Suggested Schemes of Work for the Elective Part of the Three-year Senior Secondary English

Suggested Schemes of Workfor the Elective Part

of the Three-year Senior SecondaryEnglish Language Curriculum (Secondary 4 – 6)

English Language Education SectionCurriculum Development InstituteEducation BureauThe Government of The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region© 2007

English Language Education SectionCurriculum Development Institute

Education BureauThe Government of The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region

12th Floor, Wu Chung House, 213 Queen's Road East, Wan Chai, Hong Kong

First published 2007

All rights reserved. The copyright of the materials in this booklet belongs to the Education Bureau ofthe Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

Duplication of materials in this package is restricted to non-profit making educational purposes only.Otherwise, no other part of these materials may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system ortransmitted in any form or by any means without the prior permission of the Education Bureau of theGovernment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

ISBN: 978-962-8967-18-6

Preface

This booklet, Suggested Schemes of Work for the Elective Part of the Three-year SeniorSecondary English Language Curriculum (Secondary 4 – 6), is prepared in support of theEnglish Language Curriculum and Assessment Guide (Secondary 4 – 6) (2007) and ismeant to be read in conjunction with it. The booklet provides detailed guidelines and teaching ideasto help teachers to plan and implement the Elective Part of the three-year Senior Secondary EnglishLanguage curriculum more effectively in their own school. It comprises a general description and asuggested scheme of work for each of the modules in the Elective Part, which are categorised intothe following two groups:

Language Arts

• Learning English through Drama

• Learning English through Short Stories

• Learning English through Poems and Songs

• Learning English through Popular Culture

Non-Language Arts

• Learning English through Sports Communication

• Learning English through Debating

• Learning English through Social Issues

• Learning English through Workplace Communication

The general description sets out for each module the learning targets and objectives, the content, thetime allocation and the suggested assessment practices that teachers are encouraged to adopt topromote learning. The scheme of work comprises a range of learning, teaching and assessmentactivities for each module, with suggestions on how to cater for learner diversity.

It should be noted that teachers may take more or less than the recommended time allocation of 32-36 hours to fully cover the various types of materials and activities suggested in the schemes ofwork, depending on their school contexts, teacher preferences and students’ needs, interests andabilities. Teachers are therefore encouraged to freely adapt the schemes or to select what they deemis appropriate for their students.

Each scheme of work contains a number of references to websites where useful language learningand teaching materials can be accessed. The web links or addresses provided in the schemes wereaccurate at the time this booklet went to press. However, they are subject to change, and in casethey have been moved, teachers might consider regaining access by making use of a search engine(e.g. Google, Yahoo).

To further support the schemes and to illustrate how certain tasks or activities can be implemented,selected teaching resource materials for each module have been developed and can be accessed atthe English Language Education Section website (http://cd.edb.gov.hk/eng).

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Contents

PageLanguage Arts

Learning English through DramaOutline 1Suggested Scheme of Work 3

Learning English through Short StoriesOutline 11Suggested Scheme of Work 13

Learning English through Poems and SongsOutline 25Suggested Scheme of Work 27

Learning English through Popular CultureOutline 41Suggested Scheme of Work 43

Non-Language ArtsLearning English through Sports Communication

Outline 55Suggested Scheme of Work 57

Learning English through DebatingOutline 69Suggested Scheme of Work 71

Learning English through Social IssuesOutline 91Suggested Scheme of Work 93

Learning English through Workplace CommunicationOutline 107Suggested Scheme of Work 109

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1Drama: Module Description

Learning English through Drama

General DescriptionIn this module, drama is used as a medium through which learners engage in purposefulcommunication. Learners will have the opportunity to read/view and appreciate drama texts/performances. Drama activities which offer an extensive range of contexts and roles will be used toboost learners' self-confidence in using English, and to develop their language skills, notably theirpronunciation and oral skills, as well as generic skills such as creativity, and communication,collaboration and critical thinking skills. Learners may be asked to participate in the production of adramatic performance at the end of the module.

Learning TargetsTo develop learners' ability to:

• respond to characters, events, issues and themes in dramatic texts through oral, written and

• reflect on the way in which writers use language to create effects

• give expression to imaginative ideas or their own experience through creating drama

• participate with others in planning, organising and presenting dramatic performances

• understand how the English language works in the context of drama, and how dramatic texts areorganised and expressed, and apply this understanding to their learning and use of the language

Learning Objectives1. To strengthen learners' skills of understanding and interpreting dramatic texts through reading

and writing

2. To enhance learners' oral skills by encouraging them to experiment with language in differentroles and dramatic contexts

3. To strengthen learners' creativity through script writing, oral activities and dramatic performances

4. To help learners to reflect on and evaluate their own performance and those of others

ContentThe module comprises three parts.

Part 1 focusses on equipping learners with the knowledge and understanding of the basic skillsneeded for performing in drama and writing scripts.

Part 2 focusses on providing learners with the experience of writing short scenes and performingdramatised reading.

Part 3 focusses on providing learners with the experience of producing and performing a play.

Time AllocationIt is recommended that a total of around 50 periods be allocated to the teaching of this module. Thesuggested number of periods is based on the assumption that schools are running 40-minute periods.Schools may adjust the number of periods if their time-tabled periods are of a different duration.

performative means

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The breakdown for the three parts can be as follows:Part 1 12 periodsPart 2 16 periodsPart 3 22 periods

AssessmentBelow are some suggested assessment practices that teachers are encouraged to adopt to informlearning and teaching. Information on public assessment for the modules in the Elective Part isprovided in Chapter 5 of the English Language Curriculum and Assessment Guide (Secondary4 - 6) (2007).

Assessment in the Drama module will focus on learners' demonstration of their ability to:

• use stress and intonation, verbal and non-verbal ways of conveying feelings, emotions andmotivations

• use a familiar story to write a short play script

• evaluate scripts given a set of criteria

• perform dramatised reading

• produce and perform a play

• evaluate a performance given a set of criteria

A range of oral and written activities in the course of the module can be used for assessing learnerperformance. These include:

• quizzes

• process writing

• play scripts

• role-plays

• group rehearsals and performances

3Drama: Scheme of Work

A suggested scheme of workfor Learning English through Drama

General remarks1. The following suggested scheme of work is pitched at S5 level. Teachers might like to make any

necessary adaptations considering the needs and level of ability of their students. For illustrationpurposes, teaching materials have been developed to indicate how some of the lessons could beconducted. These materials are marked with a ̂ in the Teaching Resources column and areavailable online at http://cd.edb.gov.hk/eng. There are also suggested activities catering for studentswith different needs and paces of learning in the online Teaching Resources. Teachers might liketo use their discretion as to whether to adopt them for use.

2. This module requires students to apply, in particular, the knowledge about creative and imaginativetexts as well as writing and oral (notably pronunciation) skills that they have developed in theCompulsory Part. It aims to provide the basis for further exploration of these texts and skillsthrough reading and writing drama scripts as well as performing role-plays and/or a play. Studentstaking this module are expected to have had previous exposure to these texts.

3. The very nature of this module requires that students work in pairs and in small groups. Teacherswill need to oversee that the groups are formed appropriately and that they stay on task.

4. Students should be encouraged to keep a folder for this module which will serve as a record oftheir learning. The folder may comprise all the assignments the students have done for the module,both oral and written. Students are also encouraged to reflect on and monitor their own learningprocess, and teachers should provide them with feedback and assistance where necessary.

Suggestions on how to cater for students with different needs and paces of learning are indicated by* in the Remarks column.Sections which are marked with # in the Focus column contain activities which are either moredemanding or are intended to further enrich students' learning experience. Teachers should usetheir discretion as to whether to include or skip these sections, or to replace them with otherappropriate learning activities, based on students' needs and abilities.

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Focus Suggested TimeAllocation

Target Knowledge, Skillsand Attitudes Suggested Activities

Part 1:Mastering thebasics

12 periodsLessons 1-12

Moduleintroduction

Dramavocabulary


Students are able to:

• understand and usesome vocabularybuilding strategies anddrama vocabulary

The teacher introduces the module to thestudents, and discusses with them what willbe covered.

The teacher uses the drama vocabulary listas a prompt to start off the module.

Stress andintonation



• use correctpronunciation andappropriate stress andintonation to conveymeaning

Students practise using stress andintonation to alter meaning.

Identification andexpression ofemotions,feelings andmotivations



• establish and infermeaning from verbaland non-verbal cues

• understand a speaker'sintention, attitudes andfeelings

Students brainstorm and discuss verbal andnon-verbal ways of showing emotions,feelings and motivations.

Students watch three clips of scenes frompopular movies in their own time to identifyhow emotions, feelings and motivations aredemonstrated and discuss them in class.

Stages of scriptwriting



• demonstrateunderstanding of thedifferent elements of ascript

• write a simple script

• demonstrateawareness of how ascript can be evaluated

Under the teacher's guidance, students gostep-by-step through the stages of writing ashort play based on a popular fairy tale:

• dividing it into acts and scenes;

• deciding on parts;

• writing the narration and dialogues;and

• writing stage directions.

Students write brief comments as apreliminary evaluation.

Role-play of ashort scene



• role-play a short scene

• reflect on their ownperformance

• demonstrateawareness of how arole-play can beevaluated

In groups, students role-play a short scene.

Students evaluate group members'performance using a set of criteria.


Teaching ResourcesSuggested Student Workor Activities for Formative

AssessmentRemarks

Â handout on dramavocabulary

Teachers might like to introduce to students at the beginningof the module that they will be involved in:

• script writing;

• creating and role-playing short scenes;

• dramatised reading; and

• producing and performing a play or an extendedrole-play at the end of the module.

Teachers might like to refer to http://www.tcss.edu.hk/acad/Drama.htm for ideas on teaching drama.

Â handout on stressand intonation

Teacher assessment ofstudents' ability to usestress and intonation toalter meaning can takethe form of an oral quiz.

Â handout onemotions, feelingsand motivations

Â clips viewinghandout (Clips fromthree films that showdifferent emotions,feelings ormotivations)

Students' work onemotions, feeling andmotivations can be placedin the folder.

(*For the less able students, teachers may choose only one ofthe suggested clips or any other clips they deem appropriate.)

Â handout on stagesof script writing

Teacher assessment ofthe scripts studentssubmit

The script can be placedin the folder.

(*At this stage, teachers need not require their students towrite up the full script. Nevertheless, it would be best forteachers to stretch even the less able students by askingthem to complete a short simple script, which is a very goodpractice to equip them to compose an original script in Part 3of the module.

Teachers may choose not to ask their students to write stagedirections depending on the level of ability of their students,otherwise it would be acceptable if students could only writevery simple stage directions in phrases. The point here is toget them to think about the non-verbal elements and propsthat can be involved in a drama performance.)

Â role-playfeedback form

Peer assessment ofstudents' role-play

When introducing students to script writing, teachers mayshow them examples of scripts which are free fordownloading at Whootie Owl's Free Fairytale Play Scriptswww.storiestogrowby.com

The following sites are also useful resources for finding free,short scripts:

English Teaching Playshttp://home13.inet.tele.dk/dramakaj/language.html

Lazy Bee Scriptswww.lazybeescripts.co.uk

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Part 2:Writing shortscenes andgiving adramaticreading


Short scenewriting androle-playing



• create short dramaticepisodes based on agiven situation

• role-play a scene theyhave created


• evaluate a role-playperformed by others

In pairs or small groups, students write ashort dialogue based on a simple scenariogiven and role-play it before the class.

Students evaluate their own and others'performance using a set of criteria.

Practice onexpression ofemotions,feelings andmotivations



• understand and identifypurpose, roles andcontext for differentscenes of a drama

• convey ideas, feelingsand motivations throughboth verbal andnon-verbal means

• perform a short scene


Students rewrite/improve the dialogue inorder to effectively convey the emotions,feelings and motivations of the charactersinvolved in the scene.

In groups, students act out the scene.

Students then evaluate the groupperformance of the scene using a set ofcriteria.

#Reader'sTheatre



• understand and interpretthe meaning of a dramatext

• use correctpronunciation andappropriate stress andintonation in dramaticreading

• perform a script

• evaluate their own andothers' rehearsal orperformance

With the teacher's guidance, students readand understand a Reader's Theatre script.

Students rehearse and perform a Reader'sTheatre script before the class.

Students evaluate their own and others'rehearsal or performance using a set ofcriteria.



AssessmentRemarks

^Scenario handout I

Â role-play feedbackform (used inLessons 11-12)

The dialogue written canbe placed in the folder.

(*For the more able students, teachers might like to ask themto prepare dialogues for more than one of the scenarios givenand discuss with them how they could tailor the writing to theparticular audience they are aiming to perform for. Teacherscould also encourage students to incorporate humor and anelement of suspense to arouse and sustain the audience'sinterest.)

Teachers will need to explain to students how to make use ofthe role-play feedback form to reflect on their own or evaluatetheir peers' performance. Other feedback forms such as thescript feedback form and the rehearsal and performancefeedback form will also be introduced later in the module tolet students become aware of the general criteria that can beused to evaluate their scripts and performance. The feedbackforms included here are only suggestions and could beadapted to suit the teaching focus and the level and needs ofthe students.

^Scenario handout II

Â rehearsal andperformancefeedback form

Self, peer and/or teacherassessment of how wellthe revised scenario wasable to convey feelings,emotions and motivations

Self, peer and/or teacherassessment of students’performance using therehearsal andperformance feedbackform

Â rehearsal andperformancefeedback form (usedin Lessons 17-20)

Self, peer and/or teacherassessment of theReader's Theatreperformance using therelevant categories ofcriteria in the rehearsaland performancefeedback form

Students’ performancemay be recorded andincluded in the folder.

Reader's Theatre allows performers to hold scripts and readfrom them. Students will need to form small groups of 7-10 toput on their Reader's Theatre performance.

Reader's Theatre is a useful bridging activity that takesstudents from writing short scenes to getting ready for a fullproduction in the third part of the module.

A Reader's Theatre script or more selection can be found at:www.aaronshep.com

(*For the less able students, teachers may use very simplescripts from other sources and allow students to perform onlyone of the scenes of the play script.)

These lessons are meant to be additional activities tosupport the work done in Lessons 17-20. Teachers may feelfree to replace the Reader's Theatre with any other activitiesthey deem appropriate.

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Part 3:Performing aplay


Production of anoriginal script



• identify purpose,audience, roles andcontext for developing ascript

• produce a script byselecting and organisingrelevant information aswell as usingappropriate linguistic,structural and rhetoricaldevices, a variety ofstructures andvocabulary, andimaginative ideas

• draft, revise and edit ascript using a set ofcriteria bothindependently andcollaboratively

In groups, students write an original scriptfor a 15-20 minute play based on a fairy taleor well-known story.

Students review the script using the scriptfeedback form and revise it as needed.

Casting andrehearsal



• discuss and negotiatewith others inpreparation for theperformance

• identify and assumeappropriate roles instaging theperformance

Students discuss the roles andresponsibility of the group members andassign each one a speaking part.

Each group rehearses their play.

