26 January 2013 English Language Education Section Curriculum Development Institute

26 January 2013English Language Education

SectionCurriculum Development

InstituteEducation Bureau

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Curriculum Leadership and Management for English Language Education

Improving the Implementation of Whole-school Language Policy

Enhancing the Interface across Key Stages

Course Objectives

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Enhance teachers’ understanding of the challenges facing S1 and S4 students

Provide suggestions on how to enhance the interface between the KS2 to KS3 and KS3 to SS in English Language Education

Discuss ways to facilitate curriculum continuity and students’ development of learning strategies

Share experience and good practices in planning and managing the English panel with a focus on integrating classroom and independent learning

Run-down

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14:00 – 14:10 Registration

14:10 – 15:50Strategies to Enhance the Interface across Key Stagesand Improve the Implementation of Whole-school Language Policy

15:50 – 16:10 Break

16:10 – 16:50 Integrating Classroom and Independent Learning - Experience Sharing from Henrietta Secondary School

16:50 – 17:00 Q & A

A survey about your school

• Different schools may be using English as the medium of instruction at varying degrees to cater for student diversity.

• Which of the following is implemented by your school?• (A) adopting English as the MOI for all subjects• (B) adopting different MOI by class/group• (C) teaching two subjects using EMI• (D) conducting English extended learning activities• (E) none of the above

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Some Findings from Evaluation Study on the Implementation of the English Language Curriculum at Secondary Level

• Junior secondary curriculum was considered more focused and manageable; Senior secondary curriculum too broad and challenging.

• A significant difference in students’ self-perceived language proficiency across levels - the higher the level of students, the lower their perceived language proficiency is.

• Students’ lack of self-learning ability was a major concern and should be attended to in the implementation of the curriculum reform

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Concept of Interface

A transition programme is

NEITHER limited toa summer bridging programmeNORan induction programme

A transition programme refers to one that covers the broad period of time from preparing students to move from primary schools until their successful settlement in secondary schools.

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Four phases of transition

PreparationSchools start preparing students for the senior secondary education and make appropriate alignments.

TransferSchools provide information for students regarding their senior secondary education. Bridging activities are conducted.

InductionOrientation activities and programmes are conducted to familiarise students with their new learning experience.

Reinforcement & Extension “Transition” measures are adopted to strengthen and extend

students’ learning based on their prior learning. Measures are taken to prepare students for tertiary education. 7

Galton, M., Gray J & Ruddock J (1999), The Impact of School Transitions and Transfers on Pupil Progress and Attainment, pp.27-28, Norwich, Crown

Diagrammatic Representation of the Four Phases of Transition

Preparation

Induction

Reinforcement & Extension

Transfer

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Key considerations in enhancing Interface

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- Understand students’ previous learning and future learning needs

- Building on the strengths of students and considering their future learning needs, plan for a Junior Secondary English Language curriculum to gear students towards the learning targets and objectives in the English Language curriculum

Effective strategies to enhance the interface 1. Curriculum Continuity2. Pedagogical Adjustment3. Development of Learning Strategies

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JuniorSecondary

•Exposure to a wide range of print and non-print texts

•Extensive reading and viewing

•Further development of language skills and strategies

SeniorSecondary

•Exposure to a widened range of more complex text types

•Elective modules (Language Arts & Non-Language Arts)

•Comprehension and production of more complex messages in more formal texts

Primary

•Exposure to a range of text types

•Incorporation of Reading Workshops into the School-based English Language Curriculum

•Development of basic language skills and strategies

Learning Experience across key stages

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Examples ofText Types for Key Stage 2

Additional Examples of Text Types for Key Stage 3

Additional Examples ofText Types for SS

• Plays• Announcements• Informational reports• Maps and legends• News / Weather reports• Pamphlets• E-mails• Formal letters• Discussions• Telephone conversations• Procedures• Recipes

• Book reviews/reports• Film reviews• Itineraries• Manuals• Newspaper articles• Short novels• Short stories• Interviews• Presentations

• Editorials• • Debates• Documentaries• Essays• Feature articles• Films• Novels• Minutes• Public speeches• Proposals• Resumes

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Text types Across Different Key stages

Longer text

More Complex

information

More information

More demanding

in skills


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JuniorSecondary




SeniorSecondary




Primary





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Components of a Primary School-based

