Transcript Curriculum Leadership and Management for English Language Education Improving the Implementation of

Curriculum Leadership and Management
for English Language Education
Improving the Implementation of
Whole-school Language Policy
Enhancing the Interface across Key Stages
26 January 2013
English Language Education Section
Curriculum Development Institute
Education Bureau
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Course Objectives
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
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Run-down
14:00 – 14:10
Registration
14:10 – 15:50
Strategies to Enhance the Interface across Key Stages
and 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
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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 to
a summer bridging programme
NOR
an 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
Preparation
Schools start preparing students for the senior secondary education
and make appropriate alignments.
Transfer
Schools provide information for students regarding their senior
secondary education. Bridging activities are conducted.
Induction
Orientation 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.
Galton, M., Gray J & Ruddock J (1999), The Impact of School Transitions and
Transfers on Pupil Progress and Attainment, pp.27-28, Norwich, Crown
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Diagrammatic Representation of
the Four Phases of Transition
Transfer
Preparation
S1
S2
S3
S4
S5
S6
Induction
Reinforcement & Extension
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Key considerations in enhancing Interface
- 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
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Effective strategies to enhance the interface
1. Curriculum Continuity
2. Pedagogical Adjustment
3. Development of Learning Strategies
Learning Experience across key stages
Primary
Junior
Secondary
Senior
Secondary
•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
•Exposure to a wide
range of print and
non-print texts
•Extensive reading
and viewing
•Further development
of language skills and
strategies
•Exposure to a widened
range of more complex
text types
•Elective modules
(Language Arts & NonLanguage Arts)
•Comprehension and
production of more
complex messages in
more formal texts
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Text types Across Different Key stages
Examples of
Text Types for Key Stage 2
• Plays
• Announcements
• Informational reports
• Maps and legends
• News / Weather reports
• Pamphlets
• E-mails
• Formal letters
T
• Discussions
• Telephone conversations
• Procedures
• Recipes
Additional Examples of Text
Types for Key Stage 3
• Book reviews/reports
• Film reviews
• Itineraries
• Manuals
• Newspaper articles
• Short novels
• Short stories
• Interviews
• Presentations
Additional Examples of
Text Types for SS
• Editorials
More
• • Debates
Complex
• Documentaries
information
• Essays
• Feature articles
• Films
• Novels
Longer text
• Minutes
• Public speeches
• Proposals
More
• Resumes
demanding
in skills
More
information
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Effective strategies to enhance the interface
1. Curriculum Continuity
2. Pedagogical Adjustment
3. Development of Learning Strategies
Learning Experience across key stages
Primary
Junior
Secondary
Senior
Secondary
•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
•Exposure to a wide
range of print and
non-print texts
•Extensive reading
and viewing
•Further development
of language skills and
strategies
•Exposure to a widened
range of more complex
text types
•Elective modules
(Language Arts & NonLanguage Arts)
•Comprehension and
production of more
complex messages in
more formal texts
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Curriculum Continuity
Components of a Primary School-based
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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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Curriculum Continuity
SuggeStion on Strengthening StudentS’
Reading Skills at Junior Secondary Level
Incorporating a reading programme into
the School-based English Language Curriculum
GE Programme
Reading
Programme
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PRI
JS
Curriculum Continuity
Consideration in Planning for Reading Programme
at Junior Secondary Level
Related topic
Linkage between texts
Variety of text types
Level of difficulty
•
Integrating reading into regular English Language lessons with the
other language skills of listening, speaking and writing
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Reading across the Curriculum
Topic: Earth
Textbook:
The Beautiful
Planet –
poem and essay
Grammar items and
structures, skills
development…
Info. about the Earth
and environment
protection
Extended Reading:
The Earth
(An information book)
Participle phrases,
noun phrases
Adjectives to
describe the Earth
Text structure of
poem and essay
Discover and
Experience
(A government
pamphlet – Electrical &
Mechanical Services
Department)
Reading Skills
& Strategies
Writing an argumentative essay on the use of
alternative energy sources for generating
electricity
Curriculum Continuity
• Integrating elements of the SS English Language curriculum
into the General English Programme at the JS Level
Suggested
Modules
at JS Level
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Teenage Life
Nature and Environment
Getting Along with Others
Study, School and Work
Rights and Responsibilities
Wonderful Things
Cultures of the World
Elective
Modules
at SS Level
• Poems & Songs
• Drama
• Short Stories
•
•
•
•
•
Popular Culture
Debating
Social Issues
Sports Communication
Workplace Communication
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Effective strategies to enhance the interface
1. Curriculum Continuity
2. Pedagogical Adjustment
3. Development of Learning Strategies
Learning Experiences across key stages
Primary
Junior
Secondary
Senior
Secondary
•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
•Exposure to a wide
range of print and
non-print texts
•Extensive reading
and viewing
•Further development
of language skills and
strategies
•Exposure to a widened
range of more complex
text types
•Elective modules
(Language Arts & NonLanguage Arts)
•Comprehension and
production of more
complex messages in
more formal texts
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Curriculum Continuity
Understanding the Progressive Development of the
Four Language Skills across Key Stages
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Curriculum continuity across key stages
KS2
Development of Listening Skills
- Identify and discriminate sounds, stress and
intonation
KS3
Listen for intended meanings, feelings and attitudes,
e.g.