Finalperformance



• plan, organise and carryout a dramaperformance

• evaluate their own andothers' rehearsal orperformance

Students perform the play (15-20 minutes)for classmates.

Students evaluate their own and others'rehearsal or performance using a set ofcriteria.



AssessmentRemarks

^Handouts on scriptwriting and playperforming

Â script feedbackform

Self, peer and/or teacherassessment of students'work during the scriptwriting process using thescript feedback form

Teachers should make sure that all students have speakingparts. This may mean dividing a speaking part, such as thenarrator's narration.

Although this activity uses a familiar story such as a fairy taleas the basis of the script, students should be encouraged tomake the play their own by changing elements of the story tomake it original and to increase the entertainment value.Students should be encouraged to be as creative aspossible.

(*Teachers may allow the less able students to produce ashorter script for a role-play of about 10 minutes with feweracts and scenes, with simple stage directions or without them.

Teachers may encourage the more able students to create astory of their own instead of using a familiar one for producingthe play script. The script could be a fullydeveloped one with dialogues, monologues and allnecessary stage directions.)


Teacher assessment ofthe final written scriptwhich students submit atthe time of their classperformance

Self, peer and/or teacherassessment of students'performance during therehearsal using therehearsal andperformance feedbackform

The final play scriptshould be placed in thefolder.


Self, peer and/or teacherassessment of the finalclass performance usingthe criteria in therehearsal andperformance feedbackform. The performancemay be recorded so thatthe teacher and studentscan view the performanceand discuss howimprovements can bemade. The recording ofthe performance can beincluded in the folder. It isalso a very nice artifact forstudents to take away withthem at the end of themodule.

(*Teachers may ask the less able students to do a role-playconsisting of a few scenes and short dialogues withoutproducing such technical aspects as lighting and staging. Therole-play could last for about 10 minutes.

For the more able students, teachers might like to ask themto perform their play to an intended audience as an extendedactivity. The intended audience might be a primary schoolaudience, a lower form English class, a parent group, aschool assembly, etc. In this case, teachers should letstudents discuss what kind of audience they would beperforming for, where the performance is to take place andhow these might affect the choice of story and how the play isto be written before Part 3 of the module starts. Theperformance for the intended audience in the venue arrangedby the teacher could take place after the module.

Teachers might also like to adopt a more comprehensiveapproach to cover different aspects of drama includingcostumes, lighting and publicity to make the performancesfuller and richer.)

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11Short Stories: Module Description

Learning English through Short Stories

General DescriptionThis module introduces learners to the world of short stories, encouraging them to read, write andtell them. Learners will be engaged in different activities which aim to develop their understanding ofthe major features of short stories, their language skills, cultural awareness, critical thinking skills andcreativity. Learners will either write their own story or develop a given story outline at the end of themodule.


• understand the major features of short stories (e.g. theme, character, plot)

• respond and give expression to the imaginative ideas and feelings expressed in short storiesthrough oral, written and performative means

• understand how the English language works in short stories and apply this understanding to theirlearning and use of the language

Learning Objectives1. To help learners to understand the concepts of narration, setting, character, theme and symbol,

as well as to consider ways of creating mood, and of writing good story openings, closings and

2. To help learners to apply the concepts and techniques they have learned in their own writing

3. To enhance learners' skills and interest in reading and appreciating short stories from a widevariety of sources

4. To help learners to talk about works of fiction in an informed way

5. To introduce learners to story telling as an art form


In Part 1, learners are introduced to the aims, design and content of the module. They will learn toidentify and understand the key features of a short story, and read short stories with appreciation.

In Part 2, learners read and write specific aspects of a short story such as setting, character, theme,dialogue, opening and closing. They will also start to write their own story for the module by gatheringideas and producing drafts.

In Part 3, learners practise oral and story telling skills by sharing a story of their own choice with theclass. They will finalise the draft for their module story and perform it to the class.


dialogue

12



Assessment in the Short Stories module will focus on learners' demonstration of their ability to:

• understand concepts and techniques of short story writing

• apply this understanding to create short examples

• produce a written short story

• comment helpfully on the work of others

• tell or perform stories orally

• read and comment on a number of short stories

A range of activities will be used for assessing learner performance, including:

• short pieces of writing

• an end-of-course short story

• oral performances

13Short Stories: Scheme of Work

A suggested scheme of workfor Learning English through Short Stories



2. This module requires students to apply the knowledge and experience about creative andimaginative texts they have developed in the Compulsory Part. It aims to provide them withopportunities to further explore these texts through reading short stories, telling short stories andwriting a story of their own.


Suggestions on how to cater for students with different needs and paces of learning are indicated by* in the Remarks column.Sections which are marked with # in the Focus column contain activities which are either moredemanding or are intended to further enrich students' learning experience. Teachers should usetheir discretion as to whether to include or skip these sections, or to replace them with otherappropriate activities, based on students' needs and abilities.



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Part 1:Reading andappreciatingshort stories


Moduleintroduction

Reading andunderstandingthe key featuresof a short story



• understand the aims,design and content ofthe module

• identify the variouskey features of a shortstory

• demonstrateunderstanding of thefeatures by writingpersonal responses tothem in the readingjournal

The teacher briefly introduces the module,stating that it focusses on reading, writingand telling short stories.

Under the teacher's guidance, students reada short story to pick out interesting featuresand express their personal opinions aboutit.

Reading shortstories withappreciation



• read, enjoy andappreciate short stories

• demonstrate a morecritical understanding offiction

• explore sources for shortworks of fiction

• keep a reading journal

The teacher continues to guide students toread and appreciate short stories. Studentsfocus on one or two short stories forcomprehension and appreciation.

The teacher explains the reading journal thatstudents need to keep and gives examplesof the types of work that could be included(very brief summaries, their feelings,comments on striking features andtechniques, and judgement of success orfailure).

Students apply the knowledge they havedeveloped regarding the features of shortstories in the reading and discussionactivities of the stories. They record theirreactions/reflections on the stories they haveread.

Students share their reading and insights ingroups.

Students discover sources of stories, look atbooks, magazines and websites andrecommend short stories to one another.

Short Stories: Scheme of Work


AssessmentRemarks

15

Â handout onreading andunderstanding a story

Â handout on storyresources

A reading journal shouldbe kept by students torecord their reflections onstories they have read.

Students' work on readingand understanding a storycan be included in thefolder.

Teachers might like to inform students at the beginning of themodule that they will:

• record their reflections on stories they have read in areading journal;

• produce short pieces of writing as practices;

• take part in story telling; and

• write a story of about 300 words.

Teachers may either choose a very short story for students toread in class or ask them to read one as preparation beforethey come to class.

Teachers may refer to the examples in the handout onreading and understanding a story and choose one of thestories there or use any other they deem appropriate.Teachers may also refer to the handout on story resources forshort stories of different levels of difficulty.

No one short story contains all the features covered in themodule and the approach taken will vary from story to story.The common pattern is to have pre-reading, while-readingand post-reading activities.

Sample journalentries

Entries in the readingjournal

Observation of groupdiscussions

Some of the lesson time can best be spent in the library or acomputer room so that students can explore resourcestogether.

(*Taking into account the level of their students, teachersselect suitable short stories and ask the class to read them.For the less able students, teachers might like to usesimplified texts; others may give the students carte blanche tofind their own stories. Schools must decide what works withtheir students.)

Traditional stories are a very rich resource: Greek myths andlegends, the Arabian Nights, King Arthur, Robin Hood, theBible, Buddhist Jataka tales, fairy tales and Brer Rabbit, etc.

Students should be encouraged to read a couple of stories(teachers might like to exercise their discretion as to the exactnumber) about the length of those suggested for Lessons1-3 and apply the basic concepts involved in the discussionof works of fiction at an elementary level in the readingjournal.

Teachers might like to organise group discussion activities togive students more opportunities to get involved in groupinteraction as well as to practise their oral skills.



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Part 2:Reading andwriting specificaspects of ashort story andplanning themodule story


Story outlines 1 periodLesson 10


• demonstrate awarenessof writing a story

• write a story outline

Students read samples of story outline.

Students practise modifying or adaptingstory outlines.

Setting 2 periodsLessons 11-12


• demonstrate awarenessof the idea of setting

• expand vocabulary andcreate a setting

The teacher explains the idea of setting andshows how the story outlines will fit a verylarge number of different settings.

Students look at examples of ways to createsetting. The focus will mainly be descriptionand detail.

Students apply the five senses to writingdescription/setting for their own stories.

Students make written comments on thework of peers.

Character 2 periodsLessons 13-14


• create character

• use vocabulary to createcharacter

Students discuss and suggest ways inwhich a character can be made to comealive.

Students write short pieces, establishingcharacter.

Dialogue 2 periodsLessons 15-16


• demonstrateunderstanding ofspeech in fiction

• write dialogue

Students read dialogues in stories andconsider how they make the storyinteresting.

Students look at examples of dialogue/speech and say what sort of character,setting and mood they feel is established.Students write a dialogue/speech withinstructions given.

Students read each other's work andcomment on it.

Theme 2 periodsLessons 17-18


• demonstrateunderstanding of theconcept of theme

• identify some themes

• produce ideas toillustrate some themes

Students read and discuss some storyoutlines and decide what themes theyillustrate.

Students discuss the themes some popularfilms cover.

Students produce ideas for stories toillustrate a number of themes or adapt theirstory outline to make it appropriate for aparticular theme of their choice.



AssessmentRemarks

17

Â handout on story Students' work onmodifying and adaptingstory outlines can beincluded in the folder.

Teachers may choose not to go over each and every specificaspect of a short story covered in this part and spend morelesson time on guiding students to read and appreciate shortstories if necessary.

The length and sophistication of the various pieces of writingstudents produce will vary depending on their ability. A fewlines to a paragraph is usually quite adequate.

Teachers may use the terms narrator or narration as simpleshorthand ways of referring to things; however, these may beobstacles to students with limited vocabulary. Who tells thestory, the way it is told may be preferred by some.

Â handout on setting Students' work on settingcan be placed in thefolder.

Peer review takes time to develop and for this first exercise init only simple comments are needed, e.g. I like the way youdescribe the bus. It really feels crowded. Perhaps there couldbe sweat on the girl's face to suggest the heat. The aim is toencourage interest in each other's writing and willingness tolook for ways to improve.

Â handout oncharacter

The pieces of characterwriting can be placed inthe folder.

Apart from the stories used in the previous lessons, teachersmay extract more samples from published stories.

For further suggestions on character study, teachers mayrefer to the following website:http://www.writingclasses.com/InformationPages/index.php/PageID/106.

Â handout on writing The dialogue/speechwritten can be placed inthe folder.

Â handout onthemes

The pieces of writing ontheme can be placed inthe folder.

Teachers may make use of book blurbs for more examples ofstory outlines/summaries.

Throughout the module examples used in discussion cancome from other media that the students are familiar with,e.g. films and songs, both of which are rich in themes.

dialogue

outline



18



• read and write fables

The teacher introduces to students somefamous fables and students determine themajor features of the genre (e.g. morals/messages for the reader).

Students decide on a message they wouldlike to convey and then write a suitable fable.

Students read fellow classmates' fables andcomment on them, saying what they thinkthe message is.

Opening andclosing



• demonstrateawareness oftechniques used inopening and closing astory

• write the opening andclosing of a story

Students read a number of stories and thinkof good ways to open and close stories.

Students write drafts for the opening andclosing for their story outline.

Getting ideasand preparingfor the modulestory



• plan and organise astory

• produce and revise thefirst draft of a story

The teacher tells/agrees with the class thedetails of the final story each student willwrite as part of the module.

The teacher discusses and agrees with theclass the criteria for assessing each other'swork.

Based on the established criteria, studentshold discussions and comment on oneanother's ideas, respond to feedback anddevelop new ideas for the final story.

# Fables



AssessmentRemarks

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Examples of fables tobe provided

The fables may beincluded in the folder.

Fables have been produced all over the world. For the Westthe most famous collections are those of Aesop, Phaedrusand La Fontaine. They can easily be found in print or on theInternet. Teachers may wish to include Chinese fables inEnglish or some modern ones.

Â handout onopening and closing

The written work on theopening and closing of astory can be placed in thefolder.

There are no rules about good openings and endings. Theopening needs to attract the reader into the fictional worldand the ending needs to leave some sense of closure andsatisfaction that a mood or message has been conveyed orsomething of interest related.

The purpose of this lesson is simply to make the studentsaware that they need to think very carefully about the openingand closing of stories in particular.

The question of closed endings where readers are toldexactly what happens, and of open ones where they are leftwith limited information, also needs to be brought up.

Perhaps teachers may also like to point out how hackneyedsome closing sentences are. Then I woke up; it had all beena dream is usually a sign of a lazy writer unable to solve theproblems his/her own story has set up.

(*The more able students may be engaged in further sharingand discussion of the opening and closing of stories theyhave read – how powerful or effective they are, and whatdifference there might be had a different opening or closingbeen used. They may also consider techniques such asflashback when thinking about narrative styles.

The less able students may be asked to think of one or twoopening and closing lines for their story outlines.)

Â handout on thepreparation of themodule story

A story writingfeedback form withcriteria established byboth the teacher andstudents

Peer assessment basedon the established criteriashould be practisedamong students.

The focus could be onhow well students includethe elements they haveexplored in previouslessons. Then, on thisbasis they may make useof other features coveredin the lessons that followto enrich their stories. Theidea is that each story willgo through drafts, whichwill be included in thefolder.

Students should know at the beginning that they have to writea story of about 300 words for the module. This lesson givesthem time to think of the sort of story they want to write and tothink about content.

Students need to be given time to learn the basic elements ofshort stories and also need time to produce a few drafts ofthe story, improving and refining with the help of their readers.Thus this lesson has been placed about halfway through themodule, and teachers may decide on the exact placing of thislesson taking into consideration the progress of theirstudents.

Given the time constraints the discussion should probably beheld by the full class. Otherwise small groups can produceideas and then share them.

(*For the less able students, revision of the drafts may focusmainly on content.)



20

Twists 2 periodsLessons 27-28


• write twists to surprisereaders

Students look at examples of stories withtwists to understand the concept clearly.

Students share twists they have comeacross in films and stories.

Students think of twists for the story outlinesthey have been working on.

Students end a story with a twist.#Symbols 2 periods

Lessons 29-30Students are able to:

• demonstrateunderstanding of theconcept of symbols instories

• write symbols

The teacher introduces the concept ofsymbols.

Students examine some examples ofsymbols and try to work out what the writer istrying to convey through them.

Students think of symbols that might beused in relation to the story or story outlineand produce a paragraph or two.



AssessmentRemarks

21

Â handout on storytwists

Famous twists – "TheNecklace", Carrie,The Sixth Sense

The twists studentsproduce can be placed inthe folder.

Teachers may simply describe the stories and their twists, ortell a short story with an effective twist to the class.

Â handout onsymbols

The examples of symbolsthat students produce canbe placed in the folder.

Some teachers might wish to add allegory to the lesson.



