NECO Syllabus For Literature in English 2024

NECO Syllabus for Literature in English will help improve your learning and that is why we have decided to bring it back here for you people. The aim of the National Examination Council (NECO) 2024 syllabus in Literature in English is to prepare candidates for the Board’s examination. It is designed to test their achievement of the course objectives, which are to:

Stimulate and sustain their interest in Literature in English.
Create an awareness of the general principles of literature and functions of language.
Appreciate literary works of all genres and across all cultures.
Apply the knowledge of Literature in English to the analysis of social, political, and economic events in society.

Table of Contents

1. Drama

Topics:

a. Types:

Tragedy
Comedy
Tragicomedy
Melodrama
Farce
Opera, etc.

b. Dramatic Techniques:

Characterization
Dialogue
Flashback
Mime
Costume
Music/Dance
Décor/Scenery
Acts/Scenes
Soliloquy/Aside
Figures of Speech, etc.

c. Interpretation of the Prescribed Texts:

Theme
Plot
Socio-political context
Setting

Objectives: Candidates should be able to:

Identify the various types of drama.
Analyze the contents of the various types of drama.
Compare and contrast the features of different dramatic types.
Demonstrate adequate knowledge of dramatic techniques used in each prescribed text.
Differentiate between the styles of selected playwrights.
Determine the theme of any prescribed text.
Identify the plot of the play.
Apply the lessons of the play to everyday living.
Identify the spatial and temporal setting of the play.

2. Prose

Topics:

a. Types:

Fiction: Novel, Novella/Novelette, Short Story
Non-fiction: Biography, Autobiography, Memoir
Faction: A combination of fact and fiction

b. Narrative Techniques/Devices:

Point of View: Omniscient/Third Person, First Person
Characterization: Round, Flat, Foil, Hero, Antihero, etc.
Language

Read More: History NECO Syllabus 2024

c. Textual Analysis:

Theme
Plot
Setting (Temporal/Spatial)
Socio-political context

Objectives: Candidates should be able to:

Differentiate between types of prose.
Identify the category that each prescribed text belongs to.
Analyze the components of each type of prose.
Identify the narrative techniques used in each of the prescribed texts.
Determine an author’s narrative style.
Distinguish between one type of character and another.
Determine the thematic preoccupation of the author of the prescribed text.
Indicate the plot of the novel.
Identify the temporal and spatial setting of the novel.
Relate the prescribed text to real-life situations.

3. Poetry

Topics:

a. Types:

Sonnet
Ode
Lyrics
Elegy
Ballad
Panegyric
Epic
Blank Verse, etc.

b. Poetic Devices:

Structure
Imagery
Sound (Rhyme/Rhythm, Repetition, Pun, Onomatopoeia, etc.)
Diction
Persona

c. Appreciation:

Thematic preoccupation
Socio-political relevance
Style

Objectives: Candidates should be able to:

Identify different types of poetry.
Compare and contrast the features of different poetic types.
Determine the devices used by various poets.
Show how poetic devices are used for aesthetic effect in each poem.
Deduce the poet’s preoccupation from the poem.
Appraise poetry as an art with moral values.
Apply the lessons from the poem to real-life situations.

4. General Literary Principles

Topics:

a. Literary Terms:

Foreshadowing, Suspense, Theatre, Monologue, Dialogue, Soliloquy, Symbolism, Protagonist, Antagonist, Figures of Speech, Satire, Stream of Consciousness, etc.

b. Literary Principles:

Direct imitation in play
Versification in drama and poetry
Narration of people’s experiences
Achievement of aesthetic value, etc.

c. Relationship between Literary Terms and Principles

Objectives: Candidates should be able to:

Identify literary terms in drama, prose, and poetry.
Identify the general principles of literature.
Differentiate between literary terms and principles.
Use literary terms appropriately.

5. Literary Appreciation

Topics:

Unseen Passages/Extracts from Drama, Prose, and Poetry.

Objectives: Candidates should be able to:

Determine literary devices used in a given passage/extract.
Provide a meaningful interpretation of the given passage/extract.
Relate the extract to real-life experiences.

Selected African and Non-African Plays, Novels, and Poems

Drama:

African:

Wole Soyinka: “Lion and the Jewel”

Non-African:

John Osborne: “Look Back in Anger”

Prose:

African:

Buchi Emecheta: “Second Class Citizen”
Alex Agyei Agyiri: “Unexpected Joy at Dawn”

Non-African:

Emily Brontë: “Wuthering Heights”

Poetry:

African:

Leopold Sedar Senghor: “Black Woman”
Niyi Osundare: “The Leader and the Led”
Agostinho Neto: “The Grieved Lands”
Oumar Farouk Sesay: “The Song of the Women of the Lands”
Lade Wosornu: “Raider of the Treasure Trove”
Onu Chibuike: “A Government Driver on his Retirement”

Non-African:

John Donne: “The Good Morrow”
Maya Angelou: “Caged Bird”
T. S. Eliot: “The Journey of the Magi”
D. H. Lawrence: “Bats”

Recommended Texts

Gbemisola, A. (2005) “Naked Soles”, Ibadan: Kraft
Hayward, J. (ed.) (1968) “The Penguin Book of English Verse”, London: Penguin
Johnson, R. et al (eds.) (1996) “New Poetry from Africa”, Ibadan: UP Plc
Kermode, F. et al (1964) “Oxford Anthology of English Literature, Vol. II”, London: OUP
Nwoga, D. (ed.) (1967) “West African Verse”, London: Longman
Senanu, K. E., and Vincent, T. (eds.) (1993) “A Selection of African Poetry”, Lagos: Longman
Soyinka, W. (ed.) (1987) “Poems of Black Africa”, Ibadan: Heinemann

Frequently Asked Questions

How many papers are in English Literature?

There are only two papers you are going to be writing in Literature

Is NECO exams hard?

It will only be hard if you are not well prepared and that is why we have prepared all this things here to help study better.

What should I focus on when preparing for the exam?

Focus on literary terms, the context of Shakespearean texts, and analyzing short prose and poetry passages for Paper 1. For Paper 2, practice essay writing and understand themes, characters, and settings. For Paper 3, familiarize yourself with the prescribed drama and poetry texts and be prepared to discuss various literary aspects.

How should I prepare for the unseen prose and poem in Paper 1?

The unseen prose passage is about 120-150 words, and the unseen poem is short. Focus on practicing quick analysis. Try to understand the central theme, identify literary devices, and get a sense of the author’s tone and style. Practicing with sample passages and poems is a great way to prepare.

Conclusion

That’s it on Literature in english syllabus for NECO and we hope this really go a long way to help you prepare for your examination. If you have any question, you can reach out through the comment section.