Eal Grammar

8/19/2019 Eal Grammar

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Curriculum, Examination

&Assessment

English Consultants

and EAL Coordinators

S ta tus : Recommended

Da te o f iss ue: 11/02

Re f: DfES 05 81/2002

Key Stage 3National Strategy

Grammar for writing:supporting pupilslearning EAL

Guidance


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Grammar for writing: supporting

pupils learning EAL

All contentsof this folderareavailableontheDfESKeyStage3website:


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Con t en t s

Acknow ledgem ents 3

Aim s 4

Pre-course task 5

Suggested tim ings 6

Session 1 Introduction 7

O H Ts 1.1–1.14 16

H andout 1.1 30

Session 2 Text cohesion 31

O H Ts 2.1–2.9 40

H andouts 2.1–2.5 49

Session 3 Sentence construction and subordination 55

O H Ts 3.1–3.7 61


Session 4 W ord choice and m odification 71

O H Ts 4.1–4.11 77


Session 5 Assessing pupils’w riting and teaching gram m ar in context 91

O H T 5.1 93


Session 6 Post-course tasks and evaluation 103

O H Ts 6.1–6.2 104

H andouts 6.1–6.2 106

Appendix Key gram m atical term s w ith exam ples 109


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Acknowledgements

The authors w ould like to thank the follow ing for their helpful advice and use of m aterials:

Professor R ichard H udson

D r Lynne C am eron (U niversity of Leeds)N ALD IC C om m ittee m em bers

Pupils learning EAL and their teachers from schools in the follow ing LEAs:Barking and

D agenham , C am den,G reenw ich, R otherham and Tow er H am lets.


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Aims

To update Ethnic M inority Achievem ent (EM A) teachers on the approaches to

teaching gram m ar in K ey S tage 3, including current term inology.

To consider how focused teaching of gram m ar can im prove the w riting of pupils

learning English as an additional language (EAL).


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Pre-course task

Estim ated tim e to com plete task: 3 0 m i n ut e s

Participants w ill need to gather the follow ing inform ation in preparation for the course and

to bring it w ith them , as it w ill be used during the training (session 5).

Six to eight sam ples of extended w riting from pupils learning EAL w ho are w orking

at N C Levels 3 and 4, in Years 7, 8 and 9.

Several m edium -term plans for English, m apped against the Fram ew ork

objectives.

Note to tutors

This pre-course task w ill need to be sent to course participants approxim ately tw o w eeks

prior to the training.


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Suggested timings

Pre-course task: 30 m inutes

9:00 C offee/arrival

9:15 Session 1 Introduction

10:00 Session 2 Text cohesion

11:00 C offee

11:30 Session 3 Sentence construction and subordination

12:10 Session 4 W ord choice and m odification

12:45 Lunch

1:45 Session 5 Assessing pupils’w riting and teaching gram m ar

in context

2:45 Tea

3:00 Session 6 Post-course task and evaluation

3:30 C lose of day


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I n t r oduc t i on 4 5 m i n ut e s

Resources

O H Ts 1.1–1.14

H andout 1.1

O ne w hiteboard per participant

Timing

1.1 G ram m ar: a focus on pupils learning EAL 10 m inutes

1.2 G ram m ars: w hat is distinctive about the w riting of

pupils learning EAL? 10 m inutes

1.3 A shared term inology: w ord classes in English 20 m inutes

1.4 So w hy teach gram m ar? A sum m ary 5 m inutes

1 .1 G ramm a r : a fo cus on pup i l s lea r n i ng EAL 1 0 m i n ut e s

B egin the session by displaying OHT 1.1, w hich states the aim s of session 1.

N ext show OHT 1.2.

M ake the follow ing points:

An understanding of English gram m ar w ill support pupils as readers and w riters.

D raw attention to how w riters (and speakers) use language to influence us as

readers, and that this is vital for critical reading of texts.

Point out that it w ill help pupils to create the effects they w ant as w riters and

speakers.

1

Aims

To consider how pupils learning EAL m ay benefit from a focus on

English gram m ar.

To m ake a case for use of a com m on term inology.

To explain the structure and organisation of the follow ing sessions.

O H T 1 . 1

Why teach grammar?

freedom

control

choice

focused critical reading

effective speaking and listening

O H T 1 . 2


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State that these notions are not new . D isplay OHT 1.3 and ask participants w hether they

recognise the follow ing extract.Make sure that the source, at the bottom of the OHT, is

covered at first .

Additional points to make

Learning gram m ar w ill:

help pupils to transfer and com pare their understanding of gram m ars from their

other languages, w hen learning how gram m ar w orks in w riting in English

extend pupils’choices and freedom to express them selves pow erfully as w riters

develop use of English for academ ic purposes to raise attainm ent of able pupils

learning EAL w ho m ay be otherw ise hindered by their lack of English gram m atical

know ledge

develop pupils’w ritten repertoire beyond social everyday inform al ‘retelling’, into

curriculum genres of explanation, argum ent and critical analysis.

1 .2 Gram m a r s : w ha t i s d i st i n c t i ve abou t

t he w r i t i n g o f pup i l s l ea r n i ng EAL? 1 0 m i n ut e s

N ow refer to the sam ples of pupils’w ritten w ork brought by participants as part of the

pre-course task. Say they w ill use them later in the day, in session 5.

Acknow ledge that the w riting of pupils learning EAL w ill show m any of the sam e problem s

as that of native English-speaking pupils. For exam ple, both groups m ay dem onstrate

lim ited use of paragraphs and poor punctuation or spelling.

Explain that the challenge for teachers is to acknow ledge im portant differences in the

nature of problem s w ith sentence gram m ar, in order to help pupils learning EAL to

dem onstrate their capabilities and reflect their thinking and ideas effectively.

State that not every single aspect of gram m ar is covered in this training: the focus is on

the teaching points that are likely to m ove pupils’w riting forw ards.

G ram m ar is a m eans of enabling pupils to devote m ore control and choice in

their use of language. The m ore w e know about gram m ar, the better equippedw e are to:

draw attention to how w riters use language to influence us as speakers

and readers

help pupils use language to create the effects they w ant in speaking and

w riting.

W e all have ‘know ledge about gram m ar’, but it is useful to review our

know ledge and understanding to establish consistency and to fill in gaps.

At Key Stage 3, gram m ar is prim arily a m eans of ensuring that pupils becom e

m ore skilful and confident in their use of language, and particularly in w riting.

The end should be w riting w hich is ‘com m itted, vigorous, honest and

interesting ... All good classroom practice w ill be geared to encouraging and

fostering these vital qualities.’

English for ages 5–16 (C ox R eport), 1989

O H T 1 . 3


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D isplay OHT 1.4.


C om pared to native E nglish users, pupils learning EAL lack extensive experience

of using and hearing E nglish.

H ow ever, they bring previous language learning and experience to the process of

learning English.

The particular rate and sequence of learning w ill depend on m any factors:

–prior know ledge

–explicit teaching

–the context and m otivation to learn

–opportunities to practise.

N ow display OHT 1.5, w hich outlines the know ledge and expertise that pupils learning

EA L have.

Common weaknesses and errors in writing by EAL learners

Text cohesion

verb tense form s

pronoun am biguity

use of connectives

Sentence construction (subordination)

subject-verb agreem ent

w ord order

lack of subordination

Word choice

m odification

use of prepositions

use of determ iners

O H

T 1 . 4

What pupils learning EAL bring to the processThey w ill bring:

know ledge of fluent talk in their first language(s)

com m itm ent and purpose

openness to all kinds of new input

understanding that languages and gram m ars differ

som etim es, w ritten know ledge of other languages.

In addition, pupils learning EAL are likely to develop a greater know ledge and

understanding of gram m ars and how they w ork than their m onolingual peers.

O H T 1 . 5


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Task: Supportive features of the KS3 Strategy

Ask participants to discuss briefly in pairs w hat features of the KS3 Strategy are already

supportive to pupils learning EAL. Allow 1 or 2 m inutes, then take brief feedback. D isplay

OHT 1.6 w hich lists the features.


Teachers can:

use m odelling to point out existing or new patterns in gram m ar and to explain the

conventions of texts

use guided sessions to:

–check understanding

–encourage use and experim entation w ith conventions

–correct errors and praise success

use assessm ent for learning to set clear and shared targets for im provem ent.