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Part 3:Telling stories,writing andperforming themodule story


Sharing stories 6 periodsLessons 31-36


• enjoy and share goodstories

• use oral English andstory telling skills

• evaluate story tellingskills based on givencriteria

With the teacher's guidance, studentsdiscuss how stories can be told orallyeffectively.

Students tell each other stories.

Students carry out peer evaluation using thefeedback form.

Finalising thedraft for themodule story



• organise their own work

• share difficulties andask for/give support

Students bring reading journals and storydrafts to the class.

Students discuss problems with the teacherand classmates and take remedial actions.

Performing themodule story



• use oral Englishexpressively

• tell/perform and listen tostories

• gain and keep theattention of an audience

Students perform stories, focussing on theact of story telling.

Final display 2 periodsLessons 49-50


• enjoy and share theirgood work

• review progress

• share and perhapsinspire others with a loveof fiction and creativewriting

Students put on a display of their work andinvite guests to view it (even if only laid outon desks in a classroom or the library) priorto submitting their folders.

The teacher and some selected studentswill sum up their experience of the courseand give it a sense of closure, just like agood short story.



AssessmentRemarks

23

Â handout onstory telling

A story tellingfeedback form

Peer and/or teacherassessment of students'performance using thestory telling feedback form

Students should be told in advance that they each need toshare a story with their class. The stories can be stories theyhave recently read, traditional stories, stories they have heardor learned about, or stories their families tell, etc. Eachstudent should be given a time allocation.

These lessons seek to concentrate on the enjoyability ofstories and help students to learn the basic story telling skillsto prepare them for performing their own module story later inthis part.

(*The more able students can be encouraged to tell storieswith elaboration of details. The less able students do notneed to actually tell the stories but briefly describe orsummarise them.)

Teachers may also consider modelling telling a story to theclass and get students to identify how a story can be toldeffectively.

Story telling has been a traditional art form in many societiesand has been revived in many Western countries recently. Ifan opportunity arises, professional storytellers can be hiredto come and perform. It would, of course, be a most valuableaddition to this module."Writer's block" as well as disorganisation are frequentproblems in story writing. These lessons, where everyonecan see what others are doing and how far advanced theyshould be with their work, are intended to prevent theproblems from getting out of hand. Lack of progress withstories or ideas to improve them, difficulties in locatingsuitable stories to read and comment on and any otherproblems can be spotted or aired during the lessons andreceive remedial attention before it is too late.

Â handout onperforming a story

A performancefeedback form

Peer and/or teacherassessment can bepractised using theperformance feedbackform.

Students' performancecan be videotaped andincluded in the folder.

Time limits will be necessary to ensure everyone gets thechance to tell their story.

In the interest of sharing work teachers may wish to have amodule display board where work can be exhibited for others,or even a website set up.

Creating a bank of material produced by students would bean excellent idea. Story telling performances can be recordedand copies of good stories/pieces of writing and readingjournals obtained with student permission. This will helpcreate a standard for a school and help future students todecide if the course is one that suits them. It will also save alot of questions about what exactly is expected of them asthey can see the product of earlier classes.

Lists of favourite stories, recommendations of good authors,etc. can all be included.

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25Poems and Songs: Module Description

Learning English through Poems and Songs

General DescriptionThis module introduces learners to a variety of poems and songs with themes that are of interest tothem. Learners will engage in different activities that aim to develop their appreciation of the themesand emotions expressed in poems and songs, acquaint them with poetic language and features,enhance their cultural awareness, stimulate their imagination, and foster their creative use of English.Throughout the module, learners will write/rewrite poems or lyrics and present them through variousmeans. Learners will also produce a journal that contains their own reflections on poems/lyrics theyhave read in the module.


• understand and appreciate a range of poems and songs

• respond and give expression to the imaginative ideas, moods and feelings expressed in poemsand songs through oral, written and performative means

• understand how the English language works to convey themes and evoke feelings in poems andsongs, and apply this understanding to their learning and use of the language

Learning Objectives1. To help learners to understand the themes, structure, features and language in various poetic

forms and songs

2. To help learners to understand how moods and feelings are conveyed in poems and songs

3. To help learners to apply the knowledge and techniques they have learned in their own creativeproduction or appreciation of poems and songs

ContentThe module comprises five parts.

Part 1 is an introductory component that helps learners to understand what the module will coverand what will be required for the Poem and Song Journal, which is a collection of student-selectedpoems and songs with their personal responses.

Part 2 introduces learners to various poems and songs. Learners will learn to identify and understandtheir features, structure, language and themes as well as appreciate them. This part also covers thevocabulary and techniques (e.g. simile, metaphor, rhyme, rhythm) that are used to create feelings,moods and meaning in poems and songs.

In Part 3, learners focus on reading and writing different types of poems, such as acrostics, shapepoems, limericks, haikus and ballads. Learners will learn the characteristics and features of each ofthese different types of poem. They will also be encouraged to express various themes and personalfeelings by producing poems of their own.

Part 4 focusses on songs. Opportunities are provided for learners to read and identify the languagefeatures of song lyrics, to listen to and appreciate songs as well as to write/rewrite lyrics. Learnerswill also be introduced to a musical and have the chance of performing a song.

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In Part 5, learners give a presentation or performance based on the poems or songs that they haveselected.

Time AllocationIt is recommended that a total of around 50 periods be allocated to the teaching of this module. Thesuggested number of periods is based on the assumption that schools are running 40-minute periods.Schools may adjust the number of periods if their time-tabled periods are of a different duration. Thebreakdown for the five parts can be as follows:

Part 1 2 periodsPart 2 6 periodsPart 3 19 periodsPart 4 15 periodsPart 5 8 periods


Assessment in the Poems and Songs module will focus on learners' demonstration of their ability to:

• understand and appreciate the themes and language of poems and songs

• apply some of the techniques they have learned in the creative production of poems and songlyrics

• revise their own poems and songs for content/desired effects

• perform poetry

Assessment will focus primarily on the written and spoken work produced by learners. This willinclude:

• written personal responses to poems and songs

• creative work, such as original haikus and rewritten lyrics

• presentations and performances

• work that demonstrates the creative use of language in real-life contexts

27Poems and Songs: Scheme of Work

A suggested scheme of workfor Learning English through Poems and Songs



2. This module requires students to apply the language knowledge and skills that they have developedin the Compulsory Part. It aims to provide the basis for further exploration of the various types ofpoems and songs. Students taking this module are expected to have had previous exposure tothese imaginative text-types.

3. It should be noted that the main aim of this module is to make use of poems and songs aslinguistically rich and pleasurable learning and teaching resources to develop students' languageskills (e.g. using pronunciation, intonation, rhyme, rhythm, and figurative language to enliven theirspeech and writing) and sharpen their awareness of the use of poetic techniques in authentictexts, such as advertisements, greetings card messages and song lyrics. Students are not expectedto develop an extensive or in-depth knowledge about poetic conventions and devices, or todemonstrate skillful use of them in the work they produce.



28



Part 1:Moduleintroduction



• understand what themodule will cover andthe requirements of thePoem and Song Journal

Students bring back to class one or two oftheir favourite songs and poems. In smallgroups, they share their collection anddiscuss their interest and experience withpoems and songs.

The teacher briefly introduces the module,stating that it focusses on the integrated useof language skills through appreciatingpoems and songs.

The teacher refers students to the handouton the Poem and Song Journal and explainswhat it involves.



AssessmentRemarks

Â handout on thePoem and SongJournal

A sample showingstudents what ajournal entry mightlook like

The Poem and SongJournal, which comprisesstudents' own collectionof poems and songs, canbe reviewed regularly.

Teachers might like to explain to students that the moduleinvolves:

• reading, enjoying and appreciating poems and songs;

• learning about the features of different types of poems;

• writing some poems and song lyrics;

• keeping a Poem and Song Journal which comprises acollection of poems and songs of their own choice andtheir personal responses; and

• selecting one piece of work from their Poem and SongJournal for presentation at the end of the module.

Teachers might like to bring in a selection of poems andsongs to put up on the board to create interest amongstudents. They may also think of ways or opportunities forsome of the work students do throughout the module to bedisplayed. As most of the products in this module are creativeby nature, it would be motivating to students to see their workenjoyed by others, whether that be on a class homepage, aclass publication at the end of the module, or on the walls oftheir classroom or school.

Teachers would need to make clear to students the reasonsfor them to keep a journal. Poems and songs, by their verynature, assume a personal response or interaction with thetext. Students should be encouraged to freely express theirpersonal views and feelings in response to poems andsongs.

30



Part 2:Introduction topoems andsongs



• read, enjoy andappreciate poems and

• identify and understandsome features of poemsand songs

• read aloud some poems

• explore sources forpoems and songs

Students are introduced to some poems andsongs, and are familiarised with thevocabulary related to poem and songappreciation.

Students learn to read the poems aloud.

Students share their reading and insights ingroups.

Students discover sources of poems andsongs and make recommendations to oneanother.

songs



AssessmentRemarks

^Handouts on somepoems and songs

Â handout on poemand song vocabulary

Students' reading aloud ofthe poems

Entries in the Poem andSong Journal

Students' selections ofpoems and songs andthe journal entries can beplaced in the folder.

Students should be encouraged to start looking for poemsand songs to be included in their Poem and Song Journal.

Some of the lesson time can be spent in a computer room orthe Multi-media Learning Centre (MMLC) to allow students toexplore resources together and have instant sharing.

Teachers might like to refer the students to the followingwebsites for information about different poems and songs:http://www.shadowpoetry.com/resources/wip/types.htmlhttp://www.algeo.net/poetry/page2.htmlhttp://www.lyricsfreak.com/

(*For the less able students, teachers should give them moreguidance on how to select poems and songs by suggestingcriteria for text selection such as the level of difficulty in termsof content, theme and language.)

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Part 3:Reading andwriting poems




• identify and understandthe characteristics andfeatures of acrostics,shape poems andpoems making use ofdifferent grammaticalpatterns

• express personalfeelings and viewsthrough writing differentkinds of poems

• use dictionary skills todevelop vocabulary

Acrostics:

• Students read and identify thecharacteristics of acrostics.

• Students start writing acrostics todescribe themselves and theirclassmates by using their names andtheir classmates' names.

• In groups, students brainstormpossible topics to write on. They thenpractise writing acrostics individually.

Shape poems:

• Students look at examples of shapepoems and discuss their themes andcharacteristics.

• Students form small groups to sharetheir feelings and views aboutparticular objects, themes or imagesand take notes.

• Students write shape poemsindividually on a topic of their choice.

Using grammatical patterns:

• The teacher introduces the concept ofmaking use of different grammaticalpatterns to write poems.

• Students read, analyse and writepoems using different grammaticalpatterns.

Students can collaborate in groups tobrainstorm for ideas and vocabulary and togive feedback to one another's drafts. Theycan then revise their drafts based on thefeedback.

Students will read and share with class thedifferent types of poems they produce.

Acrostics, shapepoems andpoems makinguse of differentgrammaticalpatterns



• identify and understandthe characteristics oflimericks and haikus

• read aloud limericks

Students read and discuss thecharacteristics of limericks. They thenpractise writing limericks.

Students read a number of haikus andidentify their themes.

Limericks andhaikus



AssessmentRemarks

^Handouts on:

• acrostics

• shape poems

• poems makinguse of differentgrammaticalpatterns

Â poem feedbackform

The poems that studentshave produced can beself, peer and/or teacherassessed. Theassessment criteriashould be given andexplained to students inadvance.

The poems can be placedin the folder.

The writing of acrostics provides students with an easystart-off point to poem writing. There are basically no strictrules to follow and it can be great fun. Students without muchprior knowledge can still find it manageable.

Students can find acrostics on the following website:http://www.holycross.edu/departments/socant/dhummon/acrostics/acrostics.html

(*For the less able students, teachers might like to give thema list of suggested topics to help them to generate ideas.)

For a variation on this part, teachers might like to have thewhole class work on the same topic for their acrostics and letstudents see and share the wide variety of ideas that theycome up with.

Shape poetry offers a lot of room for stretching bothimagination and creativity. It is also visually very appealing tostudents and can be very effective for arousing students'interests.

Students can find shape poetry on the following website:http://pages.prodigy.net/sol.magazine/archives/shaped7.htm

Teachers can choose to focus on any grammatical patternsto illustrate the concept to the students depending on theirneeds and ability. The point here is to make studentsrecognise that learning grammatical patterns can be morethan just rules. They can be applied creatively in poem writingto express a particular theme or personal feelings andemotions, or to tell a story.

Teachers might also like to make use of this poem writingexercise as a reinforcement of the various grammaticalpatterns students have learned in the Compulsory Part.

(*Teachers might consider asking the less able students towrite simple poems made up of short sentences or phrasesand choosing one particular grammatical pattern for them tostart with.

The more able students can apply various grammaticalpatterns they have learned in their poems. Teachers mightalso like to encourage them to appropriately apply poeticfeatures in their poems.)

For self, peer and teacher assessment of the poems thatstudents write, emphasis should be placed on content anduse of language to express feelings and emotions. Deliverytechniques (e.g. pronunciation and eye contact) can also beassessed if students are asked to read and share theirpoems with the class. The more able students can also beassessed on style and the creative use of language.

^Handouts on:

• characteristicsof limericks

• reading and

Students' reading aloud ofthe limericks

Students' work regardingthe themes of the haikusthey have read and

Students can find limericks in Lear, E. (1996).The Book of Nonsense and Nonsense Songs. London:Godfrey Cave. Limericks can also be found athttp://modena.intergate.ca/personal/gslj/limericks.html.

More haikus can be found at

34



• write limericks based onprompts

• discuss the themes ofsome haikus

• select vocabulary thatconveys images, moodsor feelings effectively

• express various themesor emotions by writinghaikus

• evaluate their own andothers' haikus using aset of criteria

• co-ordinate written textsand visual images in aphoto display

Students discuss the characteristics ofhaikus.

Students identify certain moods or imagesand brainstorm vocabulary to work out listsof words. They then practise writing haikusby referring to the word lists.

Students share and evaluate each other's

Students create a photo display thatcomplements one or more of the haikus theyhave written.

Narrative 6 periodsLessons 22-27


• identify and understandthe features of narrative

• present a creative oralperformance

• evaluate one's own andothers' oral performance

• write simple narrativepoems by applying thevarious language andpoetic features they havelearned

Students read and discuss the themes,language and features of some narrativepoems/ballads.

Students prepare and perform an oralreading of a narrative poem.

Students evaluate their own and othergroups' oral performance using a set ofcriteria.

Students think of an incident or experiencethat they would like to write a poem on.

Students submit their drafts to the teacher forfeedback and make necessary revisions.

poems/ballads

poems/ballads

poems.



AssessmentRemarks

recitinglimericks

• writinglimericks

• characteristicsof haikus

• reading haikusand identifyingthemes

• writing haikusand developinga photo display

Â poem feedbackform (used inLessons 9-14)

identified

Self, peer and/or teacherassessment of thepoems that students haveproduced

The photo display

The limericks and haikusthat students produce canbe put into the folder.

http://www.worldhaikureview.org/

Examples of haikus, with suggested activities, can also befound in the resource package The Learning and Teaching ofPoetry (Secondary 1-3) (2002) produced by the EducationBureau.