- Listen for explicit and implicit meaning, e.g.
Identify consonant blends and long vowel sounds
Identify key ideas in a passage, discussion or
conversation
Extract information and ideas in spoken texts
Identify the gist and main ideas by recognising the
stress in connected speech
Understand the connection between ideas
supported by cohesive devices
Locate specific information in spoken texts
Predict the likely development of a topic by
recognising key words, using personal
experiences, and making use of context and
knowledge of the world
Identify the sequence of events, causes and
effects
Make connections between ideas and
information with the help of discourse markers
Discriminate between different intonation for
various feelings and attitudes
Understand levels of formality and informality
Curriculum continuity across key stages
KS2
Development of Speaking Skills
KS3
Apply grammar rules such as subject-verb
agreement correctly
Connect ideas by using cohesive devices, e.g.
also, at last, before
Use gestures and facial expressions to convey
meaning and intention
Use appropriate intonation and stress, and vary
volume, tone of voice and speed to convey
intended meanings and feelings
Asking and responding to others’ opinions
Describe the sequence of events, causes and
effects
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- Present information, ideas and feelings clearly and - Present information, ideas and feelings clearly and
coherently
coherently
- Participate effectively in an oral interaction, e.g.
- Participate effectively in an oral interaction, e.g.
Use words and expressions appropriate to
the context
Use correct pronunciation, intonation and
register for different purposes
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
Express, elicit and respond to ideas, opinions
and feelings in a group discussion
Curriculum continuity across key stages
KS2
Development of Reading Skills
KS3
Construct meaning from texts and locate
information and ideas, e.g.
Understand, interpret and analyse different
written texts, e.g.
Work out the meaning of unknown words by using
word association, visual clues, context &
knowledge of the world
Make use of knowledge of the world to make
sense of the written text
Recognise recurrent patterns in language
structure
Understand how sentences and parts of a
sentence relate to each other
Understand the use of discourse markers
Skim and scan a text to obtain the main ideas
and locate specific information
Recognise the features of a variety of text types
Understand intention, attitudes and feelings
conveyed in a text
Re-read the text to establish and confirm meaning
Identify implied meanings through
inferencing
Understand different feelings, views and
attitudes
Acquire, extract and organise information
relevant to specific tasks
Curriculum continuity across key stages
KS2
Development of Writing Skills
- Use the basic conventions of written English
- Present information, ideas and feelings clearly
KS3
Present information, ideas and feelings clearly
and coherently, e.g.
and coherently, e.g.
Use cursive script, capitalisation and conventional
punctuation
Plan and organise information, and express own
ideas and feelings by, e.g. deciding on the
sequence of content
Use a small range of language patterns such as
different verb forms and structural patterns
Write paragraphs which develop main ideas
Use appropriate formats, conventions and
language features when writing a variety of text
types, e.g. journals, emails, procedures
Describe, express or explain ideas, feelings
and experiences
Plan and organise ideas, and use appropriate
cohesive devices
Use a wide range of language patterns for
various purposes
Use strategies to arouse and sustain readers’
interest
Use tone, style and register for various
purposes
Evaluate and make use of given information to
complete specific tasks
Curriculum Continuity
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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Effective strategies to enhance the interface
1. Curriculum Continuity
2. Pedagogical Adjustment
3. Development of Learning Strategies
Learning Experiences across key stages
Primary
Junior
Secondary
Senior
Secondary
•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
•Exposure to a wide
range of print and
non-print texts
•Extensive reading
and viewing
•Further development
of language skills and
strategies
•Exposure to a widened
range of more complex
text types
•Elective modules
(Language Arts & NonLanguage Arts)
•Comprehension and
production of more
complex messages in
more formal texts
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Pedagogical Adjustment
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
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Pedagogical Adjustment
Strategies to Build on Students’ Prior Learning,
Knowledge and Experience
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
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Pedagogical Adjustment
Develop a shared understanding of effective learning & teaching
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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Pedagogical Adjustment
The LEARNING and teaching
of grammar
Communicative Functions across Key Stages
The Communicative Functions
listed for Key Stages 1 & 2
should be consolidated and
extended to a greater degree of
complexity at Key Stage 3.