1 .3 A sha r ed t e rm ino l ogy : w o rd c l a sses i n Eng l i sh 2 0 m i n ut e s

B egin the session by pointing out the follow ing:

A shared term inology supports conversations betw een teachers and pupils about

the w ays in w hich the English language w orks across the key stages.

It engages pupils in discussion about sim ilarities and differences betw een Englishand other languages.

Talking about languages, and their patterns and features, explicitly helps pupils to

a m ore conscious aw areness of how they w ork.

Pupils w ill be better able to use features of English as tools for thinking, expressing

and dem onstrating their ideas at a personal and academ ic level.

At this point, refer to the glossary in the Appendix, taken from the English training file

(2001). Explain that the term inology included is used in K ey S tages 1 and 2 (and w as

introduced in the G ram m ar for W riting M odule), and has also been shared w ith K ey Stage

3 English teachers w ho have participated in M odule 10 of the English training: ‘Sentence

level: gram m ar for w riting’.

Common features in all strands of the KS3 Strategy

Structured lessons draw in pupils from the start.

Active and engaging tasks w hich encourage all pupils to participate.

Teaching and learning strategies that are active and oral.

An em phasis on short-term planning includes planning for input and

support from other adults in the classroom to ensure learning

opportunities are m axim ised.

Subject-specific language skills and conventions of particular form s of

w riting are m ade explicit and dem onstrated by the teacher.

Planned opportunities for oral rehearsal in pairs and sm all groups.

A requirem ent that pupils apply learning, supported by group w ork,

before m oving to independent activity.

O H T 1 . 6


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H a n

d o u

t 1 . 1

N ext distribute Handout 1.1 and display OHT 1.7.

G ive participants a few m om ents to read the chart and then m ake the follow ing points:

There are eight ‘w ord classes’(used because it gives a m ore accurate definition

than ‘parts of speech’, as speech also contains phrases and sentences).

M ost of the term s used w ill be fam iliar;determiner m ay be know n by other labels,

e.g.article (articles are included in determ iners, even though they do not serve the

sam e function).

M ost im portantly, pupils w ho have attended prim ary schools w ill already be fam iliar

w ith som e of the term s.

Task: identifying word classes in sentences

W rite the sentence below on an O H T/flipchart and ask participants to identify:

tw o prepositions

a subordinating conjunction

four determ iners (the, a, their, the).

The pupils rushed around a corner, as their teacher

appeared in the playground.

N ow , distribute w hiteboards to participants and ask them to w ork in pairs. Explain that

their task is to w rite two or m ore sentences, each of w hich contains: a preposition, a

conjunction, a pronoun and an adverb.

O H

T 1 . 7

w ord

noun pronoun determ iner adjective preposition verb adverb conjunction

N p d A p V Av c

he the big of quickly

him self a/an sensible in soon

his w hich fatal after probably

w ho this despite

com m on proper auxiliary full coordinating subordinating

hat John be see and if

invitation London have start or because

hour Saturday w ill hit but after


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N ext, ask participants to underline and label the w ords using the notation on

Handout 1.1. Allow 5 m inutes for the task, and then display OHT 1.8.

Take brief feedback, and then display OHT 1.9 to sum m arise the task.


Each w ord class is defined by different characteristics:

meaning (semantics): e.g. ‘tie’could m ean to ‘bind up’or an item of clothing

w orn at the neck of a shirt

syntax: how a w ord com bines w ith others; w ord order in E nglish differs from that

in other languages

morphology: how w ords are built up of sm aller m eaningful parts (m orphem es):

un-faith-ful; in-fidel-ity

word families: how w ords link from their etym ology (derivation) to m ake lexical

patterns and different w ord classes, e.g. w ord w ebs: fam ily, fam iliar, fam iliarise.

N ow display OHT 1.10.

H ow did you generate your exam ples?

H ow did you decide w hich class a w ord belongs to?

H ow could this know ledge help pupils learning EAL im prove their reading

and w riting?

H ow m ight this be taught?

O H T

1 . 8

In English, each w ord class is defined by:

m eaning (sem antics)

syntax m orphology

w ord fam ilies.

O H

T 1 . 9

Therefore, for each w ord, w e have to decide:

W hat does it m ean?

H ow does it link w ith other w ords?

W hat job does it do?

W here can it go in a sentence?

O H

T 1 . 1

0


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N ext, explain that languages do not all have the sam e structure, for exam ple Finnish does

not have prepositions, and French and B engali do not have the sam e w ord order. This

m ay present additional problem s for pupils learning EAL. D isplay OHT 1.11, and ask

participants to consider the exam ples.


Even young pupils already im plicitly ‘know ’w ord classes because they apply them in

speech, for exam ple, the ‘rules’of pluralisation in English. Errors som etim es reflect an

over-generalisation of the ‘rules’, for exam ple runned (ran).

N ative English-speaking Key S tage 3 pupils are expert users of gram m ar and rarely use

w ords of the w rong class, except w here this relates to dialect. They m ay not be sufficiently

explicitly aw are to exploit a w ider range of language effects in their w riting.

Pupils learning EAL need to understand how English gram m ar w orks in order to becom e

effective readers and w riters in the target language for learning in the curriculum . Their

w riting in English reflects m isunderstandings, w hich in som e cases reflect the patterns of

their first languages. Explicit teaching of English gram m ar w ill help them to understand it

better.

M any English w ords can belong to different w ord classes w ithout a change in form , for

exam ple book (verb or noun).

W ords in English are slippery, and their m eanings and classes alw ays need to be

considered in the context of their sem antic relationships. W ords also often have other

subject-specific m eanings that differ from their everyday m eanings w ithin the Key Stage 3

curriculum . For exam ple bias in history, and bias in textiles, D T.

Task: creating sentences

Finally, divide the participants into tw o groups. Explain that, w orking in pairs, group ‘A’are

quickly going to com pose three sentences using the w ord ‘bank’in three different w ays

and, sim ilarly, group ‘B’are going to com pose three sentences using the w ord ‘green’.

Some examples of syntax in other languages

Spanish

Diana ha escrito hoy una carta larga

(Diana has written today a letter long)

D iana has w ritten a long letter today (English)

Turkish

Ahmad bu askam lakanta-de ban-a kurmizi kitab-i Verdi

(Ahmad this evening restaurant-in me-to red book-the gave)

Ahm ad gave the red book to m e at the restaurant this evening (English)

Bengali

Se e-le ami misti am taratari kha-i

(he come-when I sweet mango quickly eat)

W hen he com es I quickly eat a sw eet m ango (English)

O H T 1 . 1

1


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After a m inute or tw o, take brief feedback, sharing sentences that have been created.

D raw participants’attention to the fact that the activity underlines that w ord m eaning is

dependent on context: sim ply generating w ords in sentences has lim itations.

Therefore, an im portant teaching strategy is to identify w ord classes by annotating and

discussing them in the context of a piece of text as w ell as encouraging pupils to apply

their know ledge in m eaningful w riting activities.

1 . 4 So w hy t e a ch g r amm a r ? A summ a r y 5 m i n u t e s

B egin the session by displaying OHT 1.12.

Point out that a w orking know ledge of English gram m ar is im portant in supporting the

ability to control and vary w riting at text, sentence and w ord level.

N ext, explain these categories, stating w hy they are im portant:

text: the ability to read and w rite cohesive chronological and non-chronological

texts (the glue that holds the w hole piece together)

sentence: the ability to notice, construct, control, punctuate and vary sentence

types

word: the ability to control, select, spell and vary vocabulary to create im pact inrelation to purpose and audience.

To reinforce this, display OHT 1.13, stating that the follow ing three sessions w ill focus on

these particular areas.

Point out that, since these aspects of w riting are particularly problem atic for EAL learners,

they w ill form the focus for the rest of the training session.

Tell participants that exam ples of the w ork of pupils learning EAL are given together w ith

som e consideration of w hat the pupils know and need to learn.

Tell participants that they w ill have the opportunity to analyse the w ork they brought, and

to plan specific activities to help pupils learning EAL im prove their w riting in context

through a better understanding of how aspects of gram m ar w ork in English.