Students should be encouraged to complete at least three oftheir Poem and Song Journal entries by the end of this part.

Teachers might like to consider a venue for students todisplay their work.

Â handout on poemand song vocabulary(used in Lessons3-8)

^Handouts onnarrative poems

Â performancefeedback form

Recitation/Performance of

Self and/or peerassessment of the oralperformance of the poem

Students can find narrative poems on the following website:http://judithpordon.tripod.com/poetry/narrative_poetry.html

(*Teachers might like to help the less able students by givingthem more hints or resources for word selection and ideageneration. More sample poems can also be provided to helpthem to initiate and organise ideas.

For the more able students, teachers might like to encouragethem to make up more sophisticated story outlines buildingin various characters or even a story twist. They can also beencouraged to incorporate more poetic features and to selectvocabulary to create a special mood, tone or feeling for theirpoems.)

poems

36



Part 4:Appreciatingsongs andwriting songlyrics


Song lyricsreading andwriting



• appreciate songs fortheir melody and lyrics

• identify the languagefeatures of song lyrics

• write/rewrite song lyrics

Students listen to and appreciate somesongs. They discuss and identify thethemes, language and features of thesongs.

Students make use of the features they havelearned to write/rewrite song lyrics.

Songpresentation forcommercials



• understand how songlyrics can create imagesand meanings

• understand how lyricsand images can beused for the purpose ofpromotion and publicity

• select and presentsongs to promotecertain products

• evaluate their own andothers' presentations

Students listen to commercials to identifyhow songs are used to create images andpromote products.

Students evaluate the effectiveness of theimages created by songs in promotingproducts.

In groups, students create advertisingcampaigns that make use of songs. Theythen present their advertising campaigns tothe class.

Students evaluate their own and othergroups' presentations using a set of criteria.

#Musicalappreciation andperforming a



• enjoy and appreciate amusical

• understand the meaningof some songs

• perform a song

• evaluate their own andothers' performance

The teacher briefly introduces the musicalOliver!.

Students are presented with some songsfrom Oliver! and they engage in the followingactivities:

• listen to a song and complete a cloze

• learn the meaning and pronunciationof unfamiliar words

• use contextual clues to arrange thelines of a lyric

In groups, students learn and give aperformance of a song.

Students evaluate their own and othergroups' performance using a set of criteria.

song



AssessmentRemarks

^Handouts on songlyrics

The written/rewritten lyricscan be placed in thefolder.

Students should be encouraged to select songs they enjoyand put them in their Poem and Song Journal.The lyrics ofmany songs can be found on the following website:http://www.tonsoflyrics.com

(*The more able students may be asked to select songs anddesign activities which focus on themes as well as languagefeatures to be presented to the class.)

^Handouts on:

• commercialsthat use songs

• role-play for theadvertisingcampaign

Â performancefeedback form (usedin Lessons 22-27)

Group presentations ofthe advertisingcampaigns

Self and/or peerassessment of studentpresentations

There are commercials on English TV channels that makeuse of songs. Teachers might like to recommend somesuitable ones to the students.

^Handouts on songlyrics (used inLessons 28-33)

^Handouts on themusical Oliver!

Â performancefeedback form (usedin Lessons 22-27)

Self, peer and/or teacherassessment of the groupperformance

Students' written work onmusical appreciation canbe placed in the folder.

A musical, which may be a new experience for somestudents, is recommended as the basis for the last 6lessons of Part 4. Oliver! is suggested in this scheme as apossible resource that teachers might consider using.Teachers, however, need not adhere to the suggested titleand may replace it with any other one they deem suitable.Alternatively, based on students' needs and interests,teachers may choose to work on another selection of songs(focussing on a particular theme) for these 6 lessons insteadof doing a musical.

Students are encouraged to view Oliver! outside class time.

38



Part 5:Finalpresentationand end ofmodulereflection



• display the Poem andSong Journal

• demonstrate a criticalunderstanding of aselected poem or song

• reflect on the module

Students demonstrate various aspects ofknowledge gained in the module throughtheir work in the Journal.

Students give presentations on a selectedpoem/song individually.

Students reflect on the module and sharetheir insights and experience withclassmates.



AssessmentRemarks

A suitable venue forthe display and thepresentation

Assessment can be doneon:

• the Poem and SongJournal

• the poster

• the presentation

• the performancewhich should reflecthow well the variousaspects of what wascovered in themodule have beenlearned

There should be no restrictions on the format of thepresentations. Teachers should encourage students to makeuse of whatever interesting and creative means they can thinkof. Students might also, if they like, recite/sing the selected

Teachers would need to support students in various technicalways as they prepare for their presentations.

poem/song.

40


41Popular Culture: Module Description

Learning English through Popular Culture

General DescriptionIn this module, learners will be provided with opportunities to extend their range of English abilitiesthrough exploring popular culture. They will be exposed to an array of popular culture texts coveringa range of text-types, such as reviews, newspaper/magazine columns, photo captions, advertisementsand commercials. They will engage in different activities which aim to increase their critical thinking,creativity and cultural awareness. At the end of the module, they will present a selection of theirwork in a form that is agreed upon between them and the teacher (e.g. a time capsule, an onlinepublication, a newspaper-type publication).


• understand a variety of written and spoken texts related to popular culture

• analyse popular culture texts to understand the typical features, language and structures

• respond and give expression to experiences, events, ideas, characters or issues through creativewriting, performance and personal reflections

• understand how the English language works in different texts in popular culture and apply thisunderstanding to their learning and use of the language

Learning Objectives1. To help learners to understand and interpret ideas, information, facts, opinions and intentions

presented in written and spoken texts related to popular culture

2. To help learners to develop the vocabulary, language, format and styles used in various texts ofpopular culture

3. To help learners to apply the knowledge and skills they have learned in their creative productionand appreciation of popular culture texts

ContentThis module is divided into three parts.

In Part 1, learners are introduced to the basic concepts involved in this module, such as whatpopular culture means and what defines popular culture texts. They also need to consider the formthat the end-of-module presentation of work will take.

In Part 2, learners are introduced to different text-types that are tied to different areas of popularculture (e.g. photo captions, comic strips, columns, advertisements and commercials, and reviews).Learners are provided with opportunities to learn about the content, language and stylistic featuresthat are typically associated with the text-type in question, and to produce the text-type using aprocess approach.

In Part 3, learners give presentations of the work that they have produced.

Time AllocationIt is recommended that a total of around 50 periods be allocated to the teaching of this module. The

42

suggested number of periods is based on the assumption that schools are running 40-minute periods.Schools may adjust the number of periods if their time-tabled periods are of a different duration.The breakdown for the three parts can be as follows:

Part 1 4 periodsPart 2 42 periodsPart 3 4 periods


Assessment in the Popular Culture module will focus on learners' demonstration of their ability to:

• understand and interpret ideas and information in different popular culture texts

• identify the distinguishing language and stylistic features of different popular culture text-types

• identify the purpose and intended audience for different popular culture texts

• apply their knowledge and understanding of the language and characteristic features of popularculture texts in their own production

• revise a popular culture text for content/desired effects

• present their work orally

Assessment primarily focusses on the work produced by learners during the course of the module.This includes:

• short reviews of films

• column contributions (e.g. horoscopes, fashion and style, advice)

• captions (e.g. photo captions, cartoon captions)

• comic strips

• presentations

• group discussions

43Popular Culture: Scheme of Work

A suggested scheme of workfor Learning English through Popular Culture



2. This module requires students to apply the knowledge about some of the text-types (e.g. adviceletters, advertisements, reviews) that they have developed in the Compulsory Part. It aims toprovide the basis for further exploration of these text-types in the context of popular culture.Students taking this module are expected to have had previous exposure to these text-types.

3. This module requires that students work in pairs and in small groups. Teachers will need tooversee that the groups are formed appropriately and that they stay on task.

4. At the end of the module, students present a selection of their work in a form that is agreed uponbetween them and the teacher (e.g. a time capsule, an online publication or a newspaper-typepublication). Students are also encouraged to reflect on and monitor their own learning progress,and teachers should provide them with feedback and assistance where necessary. For illustrationpurposes, this scheme of work is developed on the assumption that the final product is a timecapsule. Please refer to the Remarks column for Part 1 for more information.


44



Part 1:Moduleintroduction



• discuss and articulatewhat popular culture

• demonstrate awarenessof what process writinginvolves

• demonstrate awarenessof what will be requiredfor the time capsule

Students complete a popular culture survey.(The results should be shared during thesecond period of the class.)

The teacher introduces to students the ideaof time capsule and discuss with them whatitems could be included.

Students review the stages of processwriting in order to understand that they willneed to carry out a process writingapproach in this module.

means



AssessmentRemarks

Â handout on apopular culture survey

Â handout on thestages of processwriting

The module involvesassessment of students'performance on the textsthey produce for the timecapsule as well asassessment carried outthrough observation ofgroup discussions andpresentations to theclass.

Teachers need to emphasise at the beginning that themodule involves close student interaction with text-types thatfocus on areas tied to popular culture (e.g. captions, advicecolumns, advertisements/commercials, reviews), and thecreation of a time capsule that contains selected workproduced for the module.

Teachers would need to let students know the rationalebehind creating the time capsule – to reflect the popularculture of a particular moment and serve as a memory andvalidation of the students' lives. It also creates a unityamongst the different tasks and keeps students motivated,producing a significant product by the end of the module, asopposed to completing a series of disconnected tasks.

The text-types suggested in this scheme of work should beviewed as illustrations of what are considered suitable forthis module. In the first few classes, teachers might want todiscuss with students the types of texts to be included in thetime capsule and how they may contribute to the collection ofdifferent texts they will read and discuss. Students could bereferred to local newspapers (e.g. the Young Postsupplement of the South China Morning Post) for a variety ofpopular culture text-types. A number of these texts can also befound online. (For the first writing task, however, teachers maywant to prepare a collection of texts in advance, as theremight not be enough time for students to contribute muchright away.)

Teachers may also consider adopting the process writingapproach as an integral part of this module. As studentsproduce each text, they should be encouraged to undertake awriting process that includes a number of stages. Some ofthese stages may need to be repeated. For example, afterorganising their ideas, they may realise that they have notfocussed their ideas well enough and that they need to returnto that stage of the process again.

46



Part 2:Examining andproducingpopular culturetexts


Collection ofpictures withcaptions



• identify the content,language structures andfeatures of captions

• produce a collection ofphotos based on atheme

• write captions thatadhere to the typicalcharacteristics of this

• present ideas coherently

Students read examples of photos withcaptions and identify what the captions sayabout the person/thing photographed.

Students familiarise themselves with thecontent, language structures and features ofcaptions.

Students discuss and decide what themetheir collection of images should cover andwhat images be selected for their collection.

Students take or collect pictures, write andedit their captions and give feedback to theirgroup mates.

Students make a group presentation of theircollection of photos, with each membertalking about his/her contribution and thereasons behind his/her choice of photos forinclusion in the collection.

Comic strips 6 periodsLessons 11-16


• identify the content,language structures andfeatures of comic strips

• write texts in comicstrips that adhere to thetypical characteristics ofthis text-type

• express ideascoherently throughwritten and oralpresentations

In groups, students read examples of comicstrips with speech bubbles/narration andidentify what they tell about the event/story.

Students familiarise themselves with thecontent, language structures and features ofcomics.

Students collect and select comic strips andrewrite the speech bubbles/narration tocreate a new event/story. Students discussto decide on the theme and plot of theircomic strip.

Students make a group presentation of theircomic strip, with each member talking abouthis/her contribution and the reasons behindhis/her choice of comic and the new plot.

Students give feedback on the comic stripsproduced by other groups.

Columns(advice,horoscope,fashion, food,etc.)



• identify the content,features, language andstructures of advicecolumns

• discuss what problemsare representative ofstudents' age group

• select, organise, anddevelop content in orderto write advice-seekingand advice-giving letters

• write different types of

Students read and identify the characteristicsof different types of columns. In groups, theycreate texts for an advice column and oneother type of column of their own choice.

For the advice column:

• Students read advice columns andidentify the kind of problems beingdealt with.

• They go over the handout on writingadvice columns and familiarisethemselves with the features andlanguage structures of advicecolumns.

text-type



AssessmentRemarks

A collection of photoswith captionsfor students to studyand examine

Â handout on writingcaptions

Â grouppresentationfeedback form

Peer and/or teacherassessment of grouppresentation

The captions written canbe added to the timecapsule.

The photos should be about subjects that represent popularculture.

Teachers should remind students that the photos in thecollection they compile should be thematically related in orderto provide a context for discussion and presentation.

Pictures for the caption-writing activities can be sourced fromnewspapers and magazines (the online or print edition).

A collection of comicstrips for students toread

A handout on writingcomic strips

Â grouppresentationfeedback form (usedin Lessons 5-10)

Peer and/or teacherassessment of the comicstrips

The comic strips can beadded to the timecapsule.

Teachers can help students to arrive at a common theme onwhich the plot of their comic strips should be based in orderto provide a platform for discussion and make peerassessment more manageable for students. As analternative, to encourage imagination and creativity, studentscan be asked to create any story with a theme.

Comic strips for classroom activities can be sourced fromnewspapers/magazines/comic books.

(*For the less able students, teachers may suggest certainthemes for them to write their comic strips on, e.g. friendship,school life. They may also consider adopting themes that arebeing dealt with in other on-going English lessons.)

A collection of columntexts for students toread

Â handout on writingadvice columns

Peer and/or teacherassessment ofdiscussion on whatproblems teenagers oftenencounter and whatproblems to include in thecolumn

Peer and/or teacherassessment of the lettersand the role-play

The advice columns canbe added to the timecapsule.

Local newspapers (e.g. the South China Morning Post'sYoung Post supplement) provide a source of teenage angstadvice columns written in language suitable for most seniorsecondary students.

Other types of columns suggested in this scheme of workcan be found in the lifestyle section of localEnglish-language newspapers (e.g. the South China MorningPost and Hong Kong Standard) and magazines (e.g. theHong Kong Magazine and BC Magazine).

(*As far as other types of columns are concerned, the lessable students are likely to need more explicit teaching of thefeatures, vocabulary and language structures involved. Themore able students could, on the other hand, be encouraged

48



column texts

• seek and give advice ina role-playing activity

• They then discuss and anticipate thekinds of problems that teenagers oftenencounter, and then decide onscenarios that they can use to write anadvice-seeking letter and anadvice-giving letter. This will involvenote-taking.

• Students write and edit theiradvice-seeking and advice-givingletters and give feedback to their groupmates.

• They role-play the advice-seeking/advice-giving scenario.

For the other type of column (e.g. horoscope/food column/fashion column):

• Students identify the content, features,vocabulary and language structuresassociated with it.

• They discuss and decide on thesubject of their selected column.

• They write and edit texts for the columnand give feedback to their groupmates.