English Language Curriculum

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Curriculum Continuity

Reading across the Curriculum:• To promote reading as a means to help learners seek

information, develop thinking skills, enrich knowledge, enhance language proficiency and broaden perspectives

• To promote the development of functional reading skills to help learners relate English Language learning to daily life in real world

• To encourage extensive reading of a wide variety of resource materials with different subject content to enhance learning

English Language Curriculum and Assessment Guide (Secondary 4 - 6) 2007


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Incorporating a reading programme into the School-based English Language Curriculum

Suggestion on Strengthening Students’

Reading Skills at Junior Secondary Level

GE ProgrammeReading

Programme

PRIJS


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Consideration in Planning for Reading Programmeat Junior Secondary Level

Related topicLinkage between textsVariety of text typesLevel of difficulty

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• Integrating reading into regular English Language lessons with the other language skills of listening, speaking and writing


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Topic: Earth

Writing an argumentative essay on the use of alternative energy sources for generating electricity

Grammar items and structures, skills development…

Reading Skills & Strategies

Info. about the Earth and

environment protection

Participle phrases, noun phrases

Adjectives to describe the Earth

Text structure of poem and essay

Extended Reading:

The Earth (An information

book)Discover and Experience

(A government pamphlet – Electrical

& Mechanical Services

Department)

Reading across the Curriculum

Textbook: The Beautiful

Planet – poem and

essay

Curriculum Continuity • Integrating elements of the SS English Language curriculum

into the General English Programme at the JS Level

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Suggested Modules

at JS Level

Elective Modules

at SS Level

• Teenage Life• Nature and Environment• Getting Along with Others• Study, School and Work• Rights and Responsibilities• Wonderful Things• Cultures of the World

• Poems & Songs • Drama• Short Stories • Popular Culture• Debating• Social Issues• Sports Communication • Workplace Communication

http://www.bestteenpoems.com/poem/the-life-of-a-teenage-girl

http://www.china.org.cn/english/MATERIAL/73748.htm


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JuniorSecondary




SeniorSecondary




Primary




Learning Experiences across key stages

Understanding the Progressive Development of the Four Language Skills across Key Stages

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Development of Listening SkillsKS2

- Identify and discriminate sounds, stress and intonation

- Listen for explicit and implicit meaning, e.g.

KS3

Curriculum continuity across key stages

Identify consonant blends and long vowel sounds

Predict the likely development of a topic by recognising key words, using personal experiences, and making use of context and knowledge of the world

Locate specific information in spoken texts

Listen for intended meanings, feelings and attitudes,e.g.

Understand the connection between ideas supported by cohesive devices

Identify the gist and main ideas by recognising the stress in connected speech

Identify key ideas in a passage, discussion or conversation

Discriminate between different intonation for various feelings and attitudes

Identify the sequence of events, causes and effects

Extract information and ideas in spoken texts

Understand levels of formality and informality

Make connections between ideas and information with the help of discourse markers

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Development of Speaking SkillsKS2

- Present information, ideas and feelings clearly and coherently

- Participate effectively in an oral interaction, e.g.

KS3

Apply grammar rules such as subject-verb agreement correctly

Asking and responding to others’ opinions

Use appropriate intonation and stress, and vary volume, tone of voice and speed to convey intended meanings and feelings

Use gestures and facial expressions to convey meaning and intention

Connect ideas by using cohesive devices, e.g. also, at last, before

Describe the sequence of events, causes and effects

Express, elicit and respond to ideas, opinions and feelings in a group discussion

Use correct pronunciation, intonation and register for different purposes

Use words and expressions appropriate to the context

Seek and give clarification, explain what information one requires and why, rephrase one’s question when necessary, sum up points made and redirect the discussion when the need arises

- Present information, ideas and feelings clearly and coherently

- Participate effectively in an oral interaction, e.g.


Development of Reading SkillsKS2

Construct meaning from texts and locate information and ideas, e.g.

KS3

Work out the meaning of unknown words by using word association, visual clues, context & knowledge of the world

Understand intention, attitudes and feelings

conveyed in a text

Recognise the features of a variety of text types

Understand, interpret and analyse different written texts, e.g.

