mdm Melissa Ng
Mdm Emilia Mohd Ali	Ms Lynn Chew
Mdm Tamilarasi	Mr Jacobe Lim
Mr Lim Hun	Ms Shirley Leong
Ms Jency	Ms Nisah
Mr Azri

Programmes Highlights and Enrichment Activities

The English and Literature Department at Zhenghua Secondary School offers students diverse opportunities to develop their language skills and literary appreciation through authentic experiences. Literature comes alive in our drama workshops, where students role-play and perform excerpts from the local play Don’t Know, Don’t Care, allowing them to express creativity and deepen their understanding of texts.

In English, Secondary 3 students sharpen their reasoning and communication skills through class debates and external competitions such as the Orator’s Trophy and YMCA Plain English Speaking Awards (PESA). Students have shared that these experiences boosted their confidence in public speaking and taught them to articulate their ideas with clarity and conviction.

Beyond the classroom, our students participate actively in national platforms such as the Singapore Secondary Schools Debating Championships, the National Schools Literature Festival, the Unity Writers’ Festival, and various digital challenges, further stretching their potential as critical thinkers and persuasive communicators.

A girl in a red shirt holds papers over a student sitting in a wheelchair inside a classroom.

Getting into character

Two students in a classroom, one reading papers and another wearing a mask holding a broom giving a thumbs up.

Performance Time

Three students in a classroom, one sitting at a desk, one standing, and one lying across chairs with a Hello Kitty pillow.

Acting a scene

Students wearing white and yellow "Falcon" jerseys stand in a circle in a classroom with a whiteboard.

Warming up for the workshop

Students in red uniforms sit at blue desks in a classroom while one student stands holding a phone.

Confidently making well-considered rebuttals

A student in a red uniform presents at a whiteboard in a classroom with a Singapore flag on the wall.

Delivering my point confidently