Advertisementsandcommercials



• identify the content,strategies, languageand stylistic features inadvertising

• present the findings ofan analysis

• produce anadvertisement or acommercial

In groups, students examine the content,strategies, language and stylistic features ofadvertisements/commercials and presenttheir analysis.

Out of class, students individually analysean advertisement or a commercial.

In groups, students develop an advertisementor a commercial.They then present and/orperform their work to the class.



AssessmentRemarks

to identify more independently such features, vocabulary andlanguage structures.)

The following websites can be consulted for other varieties ofcolumns:

Horoscopehttp://horoscopes.astrology.com/http://www.mysudbury.ca/Kids/Fun/Horoscopes/YahooligansHoroscope.htmhttp://www.bbc.co.uk/teens/girls/horoscopes/dailyhoroscopes/index.shtmlhttp://astrology.gurl.com/horoscopes/dailyteen.html

Fashion columnshttp://askmen.com/fashion/fashiontip/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/3680538.stmhttp://www.be.young.dsl.pipex.com/fashion/

Food columnshttp://www.stayinginshape.com/3osfcorp/libv/h02.shtmlhttp://www.foodvenue.com/food_tips.asp

A collection ofadvertisements andcommercials

Â handout onadvertisingstrategies, languageand features

Â handout onanalysing anddevelopingadvertisements/commercials

Â grouppresentationfeedback form (usedin Lessons 5-10)

Ân advertisement/commercialfeedback form

Peer and/or teacherassessment of students'group presentation

Peer and/or teacherassessment of students'discussion in preparationfor the written work/performance

The written work producedand/or the videotape of theperformance can beadded to the timecapsule.

Students should be encouraged to read/view a variety ofadvertisements/commercials in order to develop the ability todistinguish objective facts from subjective opinion and towrite persuasively.

As for the final product for this section:

• Students who prefer to develop an advertisement can beencouraged to include in their draft any graphics thatwould help the advertisement to make a lastingimpression.

• To emphasise oral production, students who choose todevelop a commercial can be encouraged to go beyondwriting the script by actually performing it. Theperformance can be video-taped and the tape put intothe time capsule.

(*The less able students could be asked to design/script anadvertisement/a commercial based on a model. The moreable students should be encouraged to explore and use theresources available to develop an advertisement/acommercial more independently. They may even beencouraged to include in their advertisement/commercial anelement of atmosphere, tone of voice or wordplay, e.g. puns,rhymes, jingles.)

50



#Reviews(movie, TVshow, music,video game)



• identify the content,features, language andstructures typically foundin movie/TV show/music/video game reviews

• make judgements aboutmovies/TV shows/music/video games

• justify points of view inwriting

• select, create, develop,and organise content fora movie/TV show/music/video game review

• write a movie/TV show/music/video gamereview

In groups, students read and discussmovie/TV show/music/video game reviews.

Students familiarise themselves with thecontent, features, language and structurestypically found in movie/TV show/music/video game reviews.

Students discuss and decide on whatmovies/TV shows/music/video gamesshould be reviewed and what judgements tomake.

Students write and edit their reviews andgive feedback to their group mates.



AssessmentRemarks

A collection of reviews

Â handout on writingreviews

A group discussionfeedback form

Peer and/or teacherassessment of students'discussion in preparationfor the written work

Peer and/or teacherassessment of thereviews

The reviews can be putinto the time capsule.

Teachers might like to exercise their discretion as to whetherstudents can use non-English materials (e.g. Chineselanguage films, Chinese language TV programmes,Cantonese pop music) as the basis of their reviews. In anycase, the reviews have to be written in English.

The reviews can be individual work or group work.

(*For the less able students, the film review can focus on thebasic ingredients, such as plot, theme and acting. The moreable students may, on the other hand, be asked to write amore elaborate film review covering areas such asphotography and sound effects.)

The following websites can be consulted for examples ofreviews:

Film reviewshttp://www.imdb.co.ukhttp://www.empireonline.co.ukhttp://www.bbc.co.uk/films/archive.shtml?film_reviewshttp://www.filmunlimited.co.ukhttp://www.hkfilms.com/?http://hkfilms.com/Reviews.shtmlhttp://www.amazon.co.uk

TV show reviewshttp://pearl.tvb.com/

Music reviewshttp://www.amazon.co.ukhttp://www.dotmusic.comhttp://www.tmfhk.com/

Video game reviewshttp://www.amazon.co.ukhttp://www.ota2u.com/review.php?f_type=gameshttp://www.gamerankings.com/http://www3.cd-wow.com/news_3.php

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Part 3:Compiling andpresenting thetime capsule



• work as a group toselect texts to beincluded in the timecapsule

• present the final product


Students select the items to be included intheir time capsules.

Students present their time capsules to theclass.




AssessmentRemarks

Assessment of the timecapsule produced byeach group

Teachers might consider holding a display of the timecapsules. Guests could also be invited to bring a sense ofoccasion/celebration to the end of the module.

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55Sports Communication: Module Description

Learning English through Sports Communication

General DescriptionThis module helps learners to learn to read/view and produce a range of texts related to sports.Learners will also learn vocabulary and expressions related to sports, the skills and strategies sportswriters and broadcasters employ to create their texts, the sales pitch in promotional and advertisingmaterials about sports, the ways in which fans express their support, etc. Towards the end of themodule, learners will produce a selection of texts for a sports display, media programme or magazine.


• understand a variety of written and spoken texts related to sports

• analyse sports-related texts to understand the typical features, language and structures

• organise and present information and ideas on a sports-related topic

• understand how the English language works in different sports-related texts and apply thisunderstanding to their learning and use of the language

Learning Objectives1. To familiarise learners with the various elements of sports writing, such as types, styles and

conventions

2. To help learners to develop the skills needed to create written and spoken materials related tosports

3. To reinforce learners' language skills and learning strategies through providing them with theopportunities to produce texts for sports coverage and promotion

ContentThe module has three different types of lesson.

There are writing workshops that examine different types of sports-related text and lead to writingpractice. Writing activities will cover fan pages/player profiles, product reviews, sports articles,surveys and reports, etc.

There are lessons that concentrate on developing learners' speaking skills. Oral activities will coverpresentations, interviews, discussions, etc.

There are other lessons intended to offer variety and keep learners well-motivated. Activities includequizzes, films and songs. There will also be a display of work done relating to the learners' ownschool.

Time AllocationIt is recommended that a total of around 50 periods be allocated to the teaching of this module. Thesuggested number of periods is based on the assumption that schools are running 40-minute periods.Schools may adjust the number of periods if their time-tabled periods are of a different duration.The breakdown for the three types of lessons can be as follows:

56

Writing workshops 18 periodsOral activities 16 periodsAdditional activities 16 periods


Assessment in the Sports Communication module will focus on learners' demonstration of theirability to:

• speak and write appropriately about one or more sports

• gather and organise information

• develop materials about sporting activities in the school


• presentations

• sports articles

• sports product reviews

• fan pages

• survey reports

57Sports Communication: Scheme of Work

A suggested scheme of workfor Learning English through Sports Communication



2. This module requires students to apply the language knowledge and skills that they have developedin the Compulsory Part. It aims to provide the basis for further exploration of some of thetext-types (e.g. fan pages/player profiles, product reviews, articles, surveys and reports) in thecontext of sports communication. Students taking this module are expected to have had exposureto some of these text-types.

3. Once the school has decided to offer this module it can start building up resources. The libraryprobably already has a collection of sports-related material and can be encouraged to add to it.English language sports magazines may be a good investment. Student work can be kept fromyear to year to allow new members of the module to see the usual standard. Boxes of cuttingsrelating to major sports events can be kept and lists of good websites drawn up. Obviously theschool's Physical Education Department could be invited to co-operate. It would be excellent ifthe class could attend a sporting event together or if the school could invite a sports personality tocome and talk. As with actual sports, an attempt to build up a team spirit would lead to betterresults.



58



Moduleintroduction

Sportsvocabulary



• understand the aims,design and content ofthe module

• understand and usesome common sportsvocabulary

Students are given a brief outline of themodule and told of the various oral andwritten tasks they will be expected toperform, including the preparation of adisplay on sports in the school. They can beencouraged to start thinking of good ideasfor this.

Students are told in advance to bring someEnglish newspapers or sports magazines toclass.

The teacher asks them to scan thenewspapers or magazines for sportsvocabulary related to some of the following:

• types of sports and competitions

• participants and spectators

• equipment and facilities

• skills and actions

• performance

• rules and regulations

• results and records

• victories and losses

• awards and honours

• sports conduct

Students are encouraged to try working outthe meanings of the words in context beforemaking use of a dictionary.

The teacher then pools the vocabularytogether and explains the unfamiliar ones.He/She may also introduce other vocabularyhe/she considers useful.

Fan talk 4 periodsLessons 3-6


• identify thecharacteristics of varioustypes of sports texts

• write fan material

Students read and familiarise themselveswith various examples of fan material(magazines, letters, profiles of famoussports people and teams, etc.).

Students produce a piece of writing suitablefor a fan website.

Quiz on sportsknowledge



• demonstrate and shareknowledge about sports

• produce and conduct aquiz

Every student is asked to bring tenquestions that are neither so easy thateveryone knows the answer nor so hard thatno one does. The teacher or a quizmastercan conduct the quiz. It can be for everyoneor a knock-out competition. The aim is forstudents to enjoy the module and useEnglish unselfconsciously.



AssessmentRemarks

A handout on themodule detailing thecontent, preparationwork needed forsome lessons, etc.

Â handout on sportsvocabulary

Teachers might like to tell students that the module aims athelping them to read/view a range of texts related to sports.They will also develop the skills and strategies in creatingtexts such as fan pages and sports product reviews. Aselection of the texts they have produced will be on display atthe end of the module.

There are many relevant websites and the students will nodoubt be already aware of them and be able to makerecommendations. From a teaching point of viewhttp://eleaston.com/sports.html is a rich source of teachingmaterial and vocabulary and will be very useful whenpreparing the various handouts, such as the vocabulary onesfor the first lesson. The major broadcasting networks/channels also carry a lot of information:http://news.bbc.co.uk/sporthttp://sportsillustrated.cnn.comhttp://www.foxsports.comhttp://thestar.com.my/news/sports

Â handout on fan talk

Â list of websites withsuitable material

The piece of writing canbe put into the folder.

(*Teachers might like to vary the length requirement for thewriting depending on the abilities of the class of students. Ifthe students are not very proficient at English, a short letter toa sports idol expressing reasons for admiration or a briefenthusiastic introduction to a player or team will be sufficient.A full design for the homepage of a website could be requiredfrom the more able students.)

Teachers may encourage students to read widely about theteams and players that interest them before producing theirown piece of work. As there is so much material availableabout sport, it is necessary to remind students of the evilsand pointlessness of plagiarism.

A bank of questions incase there are anyproblems with thestudent questions

Teachers should have some more questions ready in case ofany problems. If questions are written on individual slips theycan be drawn randomly and quickly checked for suitability.

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Presentation on Students are able to:

• give a short presentationto an audience

• research, summariseand presentinformation

• demonstrate and shareknowledge about sports

Students are given a list of sports fromwhich they select one they are interested in.In small groups of three to four, they make ashort presentation (of about 10 minutes) tointroduce the sport.

Students evaluate their own and othergroups’ presentation using a set of criteria.

Sportsadvertising



• demonstrate awarenessof advertising methods

• communicate ideas in adiscussion

• read and write texts onsports advertising

• understand and usesome commonvocabulary for sportsadvertising

Students bring examples of advertisingmaterial for sports products to class andshare them. In small groups, they discussthe main features and selling points ofsports advertising.

Students choose a sports product andproduce an advertising leaflet for it.

Students evaluate their own and others'leaflets using a set of criteria.

#Sports productreview



• express judgement,recommend action andmake comparison

• take part in a discussion

• read and write texts onsports product review

• understand and usesome commonvocabulary for sportsproduct review

In pairs, students read and discuss sportsproduct reviews to familiarise themselveswith the writing style and the criteria forchoosing and judging various items ofsports equipment.

Students write a short review on a sportsproduct they have purchased or are planningto buy.

Students evaluate their own and others’review using a set of criteria.

Films on sports 4 periodsLessons 23-26


• share experience andopinion on the viewing offilms on sports

• take part in a discussion

Students tell each other about good filmsthey have seen relating to sports.

Students watch a film or part of a film onsports outside class. They have to completea handout relating to the film.

6 periodsLessons 9-14 sports



AssessmentRemarks

Â handout onpresentation of sports

Â list of sports

Â suggested planwith guiding

^Presentation

Â presentationfeedback form

Sound equipment

Self, peer and/or teacherassessment of thepresentation

(*Teachers should adjust the amount of instruction andguidance based on their knowledge of how much experienceof making presentations the students have. The suggestedplan and presentation guidelines may be given to the lessable students as an extra form of help.

The length and complexity (whether the talk should includevisual aids, whether the presentations are to be made byindividuals or pairs, etc.) will probably depend on the numberof students in the class, students’ abilities and the constraintsof time.)

Some co-ordination by teachers may be necessary in order toensure that while students talk about topics that interest themthere is not too much reduplication of material that may riskloss of the audience’s attention. Teachers may also invitesuggestions from students on what other sports to include.

Â handout on sportsadvertising

Examples of sportsadvertising or accessto suitable websites

A handout onadvertising language

An advertising leafletfeedback form

Self, peer and/or teacherassessment of theadvertising leaflet

The advertising leaflet canbe included in the folder.

The major manufacturers of sporting goods have usefulwebsites students may visit.

Â handout on sportsproduct review

A review feedbackform

Self, peer and/or teacherassessment of thereviews

The review can be kept inthe folder.

A list of suggestedfilm titles

Students' work related tosports films can be addedto the folder.

While the enthusiasm of students must not be harmed,teachers should try to steer the class’ interest towardsEnglish language films. Watched with English subtitles, filmscan supply students with enjoyable language input (listeningand reading).

Teachers might also prepare a handout on sports films andlet teams compete to find the information to complete it.

questions

guidelines

62



Preparing for thefinal display



• take decisions aboutwork and plan ahead

• brainstorm and shareideas

• co-operate withclassmates

Students are given details of thearrangements for the final display.

The teacher will tell them that they will beproducing material based on the sportsactivities in the school and it will be used forthe display, and that the aim is to have asmany interesting different approaches tosport in the school as possible.

Each student will submit a minimum of twotexts of different genres, say sports articlesand survey reports. Students shouldremember that while the main focus isEnglish, they are encouraged to explore anymedia that interest them.

The lesson should be a brainstorming onewith students sharing ideas, forming groupsand taking initial decisions.

Sports writing 4 periodsLessons 29-32


• identify thecharacteristics of sportsarticles

• research a sports topic

• read and write sportsarticles

Students look at a selection of sportsarticles, read them and answer questionsthat can help them to notice aspects of style,organisation and vocabulary.

Students choose a topic of a similar naturefor use in the final display, i.e. a topic relatedto the context of the school, gather relevantinformation, and write an article on it.