Skim and scan a text to obtain the main ideas

and locate specific information

Re-read the text to establish and confirm meaning

Recognise recurrent patterns in language

structure

Make use of knowledge of the world to make sense of the written text

Acquire, extract and organise information relevant to specific tasks

Understand different feelings, views and attitudes

Identify implied meanings through inferencing

Understand the use of discourse markers

Understand how sentences and parts of a sentence relate to each other


Development of Writing SkillsKS2

- Use the basic conventions of written English- Present information, ideas and feelings clearly

and coherently, e.g.

KS3

Use cursive script, capitalisation and conventional punctuation

Use appropriate formats, conventions and language features when writing a variety of text types, e.g. journals, emails, procedures

Use a small range of language patterns such as different verb forms and structural patterns

Present information, ideas and feelings clearly and coherently, e.g.

Write paragraphs which develop main ideas

Plan and organise information, and express own ideas and feelings by, e.g. deciding on the sequence of content

Describe, express or explain ideas, feelings and experiences

Use tone, style and register for various purposes

Use a wide range of language patterns for various purposes

Plan and organise ideas, and use appropriate cohesive devices

Evaluate and make use of given information to complete specific tasks

Use strategies to arouse and sustain readers’ interest


Use of assessment data to plan / adjust the school-based curriculum:

Pre-S1 Hong Kong Attainment Test

Territory-wide System Assessment (TSA)

Internal School Assessments

Pre-S1

Hong Kong Attainment

Test

JS English Language curriculum

S3 TSA

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Use of assessment data to plan the school-based curriculum:

• Students’ Areas for Improvement:• Use appropriate formats, conventions and language features• Use tone, style and register for various purposes

• Possible Adjustment to the Curriculum:• Enrich students’ skills and knowledge• Incorporate tasks that address students’ needs

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JuniorSecondary




SeniorSecondary




Primary




Learning Experiences across key stages

Taking students’ prior learning into consideration

Developing a shared understanding of effective learning and teaching

Ensuring greater alignment of teaching practices—applying teaching strategies that

• draw on students’ previous learning and experience

• help students connect new learning and experience

Pedagogical Adjustment

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Identifying skills and terminology acquired in primary schools

Adapting the S1 scheme of work to take into account topics and language items already covered

Developing a “buddy system” to pair students who have acquired the target language items with those who have not

Providing new and challenging materials when revising topics previously covered

• Adopting an inductive approach to help students consolidate and extend knowledge

Strategies to Build on Students’ Prior Learning, Knowledge and Experience


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To enhance the progression of reading skills from KS2 to KS3, we can …

model the use of reading strategies through thinking aloud and provide opportunities for learners to apply them during independent reading

use a range of guiding questions for scaffolding / prompting to facilitate meaning making and extend content learning vary the amount of teacher support to cater for learner

diversity

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Develop a shared understanding of effective learning & teaching


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Communicative Functions across Key Stages

The Communicative Functionslisted for Key Stages 1 & 2 should be consolidated and extended to a greater degree ofcomplexity at Key Stage 3.

The Communicative Functionslisted for Key Stages 1-3 should beconsolidated and extended to a greater degree of complexity atSenior Secondary level.

The LEARNING and teaching of grammar

3131Source: CDC Syllabus for English Language (Secondary 1-5) (1999), p.18.

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Do you think you would use the following materials in your transition programme?Are they able to help consolidate and extend students learning? Why/why not?

Introduce oneself on a personal homepage.

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A reading passage A grammar exercise

Activity 2

Hi, I am Andy. I am a 13-year-old boy. I live in Yuen Long. I go to school by bus. I usually get up at 6:30 am. I finish school at around 4:00 pm. …

Complete the following sentences using the simple present tense of the verbs given.

1.Mary _______ (go) to school by bus every day.2.The students ______ (like) English lessons.3.The sun ________ (go) down in the west.

Consolidation and Extension of Communicative Functions across Key Stages

I’m Joe. I am six years old. I like apples.I’m Joe. I am six years old. I like apples.

Introduce oneself to the class.

e.g. Introduce oneselfI am currently studying in a school that mainly adopts Chinese as the medium of instruction. My experience in the last four years has told me that it is more effective to learn non-language subjects in Chinese.