G ram m ar is w hat gives sense to language … sentences m ake w ords yield up

their m eanings. Sentences actively create sense in language and the business

of the study of sentences is the study of gram m ar.

D avid C rystal O

H T 1 . 1

2

The follow ing three sessions focus on:

text cohesion

clause construction and subordination

w ord m odification. O H T 1 . 1

3


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Sum m arise this session w ith a rem inder of w hy gram m ar is im portant: display OHT 1.14.

Tools not rules.

R eading as a w riter (increasing critical aw areness).

W riting as a reader (aw areness of the audience).

Extending pupils’authorial choices and freedom as w riters. O H

T 1 . 1

4


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OHT 1.1

Aims

To consider how pupils learning EAL m ay

benefit from a focus on English gram m ar.

To m ake a case for use of a com m on

term inology.

To explain the structure and organisation of

the follow ing sessions.


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OHT 1.2

Why teach grammar?

freedom

control

choice

focused critical reading

effective speaking and listening


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OHT 1.3

G ram m ar is a m eans of enabling pupils to devote

m ore control and choice in their use of language.

The m ore w e know about gram m ar, the better

equipped w e are to:

draw attention to how w riters use language to

influence us as speakers and readers

help pupils use language to create the effectsthey w ant in speaking and w riting.

W e all have ‘know ledge about gram m ar’, but it is

useful to review our know ledge and understanding

to establish consistency and to fill in gaps.

At Key Stage 3, gram m ar is prim arily a m eans of

ensuring that pupils becom e m ore skilful and

confident in their use of language, and particularly

in w riting. The end should be w riting w hich is

‘com m itted, vigorous, honest and interesting ...

All good classroom practice w ill be geared to

encouraging and fostering these vital qualities.’

English for ages 5–16 (C ox R eport), 1989


20/112

OHT 1.4

Common weaknesses and errorsin writing by EAL learners

Text cohesion

verb tense form s

pronoun am biguity

use of connectives

Sentence construction (subordination)

subject-verb agreem ent

w ord order

lack of subordination

Word choice m odification

use of prepositions

use of determ iners


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OHT 1.5

What pupils learning EAL bringto the process

They w ill bring:

know ledge of fluent talk in their first

language(s)

com m itm ent and purpose

openness to all kinds of new input

understanding that languages and

gram m ars differ

som etim es, w ritten know ledge of other

languages.

In addition, pupils learning EAL are likely to develop

a greater know ledge and understanding of

gram m ars and how they w ork than their

m onolingual peers.


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OHT 1.6

Common features in all strandsof the KS3 Strategy

Structured lessons draw in pupils from

the start.

Active and engaging tasks w hich encourage all

pupils to participate.

Teaching and learning strategies that are active

and oral.

An em phasis on short-term planning includes

planning for input and support from other

adults in the classroom to ensure learning

opportunities are m axim ised.

Subject-specific language skills and

conventions of particular form s of w riting

are m ade explicit and dem onstrated by

the teacher.

Planned opportunities for oral rehearsal in

pairs and sm all groups.

A requirem ent that pupils apply learning,

supported by group w ork, before m oving

to independent activity.


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OHT 1.7

w o r d

n o u n

p r o n o u n

d

e t e r m i n e r

a d j e c t i v e

p r e p o s i t i o n

v e r b

a d v e r b

c o n j u n c t i o n

N

p

d

A

p

V

A v

c

h e

t h e

b i g

o f

q u

i c k l y

h i m s e

l f

a

/ a n

s e n s

i b l e

i n

s o o n

h i s

w

h i c h

f a t a l

a f t e r

p r o

b a

b l y

w h o

t h i s

d e s p

i t e

o m m o n

p r o p e r

a u x i l i a r y

f u l l

c o o r d i n a t i n g

s u b o r d

i n a t i n g

a t

J o

h n

b e

s e e

a n

d

i f

n v i

t a t i o n

L o n

d o n

h a v e

s t a r t

o r

b e c a u s e

o u r

S a

t u r d a y

w i l l

h i t

b u

t

a f t e r


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OHT 1.8

H ow did you generate your exam ples?

H ow did you decide w hich class a w ord

belongs to?

H ow could this know ledge help pupils learning

EAL im prove their reading and w riting?

H ow m ight this be taught?


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OHT 1.9

In English, each w ord class is defined by:

m eaning (sem antics)

syntax

m orphology

w ord fam ilies.


26/112

OHT 1.10

Therefore, for each w ord, w e have to decide:

W hat does it m ean?

H ow does it link w ith other w ords?

W hat job does it do?

W here can it go in a sentence?


27/112

OHT 1.11

Some examples of syntax inother languages

Spanish

Diana ha escrito hoy una carta larga

(Diana has written today a letter long)

D iana has w ritten a long letter today (English)

Turkish

Ahmad bu askam lakanta-de ban-a kurmizi

kitab-i Verdi

(Ahmad this evening restaurant-in me-to red book-

the gave)

Ahm ad gave the red book to m e at the restaurantthis evening (English)

Bengali

Se e-le ami misti am taratari kha-i

(he come-when I sweet mango quickly eat)

W hen he com es I quickly eat a sw eet m ango

(English)


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OHT 1.12

G ram m ar is w hat gives sense to language …

sentences m ake w ords yield up their m eanings.

Sentences actively create sense in language and

the business of the study of sentences is the study

of gram m ar.

D avid C rystal


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OHT 1.13

The follow ing three sessions focus on:

text cohesion

clause construction and subordination

w ord m odification.


30/112

OHT 1.14

Tools not rules.

R eading as a w riter (increasing critical

aw areness).

W riting as a reader (aw areness of the

audience).

Extending pupils’authorial choices and

freedom as w riters.


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Handou t 1.1

w o r d

n o u n

p r o n o u n d

e t e r m i n e r

a d j e c t i v e

p r e p o s i t i o n

v e r b

a d v e r b

c o n j u n c

t i o n

N

p

d

A

p

V

A v

c

h e

t

h e

b i g

o f

q u

i c k l y

h i m s e

l f

a

/ a n

s e n s

i b l e

i n

s o o n

h i s

w

h i c h

f a t a l

a f t e r

p r o

b a

b l y

w h o

t

h i s

d e s p

i t e

c o m m o n

p r o p e r

a u x i l i a r y

f u l l

c o o r d i n a t i n g

s u b o r d i n a t i n g

h a

t

J o

h n

b e

s e e

a n

d

i f

i n v i

t a t i o n

L o n

d o n

h a v e

s t a r t

o r

b e c a u s

e

h o u r

S a

t u r d a y

w i l l

h i t

b u

t

a f t e r


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Tex t c ohe s ion 6 0 m i n ut e s

Resources

O H Ts 2.1–2.9

H andouts 2.1–2.5

Timing

2.1 Talk to w riting 10 m inutes

2.2 W hat do good w riters do? 10 m inutes

2.3 Text cohesion: Asaf 10 m inutes

2.4 C ohesion: connectives 10 m inutes

2.5 C ohesion: tense 10 m inutes

2.6 Reference and am biguity: use of pronouns 10 m inutes

2 .1 Ta l k to w r i t i n g 1 0 m i n ut e s



In reading and w riting, the gram m atical features that require m ore attention tend to

be those that differ from the patterns occurring in talk. This is true for all pupils.

Spoken and w ritten registers have different conventions and it is helpful to be

aw are of these differences and to be explicit about them in teaching English.

It is likely that sm all inaccuracies in talk w ill not m atter, but these m ay becom e

m ore noticeable in w riting as significant errors.

2

Aims

To investigate the differences betw een spoken and w ritten gram m ar.

To focus upon the features of cohesion that pupils learning EAL m ay

find difficult. O H T 2 . 1


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O H T

2 . 2

H a n

d o u

t 2 . 1

N ext display OHT 2.2 and obscure the text on the right-hand side of the O H T

(‘W hen w e w rite’).

Task: ‘When we write’

D istribute Handout 2.1.

Ask participants to w ork in pairs and to list w hat should be in the w riting colum n of the

H andout in com parison w ith speaking and listening.

Take very brief feedback, and debrief by revealing the w hole ofOHT 2.2.