Students evaluate their own and others'sports articles using a set of criteria.

#Sportscommentary



• describe sports eventsand make judgements

• describe present actionsand states usingappropriate tenses

Students watch a recording of a commercialbroadcast and discuss the commentary.

They then watch a short recording ofhighlights of a school sports game or event,e.g. a few minutes of a basketball match,table tennis game or sports day race. Ingroups, they develop a commentary for thegame or event. One student from eachgroup will then give the commentary orallybefore the class.

Students evaluate their own and others'sports commentaries using a set of criteria.

Sports songs 2 periodsLessons 37-38


• share and enjoy sports

Students choose and perform famoussports in English.

os ngs

os ngs



AssessmentRemarks

A handout detaillingthe requirements forthe final display

A handout withsuggested topics andgenres/formats

Completed work for thefinal display should formpart of the folder.

The final display may take various forms. It will probably be aroom with equipment for playing the various recordings anddisplay boards and tables covered with work. A technicallywell-supported or ambitious group might put all the materialonto a CD-ROM or website. A magazine could be anotherchoice with a recorded disc included. The important thing isthat the students have a sense of achievement at the end ofthe module and can proudly show their work to theirschoolmates.

Articles on sports ofvarious types oraccess to them onthe Internet

A handout withsuggested topics andgenres/formats

A sports articlefeedback form

Self, peer and/or teacherassessment of the sportsarticle

The article can be placedin the folder.

The first double lesson is for gaining familiarity with sportsarticles and deciding on topics to write about. Before the nextdouble lesson the students will need to do the necessaryresearch - watching matches, interviewing people, collectingdata and so on. The second double lesson is for writing andasking for advice.

The advantage of asking students to write about sportsactivities in their own schools is that it will make plagiarismpractically impossible.

http://www.worldnewspapers.com/sport-magazine.html givesaccess to various sports magazines with articles that mayhelp. Searches for school and college magazines,newspapers and newsletters will produce good material thatis not too difficult. Students might like to visit the followingwebsites:http://www.thedartmouth.comhttp://westvirginia.scout.comhttp://www.dailyillini.com

(*The more able students should be encouraged to work onbroader issues, e.g. drugs in sports, betting and football, theacceptability of dangerous sports, bad behaviour of fans,sport and nationalism and corruption in sports bodies.)

Recordings of someschool sports gamesor events

A sports commentaryfeedback form

Self, peer and/or teacherassessment of thecommentary

The written commentarycan be placed in thefolder.

The oral commentary,recorded and added tothe original recording, canalso be put in the folder.

Teachers would need to provide appropriate activities to helpstudents to produce a commentary.

(*For the more able students, teachers may ask them towatch a commercial broadcast with the sound switched offand they develop a commentary for it.

For the less able students, teachers may provide the script ofthe commentary.)

A venue which hasthe necessaryaudio-visual

There are various sources of sports songs. Anyone whowatches sports matches on television will be aware that fansoften sing songs of support and that teams make recordings.

64



• demonstrate oralEnglish skills through

Survey andreport



• decide on survey topicsand ways to gatheruseful data on them

• write survey questionsand conduct a survey

• organise data and drawconclusions from them

Students study a sample questionnaire,result summary and report to familiarisethemselves with the format, language andstyle.

In pairs or small groups, students prepare asimilar set of documents (e.g. aquestionnaire, a short report) on an issuerelated to sport in the school.

Major sportsevents



• gather information on atopic

• present information in asuccinct and interestingway

• give a brief talk inEnglish

• understand and usesome commonvocabulary for sportsevents

Students are allocated or select forthemselves different major sports eventsand give brief talks about them.

Students evaluate their own and others'presentations using a set of criteria.

songs



AssessmentRemarks

equipment and/ormusicalinstruments andallows the creation ofa lot of noise

"We are the Champions" and "One Moment in Time" canoften be heard. Supporters also take up chants such as:

Six, seven, eight,Who do we appreciate?

followed by spelling a team name and then shouting it. Someteams have a selection of songs and chants on theirwebsites (e.g. http://www.chelseafc.com). Schools and teamsmay have their own songs and house cheering teams theirEnglish chants.

Samplequestionnaire, resultsummary and report

Websites with sportsquestionnaires,surveys, results andreports

The questionnaires,results and reports will bepart of the folder.

(*It will depend on the nature of the students how theselessons should be tackled. In some schools the students maybe able to conduct the survey in English in the playground. Inothers teachers may need to help by asking various teachersand classes to give up some time to answer the questions.Teachers may also decide whether to let students choosetheir own topics or allocate some topics to them, such as:

• sports preferences

• difference between boys and girls, juniors and seniors

• levels of sports participation

• television viewing in relation to sport

• spending on sport

• team support, attitudes)

The questionnaire should be completed in the first doublelesson so that the survey can be carried out before the nextlesson. In the second double lesson the results should bepresented in tabular form with conclusions drawn, and thereport should be written up. The final product, possibly furtherrefined, will be part of the final display.

Naturally the main aim is for the students to use Englishrather than learn social science techniques; it would,however, be preferable if sufficient answers were obtained forthe results to have some sort of validity.

(*For the less able students, the survey need not be formal orof a great magnitude. They may be asked to simply formulatesome questions, gather information and write a couple ofparagraphs to report the findings.)

Resources on the Web:http://www.hn.psu.edu/faculty/jmanis/dis_s_re.htm

A handout on majorsports events

Â presentationfeedback form (usedin Lessons 9-14)

Self, peer and/or teacherassessment of the brieftalk

Students will need to be told about this activity in advance sothat they can be prepared.

Each student can be asked to speak for at least two minutes,or each small group can be given a few minutes to introducean event.

66



#Feelings aboutsport;sportsmanship



• think philosophicallyabout sport

• express personalfeelings

Students talk about what good qualitiesemerge from playing sports.

The teacher should guide students to talkabout what they as individuals get fromsport, what different sports suit differentcharacter types and help address differentneeds.



• organise and take part ina display

• introduce and presentwork

The final lesson should have a sense ofceremony. The teacher can speak a fewwords summing up what has been done,guests can be invited to enjoy the class'work and students can talk about theirexperience and offer feedback for the futureimprovement of the course.



AssessmentRemarks

Some codes ofsportsmanship

Students' writtenreflections on sports canbe placed in the folder.

(*For the more able students, teachers could get them to talkor read about sportsmanship and the various codes thatexpress it. Examples of codes of sportsmanship are availableat:http://kilby.sac.on.ca/athletics/rugby/sportsmanship.htm)

A suitable venue forthe display so that itdoes not have to becleared away tooquickly and so that asmany as possiblecan be given achance to see it

The pieces of workcompleted for this display,individually and in groups,will be an importantcomponent of the folder.

Obviously the display will need to be put together outsideclass time, and the actual lessons be used for closingcomments on the class' progress. It is important that thedisplay create a sense of occasion. Guests should be askedto appreciate the students' hard work and an opportunitygiven to students to see the work, which should be of interestas it relates to the school.

Suitable items or copies of them can be kept for futurereference.

68


69Debating: Module Description

Learning English through Debating

General DescriptionThis module introduces learners to the format and principles of debating, and its value as a powerfullanguage learning tool. Learners will be engaged in a broad range of activities which aim to enhancetheir presentation, argumentation, critical thinking, collaboration and information skills, increase theirworld knowledge and develop their self-confidence. Learners will take part in a debate towards theend of the module.


• converse and argue about points of view persuasively and confidently

• participate with others in planning, preparing for and carrying out a debate

• generate, research, relate, connect, develop, refine, justify and apply ideas

• define and solve problems by considering related factors and exploring options

• understand how the English language works in the context of a debate and apply this understandingto their learning and use of the language

Learning Objectives1. To familiarise learners with the format, basic set up and rules of a debate

2. To teach learners how to research and prepare for a debate

3. To help learners to develop the skills for debating, in terms of content, structure and style

4. To enhance learners' debating skills by providing them with the opportunities to participate indebates


In Part 1, learners participate in a range of activities which help them to understand the fundamentalidea and the basic set up of debating as well as the idea of rhetoric.

Part 2 aims at helping learners to develop the range of skills necessary for debating, such as definingmotions, researching information, analysing underlying principles and assumptions, working onarguments and examples, structuring arguments logically, preparing speeches and rebuttals, andusing appropriate delivery techniques.

Part 3 provides an opportunity for learners to participate in a debate where they will apply theirknowledge and skills in argumentation, organisation, collaboration, oral presentation and self/peerassessment.


70



Assessment in the Debating module will focus on learners' demonstration of their ability to:

• identify issues and problems

• research, analyse and organise information

• develop and elaborate arguments to justify or apply ideas

• plan and produce coherent and structured texts to achieve intended purposes

• use debating skills appropriately


• quizzes

• group discussions

• role-plays

• presentations

• writing scripts for speeches

• debates

71Debating: Scheme of Work

A suggested scheme of workfor Learning English through Debating



2. This module builds on the presentation and argumentation skills/strategies covered in theCompulsory Part. It aims to provide the basis for further exploration of such skills in the contextof debating. Students taking this module are expected to have had some exposure to and practicein these skills.

3. At the most fundamental level, a debate is an argument in which two groups of participants argueabout two opposite viewpoints. Debates and arguments both require the participants to putforward and defend their views on a topic in a persuasive, confident and natural way. The differencebetween the two lies in the rules in debating, which are there to ensure that all participants get anequal opportunity to win. While the primary aim of this module is to develop students' ability touse English as best they can to argue for their viewpoints, the aim can be achieved either byengaging students in the suggested activities which are designed to familiarise students with theknowledge and skills in conducting formal debates, or by making use of debating activitiesconducted in a less formal format as the teacher sees fit. The teacher may, for example, dividestudents into groups, get them to do some research on a topic that may lead to valuable discussionand then argue for or against it before the whole class.

4. This module can be scheduled to tie in with the major debate tournaments in Hong Kong (e.g. theSingtao Inter-school Debating Competition, Joint School Debate Tournament). This would enableschools to make arrangements for students to attend actual debates and help encourage suchattendance to become an integral part of the module.

5. Students should be made aware of a variety of community resources that can be productivelyused to enhance learning in this module. Public libraries, for instance, provide a good source ofprint and non-print materials for students' in-depth exploration of various debate topics. Publicspeaking organisations, such as Toastmaster International and the English-Speaking Union, offertalks and training workshops on various aspects of public speaking, which students can takeadvantage of to reinforce and consolidate their learning in this module. It would also be a valuableexperience if learners of this module could attend an actual debate or watch a film that features agood debate.

6. When the school has offered the module for a number of years it should be possible to build upa collection of recordings of student speeches and debates held by participants in the course.This material could be made available to students as a valuable extra resource and source ofexamples.

7. Students should be encouraged to keep a folder for this module which will serve as a record of

72

their learning. The folder may comprise all the assignments the students have done for the module,both oral and written. Students are also encouraged to reflect on and monitor their own learningprocess, and teachers should provide them with feedback and assistance where necessary.


73Debating: Scheme of Work


74



Part 1:Introduction


Understandingthefundamentalidea ofdebating



• understand thatargument is thefundamental idea ofdebating

• understand theimportance ofsubstantiating anargument in order toconvince people

• exercise judgement,express and explaindebatable opinions

Students are given controversial topics (e.g.slimming, part-time jobs) to present theirviews on briefly.

Students are then given texts on one ofthese topics. In groups, they read, identify,analyse and discuss the arguments andevidence presented, and decide which sideof the argument they are more convinced by.

Students then speak to the class in anopinionated way on the topic. The teachermakes sure that both sides of the argument/opposing views are represented.

The teacher makes use of what studentshave been engaged in to explain the basicidea of debating and introduces to themwhat the module will cover.

#Introducing theidea of rhetoric



• demonstrate knowledgeabout rhetoric

• gain a brief introductionto good speeches

• identify strategies usedby good speakers

• use some rhetoricalstrategies

The teacher presents students withexamples/extracts of good persuasivespeeches, drawing their attention tostrategies such as:

• phrasing

• repetition

• rhetorical questions

• metaphor and imagery

In groups, students work on a famousspeech, identifying the rhetorical strategiesused and discussing the effectiveness of thestrategies.

Eliciting,confirming andestablishingknowledgeabout debating



• demonstrateknowledge of the set up,rules and procedure ofdebating

• understand the role ofeach speaker in adebate

• gain control over thevocabulary/terminologyof debating

• understand whatdebating is

Students search the Web or watch videoclips of debates to identify debating rules,set up and procedures. This will includematters such as:

• the two sides in a debate

• motion/resolution

• overall team responsibility

• number of speakers per side

• individual speakers' roles

• argument and rebuttal

• length of speeches

• points of information

• roles of adjudicator, chairperson,timekeeper and audience

Students share knowledge of debateprocedures by completing handouts, andanswering and asking questions.

Debating: Scheme of Work


AssessmentRemarks

75

A list of controversialtopics and selectedtexts related to thetopics

Notes on presentingone's opinions inpublic

Notes on whatdebating is

Various tasks aresuggested in the courseof the module. Some ofthese tasks will be doneon an individual basisand others with partners.These works can be keptin a folder. The folder maycontain audio and videomaterial in addition towritten assignments.

Teachers might like to tell students that while the module willcover the format and rules of debating and engage them intaking part in a debate towards the end, its principal aim is todevelop their skills in argumentation and presentation.

These lessons aim to introduce students to the basicelements of debating through making use of an argument.There is no need to restrict the activities to any debatingformats.

(*Throughout this scheme the level of difficulty can in part becontrolled by the choice of debating formats, topics, motionsand examples.

Teachers may ask students to conduct formal debates,present them with more challenging debate motions, andencourage them to search for different views and argumentson a topic instead of providing them with the texts for input.Alternatively, they may ask them to carry out discussions orless formal debates, and to consider topics which are moreclosely related to their everyday life, such as discussing theirfavourite TV programme/movie and justifying theirpreferences.)

Â handout on rhetoric The short speech can beplaced in the folder.

(*Teachers may further extend the more able students byencouraging them to work on famous speeches at variouswebsites, e.g.http://www.ryanandassociates.com.au/speeches.htmhttp://www.historychannel.com/speeches

They can focus on more rhetorical strategies such as:

• parallelism

• analogy

• humour

• irony)

If self-access facilities are available in the school, the

^Handouts on:

• the two sides ina debate

• rules ofdebating

• score sheet

Handouts on:

• debating terms/who is involvedin a debate

• roomarrangement fora debate

A handout with awritten summary of adebate

Students' work ondebating rules andprocedures can be placedin the folder.

There are some resources on debating on the followingwebsites:http://www.hkedcity.net/article/edcity-news-archive/ec-debate/http://www.hkedcity.net/article/debate/home/http://www.cambridge-union.org/http://www.oxford-union.org/The last two websites above contain resources for the moreable learners.

There are also books on debating, e.g.

• Sather, T. (1999). Pros and Cons: A Debater'sHandbook. London: Routledge.