The Communicative Functions
listed for Key Stages 1-3 should be
consolidated and extended to a
greater degree of complexity at
Senior Secondary level.
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Source: CDC Syllabus for English Language (Secondary 1-5) (1999), p.18.
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Activity 2
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?
A reading passage
A grammar exercise
Introduce oneself on a personal homepage.
Hi, I am Andy. I am a 13-yearold 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.
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Pedagogical Adjustment
Consolidation and Extension of
Communicative Functions across Key Stages
e.g. Introduce oneself
I’m Joe. I am six years old.
I like apples.
Introduce oneself to the class.
KS1
Hi, I am Andy. I am a 13year old boy who loves
blogging. My friends call
me Smarty because I like
to make people laugh with
clever jokes.
Introduce oneself on a personal
homepage.
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 to
the editor to express personal
opinion
SS
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Activity 3
In groups
1.
2.
3.
Study a student work sample – a
magazine article about exciting
places in Hong Kong.
Highlight the grammar items used
by the student to make suggestions
on improvement. Share your
observation with your group
members.
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!
Pedagogical Adjustment
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!
Pedagogical Adjustment
•
A Communicative Function Expressed by
Multiple Grammar Items and Structures
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.
To address the problem of
monotony, the student could use a
greater range of appropriate
grammar items and structures to
make suggestions, e.g.
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.
• “…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.”
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! …
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Pedagogical
Adjustment
Multiple Communicative
Functions Expressed by a
Grammar Item and Structure

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
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
37
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 37
never get bored!
Pedagogical Adjustment
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
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Pedagogical Adjustment
To enhance the progression of reading skills from KS2 to KS3, we can …
Find out what our students read & what skills they need
Example
Before lessons begin
Visual Arts
1st recess
English
2nd recess
Science
Humanities
Lunch break
Mathematics
PowerPoint developed for the Professional Development Programme on Reading across the Curriculum under the fine-tuned MOI arrangements
(Adapted from Wray, D. (2006). Teaching literacy across the primary curriculum (p. viii-ix). Exeter : Learning Matters.)
39
To enhance the progression of reading skills from KS2 to KS3, we can …
Find out what our students read & what skills they need
Time Example Reading engaged in
Before lessons
begin
Visual Arts
lessons
“Reading for school subjects / everyday life?”
1. Some pages from a comic (Japanese manga) with his friend
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
st
1 recess
4. Some more pages from a comic (Japanese manga) with his friend
English lessons 5. Text on the screen and in the textbook
6. A list of “feeling” verbs and adjectives on the screen
7. Read aloud from his sentences to class
nd
2 recess
8. A class notice about a school trip which he had to take home to
parents
Integrated
9. Science investigation instructions from the screen
Science lessons 10. The same instructions from his textbook as he carried out the
investigation
11. Teacher’s account of the investigation on whiteboard
12. Read aloud some of his results for teacher to write
13. Some explanations on the screen
Integrated
14. A passage on Hong Kong: Its history and its geography
humanities
lesson
lunch break
15. A library book for his book report
Maths lessons 16. Maths problem on the screen
17. His teacher’s answers
18. Maths problem from his workbook
Reading for everyday life
Reading for school subjects
Reading for everyday life
Reading for school subjects
Reading for school subjects
Reading for school subjects
Reading for school subjects
Reading for school subjects
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Reading for school subjects
PowerPoint developed for the Professional Development Programme on Reading across the Curriculum under the fine-tuned MOI arrangements
(Adapted from Wray, D. (2006). Teaching literacy across the primary curriculum (p. viii-ix). Exeter : Learning Matters.)
Pedagogical Adjustment
Ensure a Greater Alignment of Teaching Practices—
draw on students’ previous learning and experience
Increasing language demands in the use of academic language
JS History
SS 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.
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.7 Travelling Through History 3A)
(p.12, HKDSE History Inquiry Vol. II)
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Pedagogical Adjustment
Develop a shared understanding of effective learning & teaching
To enhance the progression of reading skills from KS2 to KS3, we can …
Raise awareness of language
demands involved in reading texts
Strengthen Language
across the Curriculum
Listening
Reading
Language
across
the
Curriculum
Writing
Speaking
Academic
content
Awareness
+
Academic
language
awareness
– 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)
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Pedagogical Adjustment
Raise awareness of the language demands in reading and writing texts of
content subjects
Academic English – grammatically complex and lexically dense
 More 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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Pedagogical Adjustment
Develop a shared understanding of effective learning & teaching
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
Pedagogical Adjustment
Highlight information structures of different text types and the relevant
reading and writing strategies
Facilitating comprehension at text level
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
PowerPoint developed for the Professional Development Programme on Reading across the Curriculum under the fine-tuned MOI arrangements
(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.)