Some differences between talk and writing

When we talk When we write

W e m ake sim ple links betw een W e use m ore form al connectives

ideas by using coordination:and, to structure w riting: therefore, as a

but, so . consequence, moreover.

C oordination can be overused and

repetitive in w riting, becom ing the

‘and then’ phenom enon.

W e shift betw een tenses, e.g. Shifts of tense have to be skilfully

using the historic present for m anaged in w riting to m aintain

vividness then slipping back to consistency and so that the readerthe past tense. is clear w hen the action is

occurring.

Shifts in m eaning are often Subordination is used to pack

portrayed by gesture, tone of m ore pieces of inform ation in and

voice, em phasis, facial expression. reorder clauses to m ake subtle

shifts in m eaning clear.

Single adjectives used w ith nouns. M odification produces m ore

elaborate sentences through a

range of devices, giving pupils a

richer w riting repertoire from w hichto select.

W e rely on a shared context W e use m ore content w ords and

betw een speaker and listener. devices to put ideas together for

conciseness. Texts becom e

‘lexically dense’.

Sentence and w ord boundaries W e organise ideas into w ords,

do not alw ays m atter. sentences and paragraphs. Text

structure and punctuation help to

order ideas and readability.


34/112

2 .2 Wha t do good w r i t e r s do? 1 0 m i n ut e s

B egin this session by displaying OHT 2.3.

State that w e need to m ake these processes explicit to pupils by talking them through the

‘in the head’processes. In order to help w ith this, the follow ing sequence is suggested:

display OHT 2.4.


Freedom through use of structures and techniques gives a w riter choices w ith

w hich to be creative.

This is also a learning sequence –it is active and investigative.

It m oves from dependence to independence through support and investigation.

The sequence w ill need to be repeated m any tim es before pupils are able to apply

it independently.

W riting should bridge from reading: explicit teaching needs to be linked to texts

and effects.

U se the agreed term inology and build on pupils’prior experience and know ledge

of their other languages. Pupils learning EAL w ill need to hear exam ples and use

the new language in oral rehearsal.

The pupils w ill be able to w atch and contribute to the process w hile you w rite or

annotate: m istakes and experim entation can be show n as part of the

developm ent.

Scaffolds should be appropriate forthe purpose and be rem oved as early

What do good writers do?

H ear a voice in their head relating to the audience, purpose and register of

the w riting.

G ather ideas relating to purpose, audience and genre.

R ehearse sentences out loud before com m itting them to paper.

R eread w hat they have w ritten to cue into the next sentence.

R eread to check flow and continuity.

R ead back sentences to see if they ‘sound right’.

Try alternatives.

Punctuate w hile w riting.

O H T 2 . 3

A teaching sequence for writing

Explore the objective: use good exam ples of texts.

D efine the conventions.

D em onstrate how it is w ritten.

Share the com position: develop an explicit dialogue w ith the class about

the choices a w riter can m ake but w hich are usually silent and hidden.

Scaffold first attem pts.

O H T 2 . 4


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2 .3 Tex t c ohes ion : Asa f 1 0 m i n ut e s

D isplay OHT 2.5 and distribute Handout 2.2. The follow ing story, entitled ‘The ice planet

H oth’, w as w ritten by Asaf in Year 7 as part of an English assignm ent on fantasy fiction.

Asaf has been learning in English for five years and w as assessed as an overall level 4 at

the end of Year 6 in national tests, although his w riting is still at level 3. H e speaks Sylheti

but does not read or w rite in Bengali.

W orking in pairs, ask participants to spend 2 m inutes considering this piece of w riting, and

discussing w hat Asaf already know s and can do.

2 .4 Cohes i on : connec t i ve s 1 0 m i n ut e s

Take feedback, ensuring the follow ing points are covered.

What Asaf already knows

how to m ake longer com pound sentences w hich have tw o or m ore clauses and

are joined together

how to m ake w riting m ore varied and interesting by starting a sentence w ith a

preposition.

What Asaf may not know

how to use connectives

how to create com plex and subordinate sentences.


C onnectives:

are w ords or phrases w hose m ain function is to link clauses sem antically

are vital in organising w ritten texts and allow relationships betw een ideas to be

expressed

act as an im portant signal to the reader as texts becom e m ore com plex

depend on the purpose for the piece of w riting.

O H T 2 . 5

H

a n

d o u

t 2 . 2

Asaf, Year 7

The cave is scary and dark. In the cave there

is a monster starving in hunger. He decided to

go and look for food so he went outside and

he saw a boy with an animals. he went behind

the boy and bang! he was lying on the ice cold

floor. The monster dragged the boy and his

animal along the floor and he took him intothe cave and hung the boy upside down.


36/112


37/112

Connectives as signposts

Adding Cause and effect

and because

also so

as w ell as therefore

m oreover thus

too consequently

Sequencing Qualifying

next how ever

then although

first, second, third ... unless

finally except

m eanw hile ifafter as long as

apart from

yet

Emphasising Illustrating

above all for exam ple

in particular such as

especially for instance

significantly as revealed by

indeed in the case of

notably

Comparing Contrasting

equally w hereas

in the sam e w ay instead of

sim ilarly alternatively

likew ise otherw ise

as w ith unlike

like on the other hand

H a n

d o u

t 2 . 3


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2 .5 Cohes i on : t ense 1 0 m i n ut e s

D isplay OHT 2.7. This piece of w riting, entitled ‘If m y dog disappeared ...’, w as w ritten by

M eena in Year 7, as part of an English assignm ent called ‘W hat if ...’. M eena has been

learning English for three years.

D istribute Handout 2.4. Ask participants to underline the verbs in the text, in pairs, and to

discuss how w ell tense is used. R em ind participants that one of the m ost im portantfunctions of the verb in English is to indicate the relationships betw een the tim e of different

actions and situations in the text. Allow a few m inutes for this.

What Meena already knows about tense

that tense can be used in differing w ays to construct a consistent m eaning

a bit about m odal verbs –she uses the subordinator ‘if’and m odal ‘w ould’

appropriately

that gram m atical features should be related to function, effect and m eaning.

H er im plicit know ledge should be acknow ledged and used as a positive base from w hich

to develop m ore explicit aw areness and control of English. Som e individual explicitfeedback m ay be helpful in highlighting over-generalisations.

What Meena may not know about tense

it usually has som e consistency

that in the hypothetical past tense, the auxiliary verb ‘have’is used w ith the m odal

‘w ould’(If … I would have … ) but does not change form .

O H T 2 . 7

H a n

d o u

t 2 . 4

Meena, Year 7

If my dog disappeared I ran to the police if I didn’t

have an telephone box to find. And would had

searched with them all day long. If I still didn’t find

the dog I would had wrote an advertisement about

the dog. Saying a Labrador has been missing and

have to be found. But the main thing is I am -

really worried about the dog ...

I was calling his name were I could not see him nolonger

... when they heard there dog is in a crash – they

were really scared and worried ... Maybe also they

think that he crash because it was there fault. But

they feel depressing.


39/112


40/112

Film review: The Lord of the Rings

Since it w as released just before C hristm as, m any have claim ed that Peter

Jackson’s ‘The Fellow ship of the R ing’is the best fantasy epic in m otion

picture history. This is an am bitious claim , especially as it is only the first

instalm ent of a trilogy that w ill not see its final part released until just before

C hristm as 2003.

D espite the fact that the opening part of Tolkien’s epic quest is over three

hours long, this w ill not deter the fantasy addict w ho w ill be likely to leave the

cinem a eagerly aw aiting the next episode.

Jackson is a film m aker w ith an extraordinary ability to m ix com puter-generated

im ages from his vivid im agination w ith brilliant acting from a fine ensem ble

of star nam es. There are m om ents of sheer brilliance like the one w here the

city of Isengard is transform ed into a H ieronym us B osch-like factory of evil

and the traum atic encounter w ith B alrog deep in the caves of M oria. H is

screenplay rem ains true enough to the original text to satisfy Tolkien purists

w hilst m anaging to correct som e of the w eaknesses in the original story. In

fact, this version m anages to convey the great sw eep of the m am m oth journeyundertaken by the Fellow ship (w ith N ew Zealand’s stunning scenery another

star perform er) as w ell as interesting us in the personal relationships that

develop am ong the disparate band of intrepid explorers.