• Bauer, O.F. (1999). Fundamentals of Debate, Theoryand Practice. Omaha, Nebraska: Rockbrook Press.

• Philips, L., Hicks, W.S., Springer, D.R., & Fryar, M. (2001).Basic Debate. New York: Glencoe/McGrawHill.

(*For the less able students, teachers might like to leave outpoints of information at this stage.)

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Students write a short speech using somerhetorical strategies they have learned.



AssessmentRemarks

77

following material can be provided for students who want toimprove their speaking skills:

• the cinema genre of court room dramas (To Kill aMockingbird, Murder in the First, Amistad, etc.) orpolitical dramas that build up to inspiring speeches(Mr Smith Goes to Washington is a classic example)

• Oberg, B. (1995). Forensics: the Winner's Guide toSpeech Contests. Colorado Springs: Meriwether.

The rhetorical devices included in the Teaching Resourcesare only some of the commonly used ones and not meant tobe exhaustive. Teachers might like to refer to the followingwebsites for details about rhetoric:http://www.virtualsalt.com/rhetoric.htmhttp://www.americanrhetoric.com/rhetoricaldevicesinsound.htm

Teachers can also find famous as well as movie speechesfrom relevant websites such as:http://www.famousquotes.me.uk/speeches/index.htmhttp://www.americanrhetoric.com/moviespeeches.htm

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Part 2:Sub-skills


Motions:Consideringdifferent ways toclassify motionsand clarify terms



• understand that differenttypes of opinions needdifferent sorts of supportand argumentation

• demonstrate awarenessof ambiguity

• develop critical thinking

Students are given some debate motionsand are asked to do the following:

• Identify which ones are aboutcomparing two opposing views andwhich ones indicate that some actionneeds to be taken in order to solve aparticular problem.

• Explain what the clash would be andhow Proposition and Opposition couldargue for their side.

Students are given some motions withambiguous terms and are asked to discusstheir meanings and how they would want tolimit or control the topic.

Motions:Looking forunderlyingprinciples inmotions



• identify underlyingprinciples

• understand theimplications of positionsthey take

• think critically

The teacher takes students through a coupleof motions that refer to specific situations butillustrate more general positions.

In groups, students discuss some motionsin terms of:

• the principles supporting them

• the extent to which those principles areacceptable to the group

• the possible opposing principles

Students are given two motions, each withan accompanying set of principles. Theydiscuss and decide which principles applyto each motion.

#Motions:Identifying theissues andworking on"judgement" and"change"motions



• define a motion

• focus a debate on asingle issue or problem


Students are given a "judgement" motionand are asked to discuss the principles, theclash and the ways to define it.

Students are given a "change" motion andare asked to discuss the issue, the problemand the solution.



AssessmentRemarks

79

Â handout onclassifying motionsand clarifying theirterms

^Handouts on:

• types of motions

• good and badmotions

• roles ofProposition andOpposition indefining themotion

• finding theappropriatelevel ofgenerality

Observation of thestudents' level ofparticipation

The extra task suggestedin the Remarks columnwould provide morematerial for the folder.

To engage students and create a language-rich lesson,teachers will probably want students to work in pairs onthese tasks.

A glance at a current issue of the newspaper can inspire onewith ideas for many motions. Ideas can also be gained from:http://www.aph.gov.au/library/intguide/sci/http://infodome.sdsu.edu/research/guides/hot/supersites.shtml

(*The more able students can be asked to do an extra task ofsuggesting some good debate topics and writing motions forthem.)

(*For the less able students, teachers may have themexamine and discuss real life situations instead of debatemotions.)

Â handout onunderlying principlesin motions


(*The more able students can be encouraged to discusscurrent affairs or historical events, focussing on:

• what underlying principles motivated the various actionsand events

• what groups or personalities espoused which principles

• who won and who lost in the course of the events andwhy)

(*To achieve the same purposes, teachers may get the lessable students to work on real life situations. Here are twoexamples:

• Your Principal is seeking students' opinion as to whetherthe school should accept a big sponsorship from a softdrink company for setting up a scholarship for the poorstudents and let the company promote their unhealthysoft drinks in the school. How would you advise yourPrincipal and why?

• When you find out that your younger sister, who isalways on the computer, has been saying in some chatrooms that she's been taking soft drugs, she says she'sjust making things up and asks you not to tell yourparents. How should you decide and why?

Such an approach, if adopted, will replace the suggestedactivities on analysing debate motions in Lessons 12-17.)

^Handouts onworking on"judgement" and"change" motions

A handout on definingmotions andidentifying the issues


"Change" debates refer to those in which the motion statesthat an action would or should be taken. "Judgement"debates refer to those in which the motion requires teams totake up opposite positions on an issue of principle. The useof such terminology in teaching is at the teacher's discretion.The purpose of the lessons is to help students to analysemotions systematically.

It might be worth pointing out that where there is nosignificant ambiguity, there is no need to waste time definingterms.

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Persuasion:Analysingpersuasivelanguage and itsunderlyingtechniques



• understand methods ofpersuasion

• use methods ofpersuasion

• categorise differenttypes of argument

• resist persuasion

Students are asked to bring advertisementsto class. In pairs/groups, they discuss anddraw up a list of strategies of persuasion.

Students discuss and draw up a list ofemotional, rational and ethical argumentsfor and against anti-smoking legislation.

#Logicalargumentation



• understand methods ofreasoning

• spot poor reasoning andfallacies

The teacher introduces some logical termsand methods of reasoning, including:

• deduction

• induction

• implication

• begging the question/loadedlanguage/circular argumentation

• false dilemmas

• polar thinking

• confusing sequence with causation

• misuse of statistics

• overgeneralisation

• false analogy

• red herrings

• straw man/Aunt Sally

Students are given a number of faultyarguments and are asked to spot the errorsof logic.

Rebuttal andresearchinginformation

Rebuttal:Anticipation andconsideration ofthe opposition'slikely moves

Researching forand carrying outa mini-debate




• develop the ability to seeanother point of view

• find information on atopic using differentsources

• decide what informationis relevant to a debate

• develop the ability toformulate arguments

• develop the ability to giveshort persuasivespeeches on a topic

Students work on different ways to rebutopposite arguments:

• anticipation

• concession

• mockery

• ad hominem arguments

• redefinition

• bluster

• ways of seizing the initiative from theopposition

Students are given three debate topics andasked to research them. The informationgathered will be used in preparation for therebuttal activity and the mini-debate thatfollow.



AssessmentRemarks

81

Advertisements forillustratingpersuasivelanguage

Â handout onpersuasivetechniques

The lists of argumentscan be placed in thefolder.

(*Note that the terms in which ideas in the scheme arepresented can vary greatly and be adapted to the differentlevels of learners. Many students would be intimidated by"emotional, rational and ethical arguments". They should,however, have little difficulty in seeing that one can argue interms of feeling, facts and figures, and rights and wrongs. Forexample, in discussing whether to allow smoking in bars onecan rage about how disgusting it is having to breathe smellysmoke, argue coolly about profits, losses and the effect onemployment, or discuss the rights of smokers to their legalhabit and of non-smokers to clean air. Expressed like this thetopic becomes approachable and suitable for a wider rangeof learners.

For the less able students, teachers might like to focus onspecific persuasive strategies instead of the full range assuggested in the Teaching Resources.)

Â handout on logicalterms and fallacies

It is not intended that the analysis of logical fallacies becometoo technical. Examples can be very simple.

Teachers might like to refer to the following websites fordetails about reasoning and fallacies:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Logical_reasoninghttp://pegasus.cc.ucf.edu/~janzb/reasoning/http://www.nizkor.org/features/fallacies/

(*The more able students should be encouraged to proceedfurther. They can be introduced to books with examples offalse logic and argument, e.g. Damer, T.E. (2001). AttackingFaulty Reasoning: A Practical Guide to Fallacy-FreeArguments. Belmont: Wadsworth.)

(*For the less able students, teachers might like to focus on afew of the more common methods of reasoning (e.g.deduction, induction) and examples of faulty argument (e.g.misuse of statistics, over-generalisation).)

Â handout on rebuttaland researching for adebate

Â handout on usingrebuttal in debatespeeches

A mini-debatefeedback form

Observation of students'level of participation

Peer and/or teacherassessment of themini-debate

Students' work on rebuttalcan be included in thefolder.

For research purposes, the websites introduced in Lessons10-11 may be useful.

Students should be encouraged to look critically for relevantfacts, definitions of key terms and good quotations to supportthe arguments they use in formulating arguments and incarrying out the mini-debate.

(*Activity for the more able students: The teacher announcesa topic for debate. Students are then given a day or two toresearch the debate topic. On the day of the debate, studentsare presented with two substantive speeches which havebeen prepared specifically for the debate. Each of them isthen called up to deliver an argument, alternately inproposition and opposition, in rebuttal to one of thesubstantive speeches. As this continues, speakers may alsorebut a previous rebuttal speech (which happens all the timein debates). The activity continues until all arguments havebeen exhausted.)

82



Students are asked to form groups of six.Each group, divided into the propositionteam and the opposition team, is assigneda debate topic they have researched. Theteams in each group formulate argumentsin support of their position and guess thearguments their opponents would use andthen think of ways to rebut or damage them.They can then compare notes and see ifthey predicted correctly and whether theiropponents think their arguments would bedamaged by the strategies suggested.

Mini-debate: Each group is assignedanother debate topic they have researched.Members from each team present theirarguments within their groups, rebutting theopposing team's arguments, as far aspossible. The mini-debate will go on until allthe arguments are exhausted.

Speech structureand construction



• write and make a debatespeech

• use language itemsrelated to speechorganisation

The teacher gives students details of thefinal debates, such as the debate timetable,which groups they belong to, the rules andthe topics. He/She answers any questionsthat students may have.

The teacher highlights matters studentsneed to pay attention to when organisingdebate speeches, such as

• introductions

• topic sentences

• sign-posting

• general points

• examples/evidence

• connectives

• concessions

• summaries

The teacher introduces students to somekey phrases they may use for

• introducing the motion

• defining the motion

• allocating the arguments

• presenting the team's arguments

• attacking the other team's arguments

• reviewing the arguments

• summarising and concluding

Students are given a speech without topicsentences, connectives, etc. and are askedto complete/improve it.

Students assemble a jumbled list of pointsfor a debate speech into a coherent whole.



AssessmentRemarks

83

(*For the less able students, the rules of the mini-debate canbe modified. Instead of having students present argumentson one topic in their own group, teachers may divide the classinto two groups. When a topic is called out, students in eachgroup are free to discuss with each other and anyone in thegroup may volunteer to argue about it.

Again, the less able students do not need to be introduced todifficult terminology; the point is to introduce the strategy. Forinstance, the strategy of "concession" can be illustrated bythis example: "We agree fast food is bad for you. We do notwant to argue about that, but we do not think that is goodenough reason to ban it.")

A handout detailingthe arrangements forthe final debate

Â handout onstructuring a speech

Â handout on keydebating phrases

Students' work onstructuring a speech canbe added to the folder.

The details of the final debate depend on a number of factors.Whether it should be a competition or a series of separatedebates, how much time each speaker has and otheradministrative details will largely depend on the ability andpreference of the class as well as the format of the debate.For example, students may carry out formal debates in teamsof three and there may be questions from the floor, or theymay be engaged in a less formal debate between two biggroups where the rules are more relaxed and there are moreopportunities for the group members to support each other.The important thing is that everyone should be given thechance to make a debate speech.

If the less formal way of debating is to be adopted, teachersmay need to exercise their discretion as to how the lessonson "Team work" (Lessons 37-38) should be adapted. Toprepare students for a debate between two big groups of aclass, the teacher might like to build team work byencouraging students to work out arguments and strategiestogether, supplement what a teammate has said andgenerally help each other in a more relaxed way than in aformal debate.

Another suggestion in line with passing learning into thehands of students is to ask a committee of the class toorganise the debate and set the rules.

(*Teachers may need to give extra instruction and practice onmatters such as introducing or summarising a debate speechand using topic sentences, connectives and examples,depending on their judgement of the students' abilities andprevious knowledge.)

84



After organising the points, students try tosign-post them to make it easy for theaudience to follow the speech structure.

Students are given possible examples andfigures for use in the speech. In groups, theydiscuss whether the examples and figuresare useful and where they could be used tobest effect.

Students are given an argument and have toillustrate it by searching the Internet,newspapers, magazines, etc.

Students practise writing summaries ofwritten articles, then move to writingsummaries of oral speeches, then of debate

Preparing for thefinal debates

Team work



• organise a teameffectively as more thanthe sum of its parts

• adjust speeches "on thefly"

In groups, students discuss the following:

• What are the things that the speechesof a debating team should include (e.g.positive points, negative points,definitions, outlines, appeals toemotion, facts and figures, immediateresponse to other speakers)? Howshould these things be assigned toeach speaker?

• Under what circumstances in a debateshould a team adjust their preparedspeeches? How should the teammembers work together?

The teacher wraps up the discussion byhighlighting key ideas raised by the studentsand making reference to the handouts.

Students are given a number of points tomake in a particular debate. In groups, theydiscuss how the points should beallocated to each speaker, giving their

speeches.

reasons.



AssessmentRemarks

85

A handout on the"flow" of a debate,showing what eachspeaker is required todo during his/herspeech and how thisfits together into awhole

A handout on how towork as a team

Observation of levels ofparticipation

This lesson will depend to some degree on the rulesdecided for the final debate.

The purpose of this lesson is less to formulate a set of rules(though obviously something like a definition must comeearly if it is to be of any use, and attacks on anticipatedarguments are most effective when made before the otherside has a chance to use them) than to encourage teams toplan strategies and avoid repetition in the final debate.

(*Activity for the more able students: Hold a debate, but stopthe action in between each speech. Ask the audience whatthey need to hear from the next speaker (response toprevious opposing arguments, more explanation of aconfusing point, better examples, additional arguments, etc.)and then ask the speaker to fulfill those requests, no matterwhat they have planned to say.)

(*If teachers choose to adopt the less formal way of debating,they may need to exercise their discretion as to how theselessons should be adapted. To prepare students for a debatebetween two big groups of a class, teachers might like toencourage students to work together to brainstorm ideas andbuild arguments, expand the points a teammate has madeand generally help each other in a more relaxed way than ina formal debate.)

Teachers may consider discussing with students the issue ofdeportment during a debate. Students should learn how tobehave when speaking as well as when not speaking. Inorder to rebut one's opponents one must listen to themcarefully. Teams that spend their time huddled togetherdesperately writing notes and whispering are discourteousand look bad. To listen and smile politely but ratherdisdainfully at your opponents' points creates a powerfulimpression of being in control.

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Do's and don'tsfor a successfulpublic speaker

Ways ofhandling nerves



• demonstrateknowledge about thephysical aspects ofpublic speaking

• demonstrate awarenessof pitfalls and areas ofcommon error

The teacher gives a few students writteninstructions on how to speak badly, e.g.

• Read the following sentences withoutlooking up from this piece of paper.

• Speak about the last film you saw in adull monotone.