45
Pedagogical Adjustment
Making effective use of graphic organisers
Facilitating reading and writing at idea level
• 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
46
Pedagogical Adjustment
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
Now write down the main ideas in
the table.
What are the types of food
substance's that we need for
sustaining life?
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.
47
Pedagogical Adjustment
Unpacking information using graphic organiser to facilitate reading
Q: What are the types of food substances that we need for sustaining life?
Food Substances
Matching diagrams with text structure
Food substances
Primary Food
Substances
(essential to
life)
Carbohydrates,
fats, proteins,
water
Protective
Food
Substances
(keeping our
body healthy
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.
vitamins,
minerals,
dietary fibre
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.
48
Pedagogical Adjustment
Repacking information using graphic organisers to facilitate writing
can be classified (passive voice)
• Food substances can be
classified into primary food
substances and protective
food substances, which are
essential to life and keeping
our body healthy.
Food Substances
Primary Food
Substances
Essential to life
which are
(relative clause)
Protective
Food
Substances
Keeping our
body healthy
49
Pedagogical Adjustment
Repacking information using graphic organiser to facilitate writing
Food Substances
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.
Primary Food
Substances
essential to life
S
V
can be classified into
Food substances
can be categorised into
can be divided into
O
primary food
substances and
protective food
substances.
Protective Food
Substances
keeping our
body healthy
Embedded clause
which are
essential to life
and keeping our
body healthy.
Pedagogical Adjustment
Unpacking complex sentence structure
Facilitating comprehension at sentence level
• 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.)
51
Pedagogical Adjustment
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.
• Circle organisation markers, such as
headings, sub-headings, and linking
devices.
• Summarise the text.
• Text reconstruction
(cut-up sentences)
• Cloze activities –
• Match paragraphs to their topic
sentences. / Underline topic sentences.
(useful for raising awareness of connectives)
PowerPoint developed for the Professional Development Programme on Reading across the Curriculum under the fine-tuned MOI arrangements
52
Pedagogical Adjustment
Facilitating comprehension at word level
• 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?
Source: Nuttall (2005). Teaching Reading Skills in a Foreign Language p. 69.
53
Effective strategies to enhance the interface
1. Curriculum Continuity
2. Pedagogical Adjustment
3. Development of Learning Strategies
Learning Experience across key stages
Primary
Junior
Secondary
Senior
Secondary
•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
•Exposure to a wide
range of print and
non-print texts
•Extensive reading
and viewing
•Further development
of language skills and
strategies
•Exposure to a widened
range of more complex
text types
•Elective modules
(Language Arts & NonLanguage Arts)
•Comprehension and
production of more
complex messages in
more formal texts
54
Development of Learning Strategies
 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
55
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
56
Adapted 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.
Development of Learning Strategies
Explicit Teaching of Metacognitive Strategies
Sample classroom discourse:
- 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”.
What is the meaning
of “host country”?
A Reading Text on Global Migration
57
Source: Pakenham (2004), Making Connections Intermediate, Cambridge University Press, p.137-138.
Development of Learning Strategies
Explicit Teaching of Metacognitive Strategies
Sample classroom discourse:
- 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.
What are the positive
effects of immigration on
the countries involved?
A Reading Text on Global Migration
Topic sentence:
“This impact can
be positive. …”
58
Development of Learning Strategies
Explicit Teaching of Metacognitive Strategies
- 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 …
59
Source :Zwiers (2008): Building Academic Language, Jossey-bass Teacher, p.170)
Development of Learning Strategies
Help students evaluate their strategies of learning English
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”
60
Source: http://www.learninginfo.org/spelling-mnemonics.htm
Development of Learning Strategies
Help students evaluate their strategies of learning English
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
61
Development of Learning Strategies
Providing opportunities for students to take charge of
their own learning
 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
62
Development of Learning Strategies
More effective self assessment
• More focussed
assessment of
performance
• covering 3 areas (Content,
Organisation & Language) 
1 area (Organisation)
• Post-discussion with
teacher
• to seek expert advice for
improvement
63
Development of Learning Strategies
Providing opportunities for students to take charge of their
own learning
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
64
Reference
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.
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
Reference
Hasan, 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.
66
Mnemonics: What are Spelling Mnemonics From http://www.learninginfo.org/spelling-mnemonics.htm