Seminar-cum-workshops on Seminar-cum-workshops on Promoting the 3Cs and Quality Interaction Promoting the 3Cs and Quality Interaction
in the Primary English Classroomin the Primary English Classroom
Organised by English Language Education SectionCurriculum Development Institute
Education Bureau
Guest speakers from TELECTeachers of English Language Education Centre
The University of Hong Kong
March 2005
2
Aims of Seminar-cum-workshops
To familiarize participants with the resource package ‘Promoting Quality Interaction in the Primary English Classroom’
To introduce effective and flexible ways of using the resource package for a series of school-based facilitator-led workshops
To help participants gain a better understanding of what interaction involves, and to enable them to bring about quality interaction and the development of 3Cs in their classrooms
3
Purpose of Package
To support the implementation of the English Language Education Key Learning Area Curriculum Guide (P1-S3) (CDC, 2002) and the English Language Curriculum Guide (Primary 1-6) (CDC, 2004) by
helping teachers of English to gain a better understanding of what interaction involves in their classrooms*
enabling teachers to bring about quality interaction in their classrooms
providing resource materials for promoting quality interaction through school-based workshops and self-access learning
(*For “English for Classroom Interaction”, please refer to Appendix 4 pp. A23 – A26 of the English Language Curriculum Guide (Primary 1-6) (CDC, 2004) )
4
Contents of Package
• 3 multimedia CD-ROMs containing materials to help teachers generate quality interaction in the English classroom
• A handbook for facilitators (facilitators’ guide and printable handouts for participants)
5
Organisation of Sessions in the CD-ROMs
Session 1 – Developing good practices inlanguage teaching and learning
Session 2 – Recognising and selecting appropriateoral activities
Session 3 – Generating interaction in the classroom:the role of the teacher
Session 4 – Analysing student interaction in theclassroom
Session 5 – Improving the quality of classroominteraction
6
Components of Sessions
• Each session is divided into three components: A, B & C.
• Component A is designed for facilitator-led whole group sessions.
• Components B & C are designed for self-access use, for individuals or small groups of teachers.
7
Components, Options and Time Required
Option 1
[2.5 hours]
Option 2
[5 hours]
Option 3
[7.5 hours]
Session 1 A A+B A+B+C
Session 2 A A+B A+B+C
Session 3 A A+B A+B+C
Session 4 A A+B A+B+C
Session 5 A A+B A+B+C
8
Why focus on ‘interaction’?
Language serves a social function for interactive communication in everyday life. (See p.142 of the English Language Curriculum Guide (Primary 1-6) (CDC, 2004) )
Students should be given the opportunity to take risks, experiment with language and develop their creativity.
Language output is critical for language development.
9
Why do students need to participate in interaction?
When students are using language they are actively involved in the negotiation of meaning. (See Tsui (1996))
Using language enables learners to test hypotheses which they have formed about language. (See Tsui (1996))
Language learners need to have the opportunity to take risks, be creative and experiment with language. (See Rubin & Thompson (1983))
Contributions by students help to create the content of the lesson. (See Katz in Bailey and Nunan (1996))
10
Interaction involves ... controlling one’s own language production making decisions and choices on the content of
their interaction and the way to express it using language in order to satisfy particular
demands using language under normal processing conditions having conditions that require participants to
reciprocate the participants in the management of interaction the negotiation of meaning
(Summary based on Bygate
(1987))
11
What is quality interaction?
Using the target language to communicate effectively with others in meaningful contexts
Involving a two-way process with feedback Developing ability to clarify meanings during
interaction Communicating with each other for a purpose Developing language and skills that are useful
in real life
12
How to promote quality interaction
Teachers should:
provide activities which enable students to develop the skills that will enable them to participate in real-life situations; and
provide a range of activities and task types to help students develop the skills that enable them to manage interaction in and beyond the classroom.
13
Promoting the 3Cs Communication Skills
In learning to communicate effectively, learners should learn to… identify purpose and context of communication convey a message in accordance with needs of the audience organize accurate and relevant information for the audience evaluate effectiveness of their communication identify areas of improvement for action(See pp. 73-74 of the English Language Curriculum Guide (Primary 1-6) (CDC, 2004) )
14
Promoting the 3Cs
Creativity
To develop learners’ creativity, teachers need to…
ask them to go beyond given information allow them time to think strengthen and reward creative efforts encourage problem solving create a climate conducive to creativity (See pp.
75-77 of the English Language Curriculum Guide (Primary 1-6) (CDC, 2004) )
15
Promoting the 3Cs
Critical Thinking Skills
In learning to think critically, learners should learn to… draw meaning from given data and statements
evaluate accuracy of given statements evaluate and generate arguments question and enquire in order to make judgements
(See pp. 78-79 of the English Language Curriculum Guide (Primary 1-6)(CDC, 2004) )
16
Developing the 3Cs
Activity Communication Skills
Creativity Critical Thinking Skills
A Visit to the Doctor
Have You Got Any Apples?
My New Festival
Visiting Hong Kong
17
Evaluating Activities
1. Do these activities help students develop communication skills, creativity and critical thinking skills? If yes, to what extent?
2. What kind of demands do these activities make on students’ speaking skills?
3. What problems do you think upper primary students might have in carrying out these activities?
18
A Visit to the Doctor
Teacher shows students a flash card of an ailment and elicits responses by asking ‘What’s the matter?’.
Teacher models the structure and vocabulary, e.g. She’s got a cough.
Students listen and repeat. Teacher asks a question and nominates
student to answer the question.
19
Have you got any apples? Students work in groups of four. Each student has a shopping list with six food items. The group leader deals each player six cards with
pictures of food items. Each student must try and obtain the items on
his/her shopping list by asking other students in the group ‘Have you got any …’ [i.e. the target language item]
If a student has the card, he/she must give it to the student who asked the question.
They continue playing the game until someone has all the items on his/her shopping list.
20
My New Festival
Students work in groups of four. They brainstorm ideas for a new festival
using headings as prompts for discussion. They organise their ideas as notes under
the headings. They then use their notes and work
collaboratively to write about their new festival.
21
Visiting Hong Kong
Students read an email from a cousin in Canada who wants to visit Hong Kong. In the email he wants to ‘visit beautiful places and learn something about Hong Kong’.
Students plan an itinerary for their cousin using a map and some information about things to do in Hong Kong.
22
Developing the 3CsActivity Communication
skillsCreativity Critical
thinking skills
A visit to the doctor
Have you got any apples?
My new festival
Visiting Hong Kong
weak
strong strong
strong strong