H a n

d o u

t 2 . 5

Tips for teaching cohesion

D esign a card sort activity involving grouping connectives for m eaning,

then using them in sentences.

U se a tim eline to dem onstrate positioning ofverb

tenses.

Lead a shared reading of a text w ith inconsistenttense usage, to foster a

‘does it sound right?’approach.

U se ambiguous sentences from pupils’w riting in a shared w riting

session.

O H T 2 . 9

Take very brief feedback. Points to bring out:

U se of pronoun reference is varied and avoids repetition.

Shared and/or guided reading of a text such as this could help pupils learning EAL

understand how to avoid am biguity in their w riting.

Explain that participants w ill have the opportunity to reflect upon this and other strategiesfor teaching gram m ar during the afternoon planning session.

End the session by displaying OHT 2.9, w hich offers som e teaching tips for im proving

pupils’text cohesion. Explain that these should alw ays be taught in context and that there

w ill be m ore on teaching strategies and w hen to use them in session 5.


41/112

OHT 2.1

Aims

To investigate the differences betw een spoken

and w ritten gram m ar.

To focus upon the features of cohesion that

pupils learning EAL m ay find difficult.


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OHT 2.2

Some differences between talkand writing




but, so. consequence, moreover.




W e shift betw een tenses, e.g. Shifts of tense have to be skilfully

using the historic present for m anaged in w riting to m aintain

vividness then slipping back to consistency and so that the reader

the past tense. is clear w hen the action is

occurring.

Shifts in m eaning are often Subordination is used to pack

portrayed by gesture, tone of m ore pieces of inform ation in and

voice, em phasis, facial expression. reorder clauses to m ake subtle

shifts in m eaning clear.

Single adjectives used w ith nouns. M odification produces m ore

elaborate sentences through a

range of devices, giving pupils a

richer w riting repertoire from w hich

to select.

W e rely on a shared context W e use m ore content w ords and

betw een speaker and listener. devices to put ideas together for

conciseness. Texts becom e

‘lexically dense’.

Sentence and w ord boundaries W e organise ideas into w ords,

do not alw ays m atter. sentences and paragraphs. Text

structure and punctuation help to

order ideas and readability.


43/112

OHT 2.3

What do good writers do?

H ear a voice in their head relating to the

audience, purpose and register of the w riting.

G ather ideas relating to purpose, audience

and genre.

R ehearse sentences out loud before

com m itting them to paper.

R eread w hat they have w ritten to cue into

the next sentence.

R eread to check flow and continuity.

R ead back sentences to see if they

‘sound right’.

Try alternatives.

Punctuate w hile w riting.


44/112

OHT 2.4

A teaching sequence for writing

Explore the objective: use good exam ples

of texts.

D efine the conventions.

D em onstrate how it is w ritten.

Share the com position: develop an explicit

dialogue w ith the class about the choices a

w riter can m ake but w hich are usually silent

and hidden.

Scaffold first attem pts.


45/112

OHT 2.5

Asaf, Year 7


is a monster starving in hunger. He decided

to go and look for food so he went outside

and he saw a boy with an animals. he went

behind the boy and bang! he was lying on

the ice cold floor. The monster dragged the

boy and his animal along the floor and he

took him into the cave and hung the boy


46/112

OHT 2.6

Connectives

Conjunctions

I had tea and then

I did m y hom ew ork. coordination

I had tea before

I did m y hom ew ork. subordination

After I had tea

I did m y hom ew ork. subordination

Connecting adverbs

I had tea.Finally I did m y hom ew ork.


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OHT 2.7

Meena, Year 7

If my dog disappeared I ran to the police if I

didn’t have an telephone box to find. And

would had searched with them all day long. If

I still didn’t find the dog I would had wrote

an advertisement about the dog. Saying a

Labrador has been missing and have to be

found. But the main thing is I am -really

worried about the dog ...

I was calling his name were I could not see

him no longer

... when they heard there dog is in a crash –

they were really scared and worried ... Maybealso they think that he crash because it was

there fault. But they feel depressing.


48/112

OHT 2.8

Verbs

An EAL learner needs to know :

w hat verb inflections there are (finite, non-finite

and finer distinctions)

how to form them

how to com bine auxiliary verbs w ith others to

form verb chains

how to use inflected verbs and verb chains to

express different m eanings.


49/112

OHT 2.9

Tips for teaching cohesion

D esign a card sort activity involving grouping

connectives for m eaning, then using them in

sentences.

U se a tim eline to dem onstrate positioning of

verb tenses.

Lead a shared reading of a text w ith

inconsistenttense usage, to foster a

‘does it sound right?’approach.

U se ambiguous sentences from pupils’

w riting in a shared w riting session.


50/112

Handou t 2.1

Some differences between talk and writing




but, so . consequence, moreover.




W e shift betw een tenses, e.g.

using the historic present for

vividness then slipping back to

the past tense.

Shifts in m eaning are often

portrayed by gesture, tone of

voice, em phasis, facial expression.

Single adjectives used w ith nouns.

W e rely on a shared context

betw een speaker and listener.

Sentence and w ord boundaries

do not alw ays m atter.


51/112

Handou t 2.2

Asaf, Year 7


is a monster starving in hunger. He decided

to go and look for food so he went outside

and he saw a boy with an animals. he went

behind the boy and bang! he was lying on

the ice cold floor. The monster dragged the

boy and his animal along the floor and he

took him into the cave and hung the boy


52/112

Handou t 2.3

Connectives as signpostsAdding Cause and effect

and because

also so

as w ell as therefore

m oreover thus

too consequently

Sequencing Qualifying

next how ever

then although

first, second, third ... unless

finally except

m eanw hile if

after as long as

apart from

yet

Emphasising Illustrating

above all for exam ple

in particular such as

especially for instance

significantly as revealed by

indeed in the case of

notably

Comparing Contrasting

equally w hereas

in the sam e w ay instead of

sim ilarly alternatively

likew ise otherw ise

as w ith unlike

like on the other hand


53/112

Handou t 2.4

Meena, Year 7

If my dog disappeared I ran to the police if I

didn’t have an telephone box to find. And

would had searched with them all day long. If

I still didn’t find the dog I would had wrote

an advertisement about the dog. Saying a

Labrador has been missing and have to be

found. But the main thing is I am -really

worried about the dog ...

I was calling his name were I could not see

him no longer

... when they heard there dog is in a crash –

they were really scared and worried ... Maybealso they think that he crash because it was

there fault. But they feel depressing.


54/112

Handou t 2.5

Film review:The Lord of the Rings

Since it w as released just before C hristm as, m any have

claim ed that Peter Jackson’s ‘The Fellow ship of the R ing’

is the best fantasy epic in m otion picture history. This is an

am bitious claim , especially as it is only the first instalm ent

of a trilogy that w ill not see its final part released until just

before C hristm as 2003.

D espite the fact that the opening part of Tolkien’s epic

quest is over three hours long, this w ill not deter the

fantasy addict w ho w ill be likely to leave the cinem a

eagerly aw aiting the next episode.

Jackson is a film m aker w ith an extraordinary ability to m ix

com puter-generated im ages from his vivid im agination w ith

brilliant acting from a fine ensem ble of star nam es. There

are m om ents of sheer brilliance like the one w here the city

of Isengard is transform ed into a H ieronym us B osch-like

factory of evil and the traum atic encounter w ith B alrog

deep in the caves of M oria. H is screenplay rem ains true

enough to the original text to satisfy Tolkien purists w hilst

m anaging to correct som e of the w eaknesses in the

original story. In fact, this version m anages to convey the

great sw eep of the m am m oth journey undertaken by the

Fellow ship (w ith N ew Zealand’s stunning scenery another

star perform er) as w ell as interesting us in the personal

relationships that develop am ong the disparate band of

intrepid explorers.


55/112


56/112

Sen t enc e cons t r u c t i on and subo r d i na t i on 4 0 m i n ut e s

Resources

O H Ts 3.1–3.7

H andouts 3.1–3.3

O H T 2.5/H andout 2.2 from previous session

Timing

3.1 C oordination and EAL learners 10 m inutes

3.2 Subordinate clauses and EAL learners 15 m inutes

3.3 Subject, object and com plem ent 15 m inutes

3 .1 Coo rd i na t i o n and EAL l ea r ne r s 1 0 m i n ut e s


Point out that, as w e have seen, good w riters need a rich repertoire of sentence structures

to call upon in w riting pow erfully for effect. They are able to control a variety of w ays to

express their ideas coherently for different purposes and audiences.