I am currently studying in a school that mainly adopts Chinese as the medium of instruction. My experience in the last four years has told me that it is more effective to learn non-language subjects in Chinese.

Introduce oneself in a letter tothe editor to express personal opinion

Hi, I am Andy. I am a 13-year old boy who loves blogging. My friends call me Smarty because I like to make people laugh with clever jokes.

Hi, I am Andy. I am a 13-year old boy who loves blogging. My friends call me Smarty because I like to make people laugh with clever jokes.

Introduce oneself on a personalhomepage.

KS1 SS33


In groups

1. Study a student work sample – a magazine article about exciting places in Hong Kong.

2. Highlight the grammar items used by the student to make suggestions on improvement. Share your observation with your group members.

3. Discuss how to develop students’ grammar knowledge to enhance communication in the context of this task.

Today I want to tell you some places to visit in Hong Kong. First, you can go to Kowloon. At Wong Tai Sin, there have a Wong Tai Sin Temple. You can go there for please god to bless you. Then, you can go to Tsim Sha Tsui to visit avenue of stars, its funny! Because you can see many people is made in stone. After that, you can go to Sai Kung. At Sai Kung you can BBQ there with your friends. You also can go hiking and camping there! I think it will be exciting! Next, you can go to Mai Po Wetland. At Mai Po Wetland, there have many types of bird, you can see many birds at there! Finally, you can go to Lantau Island. At Tai O you can buy salty fish and, there have a beautiful view! It can let you do not want to go home, you also can ride on Ngong Ping 360 at Lantau Island!

Activity 3

A Communicative Function Expressed by Multiple Grammar Items and Structures

• The student uses mainly the modal “can” to make suggestions, e.g.

• “…you can go to Tsim Sha Tsui to visit the Avenue of Stars...”

• “…you can go to Sai Kung.”• “…you can go to Lantau Island.”• “At Tai O you can buy salty

fish…”

• The problems caused by the frequent use of the modal “can” in this context• monotony• mismatch between the context

and the language used

Today I want to tell you some places to visit in Hong Kong. First, you can go to Kowloon. At Wong Tai Sin, there have a Wong Tai Sin Temple. You can go there for please god to bless you. Then, you can go to Tsim Sha Tsui to visit avenue of stars, its funny! Because you can see many people is made in stone. After that, you can go to Sai Kung. At Sai Kung you can BBQ there with your friends. You also can go hiking and camping there! I think it will be exciting! Next, you can go to Mai Po Wetland. At Mai Po Wetland, there have many types of bird, you can see many birds at there! Finally, you can go to Lantau Island. At Tai O you can buy salty fish and, there have a beautiful view! It can let you do not want to go home, you also can ride on Ngong Ping 360 at Lantau Island!


• To address the problem of monotony, the student could use a greater range of appropriate grammar items and structures to make suggestions, e.g.• “…why don’t you go to Tsim

Sha Tsui to visit the Avenue of Stars?”

• “What about going to Sai Kung?”

• “You must go to Mai Po Wetland.”

• “You had better make up your mind soon.”

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There are three days of public holidays next weekend. Where will you go to in Hong Kong to enjoy yourself? There are many interesting places in Hong Kong. I have a few suggestions for you. First, if you want to see how people worship God, visiting Wong Tai Sin Temple, which is in Kowloon. Then why don’t you go to Tsim Sha Tsui to visit Avenue of Stars? It’s fun! Because you can worship your favourite film stars there. If you like BBQ, what about going to Sai Kung? At Sai Kung, you can BBQ with your friends in some country parks. It’s also a good place for hiking and camping. I think it will be exciting! If you like widelife, you must go to Mai Po Wetland. There are many types of birds in Mai Po Wetland. If you like birds, this can be the place for you. Finally, you should also visit Lantau Island. At Tai O, buy some salted fish if you like special food… Don’t forget to take a ride on Ngong Ping 360 before you go home. Next weekend, you will even get two tickets for the price of one. You had better make up your mind soon! …

Pedagogical Adjustment A Communicative Function Expressed by

Multiple Grammar Items and Structures

The modal “will” is used to express the following communicative functions in the context of this article:

•to talk about intention•to express certainty•to talk about the future

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There are three days of public holidays next weekend.Where will you go to in Hong Kong to enjoy yourself? There are many interesting places in Hong Kong. I have a few suggestions for you. First, if you want to see how people worship God, visiting Wong Tai Sin Temple,which is in Kowloon.Then why don’t you go to Tsim Sha Tsui to visit Avenue of Stars? It’s fun! Because you can worship your favourite film stars there. If you like BBQ, what about going to Sai Kung? At Sai Kung, you can BBQ with your friends in some country parks. It’s also a good place for hiking and camping. I think it will be exciting! If you like widelife, you must go to Mai Po Wetland. There are many types of birds in Mai Po Wetland. If you like birds, this can be the place for you. Finally, you should also visit Lantau Island. At Tai O, buy some salted fish if you like special food. There is also a very beautiful view. It is so beautiful that you will not want to go home! Don’t forget to take a ride on Ngong Ping 360 before you go home. Next weekend, you will even get two tickets for the price of one. You had better make up your mind soon!There is so much to do here in Hong Kong that you will never get bored!

Multiple Communicative Functions Expressed by a Grammar Item and Structure


Grammar as Resources• The same communicative function can be expressed by

different grammar items and structures: e.g. suggestions can be made by using:

• You must / have to…• You had better / You’d better…• You should…• Why not… / Why don’t you…?

• The same grammar item and structure can be used to express different communicative functions:

e.g. the modal “will” is used:• to talk about intention• to express certainty• to talk about the future 38

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Find out what our students read & what skills they need

Before lessons begin

Visual Arts1st recess

English

2nd recess

Science

Humanities

Lunch break

Mathematics

(Adapted from Wray, D. (2006). Teaching literacy across the primary curriculum (p. viii-ix). Exeter : Learning Matters.)

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Example



PowerPoint developed for the Professional Development Programme on Reading across the Curriculum under the fine-tuned MOI arrangements

Time Reading engaged in “Reading for school subjects / everyday

life?” Before lessons begin

1. Some pages from a comic (Japanese manga) with his friend

Visual Arts lessons

2. Some pictures showing beautiful clay sculpture by famous artists on the projector screen

3. Instructions & notes on how to make a clay sculpture on the screen

1st recess 4. Some more pages from a comic (Japanese manga) with his friendEnglish lessons 5. Text on the screen and in the textbook

6. A list of “feeling” verbs and adjectives on the screen7. Read aloud from his sentences to class

2nd recess 8. A class notice about a school trip which he had to take home to parents

Integrated Science lessons

9. Science investigation instructions from the screen10. The same instructions from his textbook as he carried out the

investigation11. Teacher’s account of the investigation on whiteboard12. Read aloud some of his results for teacher to write13. Some explanations on the screen

Integrated humanities lesson

14. A passage on Hong Kong: Its history and its geography

lunch break 15. A library book for his book reportMaths lessons 16. Maths problem on the screen

17. His teacher’s answers18. Maths problem from his workbook

Reading for everyday life

Reading for everyday life

Reading for school subjects







ExampleFind out what our students read & what skills they needTo enhance the progression of reading skills from KS2 to KS3, we can …

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(Adapted from Wray, D. (2006). Teaching literacy across the primary curriculum (p. viii-ix). Exeter : Learning Matters.)


Increasing language demands in the use of academic language

JS History

e.g. After 1871, relations among the European powers got worse. To be stronger than their rivals, they produced more armaments and built up large armies. Armaments were also a symbol of national strength. A strong navy could also protect a country’s overseas colonies and economic interests. (p.7 Travelling Through History 3A)

SS History

e.g. After 1871, as international tensions grew, the fear of becoming weaker than the others led the powers to strengthen their military and increase armaments. The armaments race resulted. In the early 20th century, the European powers were divided into rival camps… Also, a strong navy was needed to protect a country’s overseas colonies and economic interests, thus intensifying the armaments race. (p.12, HKDSE History Inquiry Vol. II)

Ensure a Greater Alignment of Teaching Practices—draw on students’ previous learning and experience


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Listening

SpeakingWriting

Reading

Language across

the Curriculum

– Explicit teaching of reading to be integrated with teaching the curriculum

– Strengthening reading to learn:

• the subject matter of pedagogic texts

• the associated language patterns

(Martin & Rose, 2005)

Academic content

Awareness

+

Academic language awareness

Raise awareness of language demands involved in reading texts

Strengthen Language across the Curriculum




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Academic English – grammatically complex and lexically denseMore embedding / subordinate clauses

• The Earth's orbit around the Sun is an ellipse lying in the ecliptic plane, which means that it is not a perfect circle.

Longer prepositional phrases• All through the year the climate of Singapore is hot and humid with

minimum average temperatures of 23 °C and maximum of 31 °C.More attributive adjectives and nominalisation

• Because of its high tensile strength, …More passive structures

• …, steel is produced in the form of wire, tube, bar and sheet and used to manufacture domestic appliances, agricultural and industrial products.

More academic words than grammatical words e.g. relative humidity, orbit, tensile strength

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Raise awareness of the language demands in reading and writing texts of content subjects


• Highlighting information structure of different text types and the relevant reading strategies

• Use of graphic organisers to provide visual representation of the texts

• Adapting appropriate instructional strategies to facilitate comprehension• Text level: genres/text types (information structuring)• Ideas level: graphic organizers, diagrams, tables, pictures• Sentence level: grammar• Word level: vocabulary 44



Raise awareness of the language demands in reading and writing texts of content subjects

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Text types How information is structured

Narrative Orientation Complication Resolution Coda

Information report

General statements Description

Explanation Identifying statements Sequence of explanation

Discussion Issue Arguments for / Arguments against

Procedure Goal (optional) Materials (optional) Steps

Recount Orientation Record of events Reorientation (optional) Coda

Exposition Statement of position Preview of arguments (Optional) Argument 1 Argument 2 (Optional) Reinforcement of statement position

Highlight information structures of different text types and the relevant reading and writing strategies Facilitating comprehension at text level


(Adapted from Butt, D. Fahey, R. Feez, S. Spinks, S and Yallop, C. (2002). Using functional grammar, p. 13National centre for English Language Teaching and Research.)


Making effective use of graphic organisers

• Graphic organisers help students understand and present how ideas or concepts relate to one another through the development of a well-structured mental picture about the content. (Goldman & Rakestraw, 2000)

• Graphic organisers for different language functions:• Venn Chart for Comparison and Contrast• Flow Chart for Sequence• T-chart for the pros and cons of an issue

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Facilitating reading and writing at idea level


Q: What are the types of food substances that we need for sustaining life?

Now write down the main ideas in the table.

What are the types of food substance's that we need for sustaining life?

Food substances

Different food contains different types of food substances. These food substances can be classified into primary food substances, which are essential to life, and protective food substances, which are important for keeping our body healthy.

The food substances can be divided into seven types: carbohydrates, fats, proteins, water, vitamins, minerals and dietary fibre. The first four are primary food substances and the remaining three are protective food substances.

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Unpacking information using graphic organiser s to facilitate reading

An example of classroom activity


Q: What are the types of food substances that we need for sustaining life?

Food substances

Different food contains different types of food substances. These food substances can be classified into primary food substances, which are essential to life, and protective food substances, which are important for keeping our body healthy.

The food substances can be divided into seven types: carbohydrates, fats, proteins, water, vitamins, minerals and dietary fibre. The first four are primary food substances and the remaining three are protective food substances.

Food Substances

Primary Food Substances

(essential to life)

Protective Food

Substances (keeping our body healthy

Carbohydrates, fats, proteins,

water

vitamins, minerals,

dietary fibre

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Matching diagrams with text structure

Unpacking information using graphic organiser to facilitate reading


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Food Substances

Essential to life


Protective Food

Substances

Keeping our body healthy

can be classified (passive voice)

which are (relative clause)

• Food substances can be classified into primary food substances and protective food substances, which are essential to life and keeping our body healthy.

Repacking information using graphic organisers to facilitate writing


Explicitly modelling repacking

Food substances can be classified into primary food substances and protective food substances, which are essential to life and keeping our body healthy.

S V O Embedded clause

Food substances

can be classified into primary food substances and protective food substances.

which are essential to life and keeping our body healthy.

can be categorised into

can be divided into

Repacking information using graphic organiser to facilitate writingPedagogical Adjustment


essential to life

Food Substances

Protective Food Substances

keeping our body healthy

Unpacking complex sentence structure

• Demonstrate identifying key parts of sentences and clauses, separating the crucial, main ideas from extra information

• The key parts of the sentence often include (1) main participant,

(2) main process, and (3) main receiver.