R efer participants to Handout 2.2 and display OHT 2.5 again, this tim e highlighting the

w ords underlined.

3

Aims

To develop know ledge of sentence coordination and subordination.

To apply this know ledge to teaching pupils learning EAL. O H T 3 . 1

O H T 2 . 5

H a n

d o u

t 2 . 2

Asaf, Year 7

The cave is scary and dark. In the cave there is a

monster starving in hunger. He decided to go and

look for food so he went outside and he saw a boy

with an animals. he went behind the boy and bang!

he was lying on the ice cold floor. The monster

dragged the boy and his animal along the floor and

he took him into the cave and hung the boy


57/112


C oordination m akes sim ple links betw een ideas. It can be overused, ineffectively handled,

poorly punctuated and repetitious in pupils’w riting.

Asaf’s w riting is typical of m any pupils learning EAL, in that coordinating conjunctions and,

then, but tend to be overused to join pieces of inform ation of equal w eight.


Task: coordination

D istributeHandout 3.1

. Ask the participants to find tw o sentences in Asaf’s w riting that fit

these patterns and w rite them into the blank grid on Handout 3.1.

The tw o sentences are:

‘The m onster dragged the boy and his anim al.’

‘[H e] took him into the cave and hung the boy upside dow n.’

M ake the follow ing point:

Speakers tend to use chained clauses (a series of ‘ands’ ). This know ledge is reflected in

Asaf’s w riting. Pupils learning EAL need support to develop subordination to m ove

tow ards m ore ‘w riterly’constructions and to develop com plex sentences in their w riting.

C oordination is possible betw een nouns; it allow s m ore than one noun to

share a verb.

C oordination is also possible betw een verbs; it allow s m ore than one verb toshare a noun.

O H T 3 . 2

C lause C onjunction Part clause

The girl scream ed at an d his friends …

the boy

C lause C onjunction C lause

She ran into the shop an d hid behind the

new spaper stand

Coordination

C lause C onjunction C lause (part clause)

H a n

d o u

t 3

. 1


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3 .2 Subo rd i na te c l auses and EAL l ea r ne r s 1 5 m i n ut e s

O ne of the clearest research findings is that better w riters handle subordination m ore

effectively, reducing the num ber of coordinated clauses. U se of subordinate non-finite

clauses w ill m ove pupils’w riting to a higher level in English. D isplay OHT 3.3, w hich

quotes Q C A’s findings on this issue.


The English syntax of pupils learning EAL can som etim es break dow n.

Explicit teaching of different w ays of subordination in sentences is vital, over a

sustained period of tim e.

G uided experim entation w ith various patterns of subordination w ill develop

increased security and control.

N ow display OHT 3.4. G ive participants a few m om ents to reflect on the key points, w hich

can be significant in the developm ent of EAL learners’language proficiency.

Clauses and word classes

As last year, the num ber of finite verbs generally increases at low er levels as

do the num ber of coordinated clauses. Also like last year, the num ber of

subordinators increases w ith level, as do the num ber of lexical w ords (nouns,

adjectives and adverbs). All this is consistent w ith the pattern identified last

year that sees a tendency in the higher scoring pupils to use few er finite

clauses, spreading inform ation am ong w ell-chosen lexical w ords, com plex

noun phrases and non-finite clauses.

Standards at Key S tage 3 English (2001): Q C A

O H T 3 . 3

Subordination and non-finite clauses

Subordination can use:

subordinating conjunctions:because, before, if, although

‘w h’pronouns:which, who, w hen, while

that

non-finite verbs: travelling home, arriving at school.

N on-finite clauses m ove w riting on because they:

are econom ical and flexible

are built around a verb

can be positioned in different parts of a sentence

can m odify nouns as w ell as verbs.

O H T 3 . 4


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N ext display OHT 3.5, w hich gives exam ples of subordination and how it can be used

in w riting.

Again, allow a few m om ents for participants to consider the sentences, the effect of

m oving the clauses w ithin them , and how punctuation is affected.

Then, m ake the follow ing points.

Subordination produces com plex sentences.

The use of com m as w ithin sentences w ill need explicit teaching. (If a subordinate

clause com es at the front or m iddle of a sentence, com m as act as a buffer

betw een it and the m ain clause.)

C om plex sentences are not necessarily always better than sim ple or com pound

sentences.

W riting choices w ill depend on its purpose and audience. It m ay aim for clarity,

variety, econom y or richness. A w riter needs a repertoire to choose appropriately.

Subordination w ill allow w riters to express the relationship betw een things m oreexplicitly and precisely. As a result it is a tool for expressing thinking in all areas of

the curriculum .

3 .3 Sub j e c t , ob j e c t and com p lemen t 1 5 m i n ut e s

D istribute Handout 3.2. This is R azia w riting about her sister. She has been learning

English for tw o years and is a Sylheti speaker, w ho does not read or w rite in B engali.

Razia, Year 7

As she is now at 18 years she look more nice. She

has a brown shiny small eye. she got long black

hair like a snack tidy up at the back. My sister

when she talk so softly you can understand

anythink she says. she is not that tall not that

small She lives at home with my family. My sister

the way she walks is so fast that the first minute

she is there the second minute she just venisht

H a n

d o u

t 3 . 2

As he entered the crow ded train, he turned back.

subordinate clause main clause

H e turned back as he entered the crow ded train.

The m an, entering the crow ded train, turned back.

Sw eating profusely, the m an strode on.

The m an, sw eating profusely, strode on.

The m an strode on, sw eating profusely.

O H T

3 . 5


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D isplay OHT 3.6. Point out that each verb chain is the centre of a clause. The other parts

of a clause are:

subject: usually a noun or pronoun and usually before the verb

object: also usually a noun or a pronoun and usually after the verb

verb orverb chain: usually the centre part of a clause or sentence. The first verb

in the chain is usually finite, all other verbs are alw ays non-finite complement: often an adjective

adverbials.

Task: Razia’s writ ing

Invite the participants to look at R azia’s w riting, in tw os or threes, and to decide: w hat she already know s about gram m ar

w hat you w ould plan to teach.

Allow 5 m inutes for the task, and then take brief feedback. M ake the follow ing points:

Razia knows

that a sim ple sentence usually has the pattern of subject, verb, object and

adverbial, e.g.She lives at home with my family

that she needs to vary her sentences, in order to m ake her w riting interesting.

Razia needs to be taught

how to com bine ideas in her w riting by using subordination

how to use connectives effectively.

A usual order in English sentences is:

O H T 3 . 6

Adverbial Subject Verb Object Complement Adverbial

(chain)

as, now she is at 18 years

she lives at hom e w ith m y

fam ily

she look nice(r) m ore

she is tall not that

sm all

she venisht the second

m inute

H a n

d o u t

3 . 3


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End the session by displaying OHT 3.7, w hich offers som e teaching tips for im proving

pupils’sentence construction and subordination. Explain that these should alw ays be

taught in context and that there w ill be m ore advice on teaching strategies and w hen to

use them in session 5.

Tips for teaching sentence construction and subordination

Lead a shared w riting session, involving m oving subordinate clauses w ithin

sentences for effect.

D esign starter activities in w hich pupils im prove selected sentences from

their w ork by adding or m oving subordinate clauses.

Plan a guided w riting session, using a w ord order grid (e.g. H andout 3.3)

to im prove pupils’w riting.

O H T 3 . 7


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OHT 3.1

Aims

To develop know ledge of sentence

coordination and subordination.

To apply this know ledge to teaching pupils

learning EAL.


63/112

OHT 3.2

C oordination is possible betw een nouns; it allow s

m ore than one noun to share a verb.

C oordination is also possible betw een verbs; it

allow s m ore than one verb to share a noun.