“What is doing what to what?”• Guide students to underline, circle, colour-code the

information E.g. Urbanization is lowering the quality of life.

(Adopted from Zwiers, J. (2008). Building academic language: Essential practices for content classrooms, grades 5-12, pp. 182-187. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.)

Facilitating comprehension at sentence level


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Classroom activities that help students recognise organisation at the sentence, paragraph and text levels

Examples of classroom activities•Where does the missing paragraph belong?

•What’s the most appropriate opening/closing paragraph?

•Find the odd-one-out.

•Create graphic organisers.

•Match paragraphs to their topic sentences. / Underline topic sentences.

• Circle organisation markers, such as headings, sub-headings, and linking devices.

• Summarise the text.

• Text reconstruction (cut-up sentences)

• Cloze activities – (useful for raising awareness of connectives)


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• Use concept map or multiple-meaning map to strengthen cognitive processing of word meanings

• Strengthen word attack skills• Highlight methods of word formation & generative rules.

Affixation: underdeveloped; Compounding: counter-proposal• Teach derivatives and word parts e.g. roots and affixes

• (e.g. underdeveloped, unemployment)

• Guide the use of structural & lexical clues e.g. “The sploony urdle departed after the enemy’s attack… “

• Q: What part of speech is ‘sploony’? • Q: How do you know? Replace ‘sploony’ with a real word.• Q: Who was the enemy? How did it attack?• Q: How did sploony urdle move? Was sploony urdle a living creature

or a vehicle?

Facilitating comprehension at word level

Source: Nuttall (2005). Teaching Reading Skills in a Foreign Language p. 69.


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JuniorSecondary




SeniorSecondary




Primary





Developing students’ metacognitive strategies Providing opportunities for students to take charge of their own learning

Prepare students for the next Learning Stage and learning content subjects

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Development of Learning Strategies

Dimensions of metacognition

Knowledge of Cognition - knowledge about ourselves as learners and what influences our performance - knowledge about learning strategies - knowledge about when and why to use a strategy

Regulation of Cognition - planning: setting goals and activating relevant background knowledge - regulation: monitoring and self-testing - evaluation: appraising the products and regulatory processes of learning


56Adapted from Brown (1987). Metacognition, Executive Control, Self-Regulation, and Other More Mysterious Mechanisms. In F. E. Weinert & R. H. Kluwe (Eds.), Metacognition, motivation, and understanding (pp. 65-116). Hillsdale, New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Source: Pakenham (2004), Making Connections Intermediate, Cambridge University Press, p.137-138.

- Guide students to try out an effective strategy and highlight its application value

Teacher: Circle the phrases / words that help you figure out the meaning of “host country”. Write down the meaning of the “host country”.

Teacher: Yes, the meaning is right. Did you all use the same contextual cues? There can be different contextual cues, some closer to the unfamiliar vocabulary, others farther. Different contextual cues help to confirm your understanding of “host country”.

Explicit Teaching of Metacognitive Strategies

A Reading Text on Global Migration

Sample classroom discourse:

What is the meaning of “host country”?


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- Guide students to try out an effective strategy and highlight its application value

Teacher: Circle a sentence which tells you the main idea of Paragraph 6. Find and number the details that support it.

Teacher: Great. The topic sentence helps you locate the positive effects quickly. This is a very useful strategy.

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Topic sentence: “This impact can be positive. …”

Sample classroom discourse:

A Reading Text on Global Migration

What are the positive effects of immigration on the countries involved?


- Make the processes and strategies of comprehension visible to students

Comprehension Process Example of what teachers can say

Identifying confusing parts and clarifying

I didn’t catch whether …I need to check back to see.

Figuring out long sentences and breaking them down into chucks

This basically means that …

Making predictions and inferences; seeing if they are answered or confirmed

Because of the subheading, I predict that the next section will be about …

Connecting text to own life, other texts or knowledge of the world.

This reminds me of … I have a picture in my mind of …

Source :Zwiers (2008): Building Academic Language, Jossey-bass Teacher, p.170)



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Help students evaluate their strategies of learning English


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The focus shifts from:“How do you spell the word ‘potassium’?” “How do you remember the spelling of ‘potassium’?”

Possible answers:1.Break the word into syllables “po-tas-si-um”2.Link it to similar words “potassium” – “sodium”, “aluminium”3.Mnemonic: potassium “One tea two sugars”

Source: http://www.learninginfo.org/spelling-mnemonics.htm

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Other ways to spell difficult words :• finding out the affixes (un-comfortable; pre-dict-able)• finding a word within a word (currant)• thinking of words of the same word family (chemistry,

chemical)• using a spelling rule (double the consonant after a short

vowel, e.g. hitting)


• Learning centres on: the learning process the choice of appropriate strategies

Help students evaluate their strategies of learning English

Stressing the role of teachers in implementing independent learning:

Decide on the appropriate degree and form of support across levels

Strategically prepare students to plan their study and assess themselves• To focus on more specific areas• To allow deeper reflection

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Providing opportunities for students to take charge of their own learning

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• More focussed assessment of performance

• covering 3 areas (Content, Organisation & Language) 1 area (Organisation)

• Post-discussion with teacher

• to seek expert advice for improvement

More effective self assessment


Creating an English learning environment that is conducive to independent learning• Easy Access of Information

• Setting up resource area in classroom • Stimulating exchange & discussions through online

conferencing / other means• Appropriate use of e-learning resources

• Create success:• Displaying students’ works• Arranging students to present their works• Recognising independent learning

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Providing opportunities for students to take charge of their own learning


ReferenceBrown (1987). Metacognition, Executive Control, Self-Regulation, and Other More Mysterious Mechanisms. In F. E. Weinert & R. H. Kluwe (Eds.), Metacognition, motivation, and understanding (pp. 65-116). Hillsdale, New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Butt D., Fahey R., Feez S., Spinks S. & Yallop C. (2002). Using functional grammar, p. 13National centre for English Language Teaching and Research

Cheng, K.L. , Fung S. K. (2011). Travelling through History 3A, p.7, Hong Kong: Aristo Educational Press Ltd.

Cheng, K.L. , Fung S.K., Kan Y. Y. , Lau M.S., (2009). HKDSE History Inquiry Vol. II, p.12, Hong Kong: Aristo Educational Press Ltd.

Cockayne, G (2010). Learning Academic English, pp1-2. From http://www.geoffcockayne.org.uk

Galton, M., Gray J & Ruddock J (1999). The Impact of School Transitions and Transfers on Pupil Progress and Attainment, pp.27-28, Norwich, Crown

Goldman, S.R., & Rakestraw, J.A. (2000). Structural aspects of constructing meaning from text, Handbook of reading research, (Vol. II, pp. 311-335), Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum. 65

http://www.geoffcockayne.org.uk/

ReferenceHasan, R., Matthiessen C.M.I.M. & Webster J (2005). Designing literacy pedagogy: scaffolding asymmetries. Continuing Discourse on Language. pp.251-280, London: Equinox.

Nuttall, C (2005). Teaching Reading Skills in a Foreign Language, p. 69, Oxford : Heinemann

Pakenham K.J. (2004). Making Connections Intermediate, Cambridge University Press, p.137-138.

Pasquarelli S. L. (2006). Teaching Writing Genres Across the Curriculum Strategies for middle school teachers (Greenwich, Conn.)

Rose, D. (2010). Reading to learn: Teacher resource books, book 1, p. 8 . From http://www.readingtolearn.com.au

Wray D. (2006). Teaching literacy across the primary curriculum (p. viii-ix). Exeter : Learning Matters.

Whitaker, S. (2008). Building vocabulary across texts and disciplines. Portsmouth, pp. 149 & 156, NH: Heinemann

Zwiers, J. (2008). Building academic language: Essential practices for content classrooms, grades 5-12, pp. 164-187, San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Mnemonics: What are Spelling Mnemonics From http://www.learninginfo.org/spelling-mnemonics.htm

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http://www.readingtolearn.com.au/

26 January 2013 English Language Education Section Curriculum Development Institute

Documents

english language curriculum

students previous learning

s4 students

level of students

secondary schools

senior secondary education

adopting english

prior learning