The girl and his friends …

scream ed at

the boy


She ran into and hid behind the

the shop new spaper

stand


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OHT 3.3

Clauses and word classes

As last year, the num ber of finite verbs generally

increases at low er levels as do the num ber of

coordinated clauses. Also like last year, the

num ber of subordinators increases w ith level,

as do the num ber of lexical w ords (nouns,

adjectives and adverbs). All this is consistent

w ith the pattern identified last year that sees

a tendency in the higher scoring pupils to use

few er finite clauses, spreading inform ation am ong

w ell-chosen lexical w ords, com plex noun phrases

and non-finite clauses.

Standards at Key S tage 3 English (2001): Q C A


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OHT 3.4

Subordination and non-finiteclauses

Subordination can use:

subordinating conjunctions:because, before,

if, although

‘w h’pronouns:which, who, when, while

that

non-finite verbs: travelling home, arriving

at school.

N on-finite clauses m ove w riting on because they:

are econom ical and flexible

are built around a verb

can be positioned in different parts of a

sentence

can m odify nouns as w ell as verbs.


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OHT 3.5

As he entered the crow ded train, he turned back.

subordinate clause main clause

H e turned back as he entered the crow ded train.

The m an, entering the crow ded train, turned back.

Sw eating profusely, the m an strode on.

The m an, sw eating profusely, strode on.

The m an strode on, sw eating profusely.


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OHT 3.6

A d v e r b i a l

S u b j e c t

V e r b

O

b j e c t

C o m p l e

m e n t

A d v e r b i a l

( c h a i n )

a s , n o w

s h e

i s

a

t 1 8 y e a r s

s h e

l i v e s

a

t h o m e

w i t h m y

f a m i l y

s h e

l o o k

n i c e ( r )

m o r e

s h e

i s

t a l l

n o t t h a t

s m a l l

s h e

v e n i s h t

t h e s e c o n d

m i n u t e


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OHT 3.7

Tips for teaching sentenceconstruction and subordination

Lead a shared w riting session, involving

m oving subordinate clauses w ithin sentences

for effect.

D esign starter activities in w hich pupils

im prove selected sentences from their w ork byadding or m oving subordinate clauses.

Plan a guided w riting session, using a w ord

order grid (e.g. H andout 3.3) to im prove

pupils’w riting.


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Handou t 3.1

C l a u s e

C o n j u n c t i o n

C l a u s e ( p a r t c l a u s e )

Coordination


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Handou t 3.2

Razia, Year 7

As she is now at 18 years she look more

nice. She has a brown shiny small eye. she

got long black hair like a snack tidy up at the

back.

My sister when she talk so softly you can

understand anythink she says. she is not

that tall not that small She lives at home

with my family. My sister the way she walks

is so fast that the first minute she is there

the second minute she just venisht


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Handou t 3.3

A d v e r b i a l

S u b j e c t

V e r b

O

b j e c t

C o m p l e

m e n t

A d v e r b i a l

( c h a i n )

a s , n o w

s h e

i s

a

t 1 8 y e a r s

s h e

l i v e s

a

t h o m e

w i t h m y

f a m i l y

s h e

l o o k

n i c e ( r )

m o r e

s h e

i s

t a l l

n o t t h a t

s m a l l

s h e

v e n i s h t

t h e s e c o n d

m i n u t e


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Word cho i c e and m od i f i c at i o n 3 5 m i n ut e s

Resources

O H Ts 4.1–4.11

H andouts 4.1–4.3

Timing

4.1 N ouns and m odifiers 20 m inutes

4.2 Adverbs and adjectives 10 m inutes

4.3 Prepositions 5 m inutes

4 . 1 Nouns and m od i f i e r s 2 0 m i n ut e s


N ext ask participants to consider the pupil’s w riting on OHT 4.2/Handout 4.1, for a few

m om ents. Explain that Si-Yoo (Year 7) com es from C hina, speaks C antonese and can read

and w rite in M andarin. She has been learning in English for less than tw o years.

Si-Yoo uses a basic range of nouns and lim ited m odifiers.

So how could w e help?

4

Aims

To develop know ledge of w ord choice and m odification.

To consider how this know ledge m ay inform the teaching of pupils

learning EAL. O H T 4 . 1

O H T 4 . 2

H

a n

d o u

t 4

. 1

Si-Yoo book review

The story about is Sugar is sweet. she is pretty.She has nice clothes and nice hair. People likeSugar. But Candy comes to town. Candy is sweet.She is pretty. She has beauful hair and newclothes. She has any money and she has new iceskates which she bouht. People like Candy.Because Sugar doesn’t have iceskates so shedoesn’t like Candy’s. Her friends ...


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D isplay OHT 4.3.


A noun m ay be m odified by three kinds of w ords w hich stand before it (pre-

m odification).

W hen w e can add other w ords to a noun to m odify its basic m eaning the result is

a noun phrase. For exam ple ‘that harsh, glaring desk light’.

N ext display OHT 4.4.


Prepositions provide a w ay for w riters to increase the length, com plexity,

specificity and interest of their noun phrases. For exam ple:

‘that harsh, glaring desk light on the table near the bookcase in the office’

But note that prepositional errors are particularly num erous in the w riting of pupils

learning EAL.

Relative clauses m ust follow the noun. They are an im portant developm ent since

they can also include verbs in the additional inform ation.

N ote that the post-m odifying clause could be non-finite using a participle,who,

which, that, w hich is usually im plied.

Pronouns cannot usually be m odified.

Activity/task: Si-Yoo’s nouns

N ow invite participants to look back at the w riting sam ple from Si-Yoo (Handout 4.1)

w here all the nouns have been underlined.

D raw their attention to the fact that m any of the nouns are m odified by another w ord

w hich adds m ore detail to its m eaning. State that various kinds of w ords can be used in

this w ay: display OHT 4.5 to exem plify this.

Pre-modifiers

O ther nouns desk light

Adjectives harsh light Adverbs glaring light

D eterm iners that desk light

O H

T 4 . 3

Post-modifiers

W ords can also be added after the noun, using:

prepositions on the table,near the bookcase

relative clauses (w hich is)in the office O H T 4 . 4


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N ext, distribute Handout 4.2 and explain its structure.

N ow ask participants to w ork in pairs to fill in the grid using som e sentences from Si-Yoo’s

w riting (5 m inutes).

U se OHT 4.6 to debrief.

D eterm iners the story; her friends

A djectives nice clothes; beauful hair

N ouns ice skates

Prepositions about Sugar

R elative clauses w hich she bouht

O H T 4 . 5

H a n

d o u

t 4

. 2

Pre-modifiers Modified Post-modifiers

‘head’

Determ iner Adjective N oun Noun Preposition Relative

phrase clause

Si-Yoo – modificat ion

O H T 4 . 6

Pre-modifiers Modified Post-modifiers

‘head’

Determ iner Adjective Noun N oun Preposition Relative

phrase clause

her friends

the story about Sugar

new ice skates w hich she

bouht

Modification


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EAL learners learn how to com bine m odifiers quite easily but often have problem s

in selecting determ iners, particularly w hen to use ‘a ’ and w hen to use ‘the’.

(Si-Yoo seem s to have avoided this problem ; this is possibly because she is not

clear how they w ork.)

O m itting necessary determ iners is one of the m ost com m on errors m ade by EALlearners.

English is different from m any other languages w here the noun can be used alone.


O ther determ iners include: this, my, her, their, that

Allow participants a few m om ents to read/reflect on OHT 4.7, then m ake the

follow ing point.

The choice of determ iners answ ers the question:which one do you m ean?

For exam ple:

definite: the book –you know which one I m ean

indefinite: a book –you don’t know which one I m ean

Therefore, this is an essential teaching point for all pupils learning EAL, if they are to be

able to com m unicate precise m eaning in their w riting.

4 . 2 Adve r b s and ad j e c t i ve s 1 0 m i n ut e s

O nce again, briefly direct participants’attention to Si-Yoo’s w riting, in particular the lim ited

choice of adjectives. N ext, display OHT 4.8 and ask them to consider Farzhana’s w riting.

When does a noun demand a determiner?

W hen it is:

singular I saw a child (contrast: I saw children )

countable I grew a plant (contrast:I grew fruit )

a com m on noun I left the city (contrast: I left London )

O H T 4 . 7


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D istribute Handout 4.3 and ask participants to underline all the adjectives. Allow 2/3

m inutes for this.

N ow ask participants to group them selves into threes, and to discuss the lim itations of

Farzhana’s m odification. Allow 5 m inutes for this.

Take brief feedback.

M ake the follow ing points.

She is overusing pre-m odification.

The pattern of tw o adjectives per noun is repetitive.

W here she breaks this pattern (in sentence 3) her w riting becom es m ore

interesting to read.

4 .3 P repos i t i ons 5 m i n u t e s

B egin the session by m aking the follow ing points:

Prepositions are very com m on in E nglish and im portant because they are often

required to m ake the gram m ar and m eaning clear.

In general, if a noun is used as an adverbial m odifying a verb, you w ill need to use

a preposition, e.g. ‘w ent along/dow n/up the street’.

‘G o’used w ith the destination noun also requires a preposition –‘go to

M anchester’.

Prepositions often have to be learned in sem antic relationships w ith nouns, w ith afocus on how their choice can subtly shift m eaning, e.g. ‘along the street’, ‘dow n

the street’.

Som e prepositions are linked to specific verbs, e.g. ‘borrow from ’, ‘lend to’.

O H T 4 . 8

H a n

d o u

t 4 . 3

Farzhana, Year 8 Fiction writing – short story

In the bright shiny golden light of Decembermorning the strong, white men faced the gloomydark building. The reason they were heading for thebuilding is because out of the 3 strong white menone of them is the son of an old lady who is trappedin the dark, gloomy building. To face this adventurethey wore thick clothing and old woolly hats withflaps to cover their ears. one man took a large,metal bunch of keys from his pocket and unlocked adirty narrow padlock from its chain


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N ext, display OHT 4.9, w hich show s som e extracts from a piece of w riting in history by a

Year 8 pupil, Ferdousa.

Allow 1 or 2 m inutes for participants to discuss her w riting. Take very brief feedback.

Ensure that the follow ing is covered.

H ow prepositions w ork:

A preposition is ‘preposed’to one noun or pronoun w hich is called its object.

It links the object to another verb or noun in the sentence.

D isplay OHT 4.10, w hich offers som e teaching tips for im proving pupils’w ord choice and

m odification. Explain that these should be alw ays taught in context and that there w ill be

m ore on teaching strategies and w hen to use them in session 5.

End the session by displaying OHT 4.11.

Extracts from writing on ‘Elizabeth’s problems’by Ferdousa, in Year 8

He proposed me ...

There is a plot for me ...

... have a plot on me

... married with ...

O H T 4 . 9

Tips for teaching sentence construction and wordmodification

D isplay sim ple sentences on a w ashing line, ask pupils to place m odifiers

appropriately and discuss the effect.

Lead a shared reading of a text containing m odified sentences,

em phasising their effect.

As a starter give pupils three or four sim ple sentences to m odify by adding

prepositions or relative clauses to be shared on O H T.

Focus a shared w riting session on im proving sentence construction and

w ord m odification.

O H T 4 . 1

0

This is the end

of the section

on prepositions.

O H T 4 . 1

1


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OHT 4.1

Aims

To develop know ledge of w ord choice and

m odification.

To consider how this know ledge m ay inform

the teaching of pupils learning EAL.


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OHT 4.2

Si-Yoo book review

The story about is Sugar is sweet. she is pretty.

She has nice clothes and nice hair. People like

Sugar. But Candy comes to town. Candy is sweet.

She is pretty. She has beauful hair and new

clothes. She has any money and she has new

ice skates which she bouht. People like Candy.

Because Sugar doesn’t have iceskates so she

doesn’t like Candy’s. Her friends ...


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OHT 4.3

Pre-modifiers

O ther nouns desk light

Adjectives harsh light

Adverbs glaring light

D eterm iners that desk light


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OHT 4.4

Post-modifiers

W ords can also be added after the noun, using:

prepositions on the table,near

the bookcase

relative clauses (w hich is)in the office


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OHT 4.5

D eterm iners the story; her friends

Adjectives nice clothes;

beauful hair

N ouns ice skates

Prepositions about Sugar

R elative clauses w hich she bouht


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OHT 4.6

Si-Yoo – modification

P r e - m o d i f i e r s

M o d i f i e d

P o s t - m o

d i f i e r s

‘ h e a d ’

D e t e r m i n e r

A d j e c t i v e

N o u n

N o u n

P r e p o s i t i o

n

R e l a t i v e

p h r a s e

c l a u s e

h e r

f r i e n d s

t h e

s t o r y

a b o u t S u g a r

n e w

i c e

s k a t e s

w h i c h s h e

b o u h t


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OHT 4.7

When does a noun demand adeterminer?

W hen it is:

singular I saw a child

(contrast: I saw children )

countable I grew a plant

(contrast: I grew fruit )

a com m on noun I left the city

(contrast: I left London )


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OHT 4.8

Farzhana, Year 8Fiction writing – short story

In the bright shiny golden light of December

morning the strong, white men faced the

gloomy dark building. The reason they were

heading for the building is because out of the

3 strong white men one of them is the son of

an old lady who is trapped in the dark, gloomy

building. To face this adventure they wore

thick clothing and old woolly hats with flaps to

cover their ears. one man took a large, metal

bunch of keys from his pocket and unlocked a

dirty narrow padlock from its chain


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OHT 4.9

Extracts from writing on ‘Elizabeth’sproblems’ by Ferdousa, in Year 8

He proposed me ...

There is a plot for me ...

... have a plot on me

... married with ...


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OHT 4.10

Tips for teaching sentenceconstruction and word modification

D isplay sim ple sentences on a w ashing

line, ask pupils to place m odifiers appropriately

and discuss the effect.

Lead a shared reading of a text containing

m odified sentences em phasising their effect.

As a starter give pupils three or four sim ple

sentences to m odify by adding prepositions or

relative clauses to be shared on O H T.

Focus a shared w riting session on im proving

sentence construction and w ord m odification.


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OHT 4.11

This is the end

of the section

on prepositions.


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Handou t 4.1

Si-Yoo book review

The story about is Sugar is sweet. she is pretty.

She has nice clothes and nice hair. People like

Sugar. But Candy comes to town. Candy is sweet.

She is pretty. She has beauful hair and new

clothes. She has any money and she has new

ice skates which she bouht. People like Candy.

Because Sugar doesn’t have iceskates so she

doesn’t like Candy’s. Her friends ...


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Handou t 4.2

Modification

P r e - m o d i f i e r s

M o d i f i e d

P o s t - m o

d i f i e r s

‘ h e a d ’

D e t e r m i n e r

A d j e c t i v e

N o u n

N o u n

P r e p o s i t i o

n

R e l a t i v e

p h r a s e

c l a u s e


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Handou t 4.3

Farzhana, Year 8Fiction writing – short story

In the bright shiny golden light of December

morning the strong, white men faced the

gloomy dark building. The reason they were

heading for the building is because out of the

3 strong white men one of them is the son of

an old lady who is trapped in the dark, gloomy

building. To face this adventure they wore

thick clothing and old woolly hats with flaps to

cover their ears. one man took a large, metal

bunch of keys from his pocket and unlocked a

dirty narrow padlock from its chain


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Assess ing pup i l s ’ w r i t i ng and t each i ngg r amm a r i n c o n t e xt 6 0 m i n ut e s

Resources

Pre-course task: Pupils’w ritten w ork and KS3 m edium - and short-term plansO H T 5.1

H andouts 5.1–5.6

H andout 2.4 from session 2

Timing

5.1 Assessing pupils’w riting 20 m inutes

5.2 Teaching gram m ar in context 40 m inutes

5 .1 Assessi ng pup i l s ’ w r i t i ng 2 0 m i n ut e s


Explain that participants are now going to have the opportunity to review and discuss the

pupils’w ork that they selected as part of the pre-course task.

Ask participants to spend 5 m inutes individually review ing their pupils’w riting, and to

decide w hich aspects of gram m ar, covered in the m orning sessions, they need to be

taught. Explain that tw o m odels of analysis are given on Handouts 5.1 and 5.3, and that

Handout 5.2 show s a w orked exam ple using the w ork of M eena previously seen on

Handout 2.4.

N ow group participants into fours and ask them to share their findings w ith the group

Documents

Eal Grammar