The rest of the class watch these students'performances and then discuss what sort ofbody language shows nervousness and,conversely, how a speaker may give off anaura of confidence. The discussion mayfocus on:

• body language

• gesture

• eye contact

• stance

• clarity of speech

• image

• use of file cards

• memorisation, etc.

They then make a list of do's and don'ts forpublic speaking and suggest ways ofovercoming nerves. By the end of the lessona Guide to Speaking should be ready on theboard.



AssessmentRemarks

87

Cards withinstructions forindividual students torole-play publicspeaking

A handout on thephysical aspects ofpublic speaking

General rules are helpful but do not, of course, apply in allcases. For most speakers a little hand gesture is quiteenough. Waving one's hands about wildly is not normal inBritish or Chinese culture, but if the topic of debate was a veryemotional one or the speaker wanted to be histrionic in aballoon debate this rule would not apply. Image is the mainpoint here. Each speaker needs to decide (in consultationwith the team, rather on the lines of the good cop, bad coproutine) what image to convey. One might want to appearimpassioned and angry, or gentle and concerned, or cool andscientific, etc. This decision will determine the style ofspeaking and a lot of the facial expression and bodylanguage.

Choosing the right image is part of the business ofpersuading people to support your point of view.

Teachers should exercise tact in commenting on less thanaverage performance. Alternatively, they could be the one tospeak badly and ask students for suggestions onimprovement.

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Part 3:Debates

Holding adebate

Finaladjudication andoverview of the



• apply all the skillscovered in the module


Students, in teams, carry out the debates.After each debate, the adjudicators givecomments on the debates and theparticipation of various members of theclass. (Student assessors of the differentdebates can give brief commentssupplemented by teacher feedback andencouragement.)

After all the debates are finished, the teacherinvites questions and comments from theclass, answers them, and tells the classhis/her feelings about their performance andprogress. The teacher then gives the coursea final summing up, in which he/she maywish to point out, among other things:

• that the course has not only given thestudents oral and written practice butalso introduced them to new ideasabout persuasion, logic andargumentation

• that debate speaking can help in manyareas of life as making presentationsand arguing for points of view are apart of daily life in many fields/careers

module



AssessmentRemarks

89

Appropriate furniture

Microphones

Ân adjudication form

The debating rules

Adjudication may be doneby:

• a panel of judgesformed by the classteacher and someguest teachers

• a panel of varyingstudents

Alternatively, the class canvote for the mostpersuasive andwell-presented case, asis the usual practice at adebate.

The class may wish the final debate to be a big occasion. Ifso, it can take place in the school hall or a large room withfurniture laid out appropriately and guests invited. It should bemade clear to the audience that there are standards ofetiquette expected of them as well as of speakers. The aim isto have an orderly, but enjoyable atmosphere and a sense ofsomething important happening.

(*For classes that opt for the more relaxing format of carryingout the final debates between two big groups in class,teachers may vary the grouping for each debate to facilitategroup dynamics. They may also have to ensure that studentshave balanced participation, with no students dominating thedebate and no one shying away from it. For each debate,members from the class could be selected to serve on theadjudicating panel.)

Whichever format the class opts for, in order to ensure thatthere is enough time for setting up and carrying out thedebates, announcing the results and giving feedback, doublelessons are recommended.

If the school has an active debating club or takes part in anydebating competitions, participation can be invited andencouraged.

90


91Social lssues: Module Description

Learning English through Social Issues

General DescriptionIn this module, learners will be provided with opportunities to develop and consolidate their languageskills through exploring and researching social issues they are interested in. They will be exposed toa variety of resources through which they will learn to define issues/problems, analyse information,understand the arguments and use of language in the texts on these issues, and express their pointsof view about the issues through speaking or writing. At the end of the module, they will present theirviews or arguments on a selected social issue through various oral and/or written means.


• understand a variety of written and spoken texts on social issues

• understand how a social issue may be defined, analysed, perceived, researched and presented ina spoken or written text

• analyse texts on social issues in order to understand their structural and linguistic features

• identify and define problems from gathered information, consider related factors, draw conclusions,explore options or solutions, and justify views or arguments

• develop and refine ideas, plan, organise and carry out presentations on particular issues

• understand how the English language works in different texts on social issues and apply thisunderstanding to their learning and use of the language

Learning Objectives1. To help learners to understand and interpret ideas, information, facts, opinions, intentions and

arguments presented in written and spoken texts on social issues

2. To help learners to develop the skills of understanding and evaluating social issues from various

3. To develop learners' abilities to evaluate information from various sources and carry out researchusing different methods

4. To enhance learners' ability to plan and produce coherent and structured texts through providingthem with the opportunities to present information, views or arguments on particular issues


Part 1 is an introductory component that presents the idea of social issues and gives learners theopportunity to consider various ways social issues may affect them personally, their society and theworld around them. Learners practise reading, identifying and writing definitions, causes and effects,and solutions to social problems.

Part 2 introduces learners to the idea that social issues can be looked at from different perspectives.They learn how to follow an argument and research a social issue. They also develop strategies forevaluating information from different sources, and techniques for citing and acknowledging sources.

perspectives

92

In Part 3, learners identify a social problem they are interested in, and carry out research on it. Theywill define the issue, examine it and analyse it from different perspectives. Learners may choose topresent their work in formats such as a letter to the editor, a pamphlet or a report.

Time AllocationIt is recommended that a total of around 50 periods be allocated to the teaching of this module. Thesuggested number of periods is based on the assumption that schools are running 40-minute periods.Schools may adjust the number of periods if their time-tabled periods are of a different duration.The breakdown for the three parts can be as follows:

Part 1 22 periodsPart 2 16 periodsPart 3 12 periods


Assessment in the Social Issues module will focus on learners' demonstration of their ability to:

• understand and interpret ideas and information in texts on social issues

• follow and evaluate arguments

• write about a social issue

• analyse and evaluate information from various sources

• carry out simple research using methods such as surveys and interviews

• summarise a passage

• present a written or spoken text that incorporates a definition of a social problem, its causes andeffects, and offers solutions to it


• quizzes

• paragraphs written on definitions, causes, effects and solutions

• evaluation of information

• questionnaires and interviews

• written or spoken presentations

93Social lssues: Scheme of Work

A suggested scheme of workfor Learning English through Social Issues


necessary adaptations considering the needs and ability level of their students. For illustrationpurposes, teaching materials have been developed to indicate how some of the lessons could beconducted. These materials are marked with a ̂ in the Teaching Resources column and areavailable online at http://cd.edb.gov.hk/eng. There are also suggested activities catering for studentswith different needs and paces of learning in the online Teaching Resources. Teachers might liketo use their discretion as to whether to adopt them for use.

2. This module requires students to apply the knowledge about some of the text-types (e.g. lettersto the editor, pamphlets, editorials, TV/radio programmes on current affairs) that they havedeveloped in the Compulsory Part. It aims to provide the basis for further exploration of thesetext-types in the context of examining social issues. Students taking this module are expected tohave had previous exposure to these text-types.



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Moduleintroduction



• identify social issuesthat affect the world,society and them asindividuals

• discuss and articulatehow an issue may affectthe world, society andthem as individuals

In groups, students look through a list ofsocial issues (e.g. poverty, homelessness,consumerism, obesity, piracy, pollution,crime) and further brainstorm other socialissues. They then discuss what eachmeans, categorise them and consider howeach issue affects them in different ways.

Students share their work with the class.

Read, analyseand writedefinitions ofsocial issues



• identify a definition of asocial issue within awritten text

• identify the features of adefinition

• define a social issuebased on visual clues

Students read a passage about a socialissue.

In groups, they identify the features of adefinition and how the questions of who,what, where or when, or a combination ofthese, are addressed.

Students write short paragraphs to definedifferent social issues, based on graphicalinformation provided.

Part 1:Identifying,examining andpresentingsocial issues




AssessmentRemarks

Â handout onidentifying andexamining social

A handout with anumber of social

Observation of students'discussion

At the start, teachers should give students an overview of themodule, introducing its major focusses which includereading and writing definitions, causes, effects andsolutions, researching information, acknowledging sources,and examining social issues from multiple perspectives.

Throughout the module, students will be involved in variouslistening, speaking, writing and reading tasks. It should benoted that Part 1 (i.e. the first 22 periods) is meant to developstudents' basic skills in reading, analysing and presentingsocial issues in speaking and writing, and teachers shouldexercise their discretion as to whether to adopt all theteaching suggestions and activities for use, or focus theirstudents on specific aspects of reading and presentingsocial issues, depending on their students' prior knowledgeand experience. Teachers adopting the selective approachmight like to spend more time on the activities suggested inParts 2 and 3.

Towards the end of the module, students will be required toexamine a social issue of their choice, produce a minimum oftwo pieces of work, one oral and one written, based on agiven context and prepare for an end-of-module display. Forthe writing tasks, students can choose to produce texts suchas a pamphlet, an editorial, a letter to the editor, or a report. Avariety of text-types will be used as reading materials toincrease students' exposure to different types of writing.

For a comprehensive bank of useful resources on differentsocial issues, teachers may refer to the following websites:http://www.multcolib.org/homework/sochc.html#animhttp://newton.uor.edu/Departments&Programs/AsianStudiesDept/hk-pol.html

For statistics categorised by social issues, the followingwebsite can be referred to:http://www.oecd.org

Â handout ondefinition of a social

Texts such asexpository essays,pamphlets, editorialsand newspaperreports in which thedefinition of a socialissue is included

A handout forrecording the natureof an issue, theaffected population,the context, and thetime frame as givenin the passage

Graphs or charts

The following can beincluded in the folder:

• students' work thatdistinguishes adefinition from otherparts of a text

• the definitions ofvarious socialissues that studentswrite

Lessons 3 -16 should be treated with flexibility as it is notalways possible to find one exemplary text that displays allthe features that are to be introduced. For this reason,teachers should consider asking students to select two tothree social issues that they are interested in. On this basis,teachers will present a variety of texts, both oral and written, inorder to expose students to as many of the relevant featuresas possible and, where appropriate, draw students' attentionto the fact that some of these features can be implied, ratherthan explicit.

It is productive at this stage to provide students withopportunities to learn vocabulary related to the social issuesbeing examined.

(*For the more able students, teachers can promote moreindependent vocabulary work by encouraging them to keep avocabulary logbook.

For the less able students, it may be more beneficial to teachsuch vocabulary explicitly to help them to gradually build up

issue

issues

issues

96



Read, analyseand present thecauses of asocial problem



• identify how the causesof a social problem arepresented within awritten text

• identify linguistic andstructural cues thatsignal the causes

• present the causes of asocial problem eitherorally or in writing

Students read one or two texts that discuss

In groups, they identify how the causes arepresented and the linguistic or structuralcues used to signal them.

Students brainstorm the possible causes ofone or two social problems.

They then present the causes they haveidentified either orally or in writing.

Read, analyseand present theeffects of asocial problem



• identify how the effectsof a social problem arepresented within awritten text

• identify linguistic andstructural cues thatsignal the effects

• present the effects of asocial problem orally orin writing

Students read one or two texts that discusssocial problems and identify how the effectsof these problems are presented in the texts.

In groups, they identify linguistic markersused to signal the effects.

Students brainstorm the possible effects ofone or two social problems and presentthem either orally or in writing.

social problems.



AssessmentRemarks

indicating an issue, apopulation, a contextand a time frame

Ân example of anexpository essay

the vocabulary base necessary for the completion of themajor tasks of the module.)

For examples of graphs on social issues, teachers may referto the following website:http://www.archive2.official-documents.co.uk/document/deps/doh/survey03/summ03.htm

Texts such asexpository essays,pamphlets, editorialsand newspaperreports in which thecauses of a socialproblem arediscussed

Â handout thatrequires students toexamine the causesof a social problemand the linguisticfeatures thesecauses display

Ân example of anexpository essay(used in Lessons3-4)

Â handout on usefulexpressions fortalking about causesand effects of a socialproblem

Êxamples of mind


• students' work onidentifying thecauses of a problemthrough the salientlinguistic and/orstructural cues inthe text

• the causes of asocial problem thatstudents write ororally present


• students' work onidentifying theeffects of a socialproblem through thesalient linguisticand/or structuralcues in the text

• the effects of asocial problem thatstudents write ororally present

Texts such asexpository essays,pamphlets, editorialsand newspaperreports in which theeffects of a socialproblem are

Â handout thatrequires students toexamine the effects ofa social problem andthe linguistic featuresthat these effectsdisplay


Â handout on usefulexpressions fortalking about causesand effects of a social

discussed

map

98



Read,analyseand present thesolutions to asocial problem



• identify how thesolutions to a socialproblem are presentedwithin a written text

• identify linguisticmarkers that signal thesolutions

• present the solutions toa social problem orallyor in writing

Students read one or two texts that discusssocial problems.

In groups, they identify how solutions arepresented in the text, and the linguisticmarkers used to signal them.

Students brainstorm the possible solutionsto one or two social problems and presentthem either orally or in writing.

#Examining anissue fromvariousperspectives


Students read a text about a social issueand, in groups, identify the differentindividuals and/or groups who are affected.

Students consider a series of social issuesin order to identify the individuals and/orgroups affected, how they are affected orwhat their perspectives might be.

Students consider how people with differentperspectives will adopt different views on anissue.


• identify differentindividuals or groupswho are affected by an

• identify theperspectives differentindividuals or groupsmay have about the

• explain why differentindividuals or groupsmay have differentperspectives on thesame issue

• demonstrateunderstanding of howone's perspective caninfluence one'sperception of an issue

• demonstrate criticalawareness of thecomplex nature of socialissues by examiningthem from differentperspectives

issue

issue



AssessmentRemarks

problem (used inLessons 5-8)

Êxamples of mindmap (used inLessons 5-8)Texts such asexpository essays,pamphlets, editorialsand newspaperreports in which thesolutions to a socialproblem arediscussed

Â handout thatrequires students toexamine thesolutions to a socialproblem and thelinguistic features thesolutions display



• students' work onidentifying thesolutions to a socialproblem through thesalient linguisticand/or structuralcues in the text

• the solutions to asocial problem thatstudents write ororally present

• students' work ondistinguishingamongst definitions,causes, effects andsolutions

Â handout onexamining a socialissue from variousperspectives

Students' work whichcovers the following areascan be included in thefolder:

• identify groups andindividuals affectedby an issue

• discern in whatways the groupsand individuals areaffected

• how a person orgroup's perspectivemay differ fromanother's

The purpose of this section of the module is for students tounderstand that every social issue can be examined andinterpreted in a variety of ways by various groups orindividuals and that what they read reflects one or moreperspectives on an issue.

(*For the less able students, the idea of examining an issuefrom multiple perspectives can be introduced by focussingtheir attention on how discussion of some school-relatedissues (e.g. the school uniform) can draw differing opinionsfrom, for instance, teachers and students.)

At the end of this section, teachers may want to conduct oneor both of the following activities:

• Using the completed handouts, students discuss whatthey think about each perspective and whether they feelone is more important or valid than the other.

• Students search the Internet for the differentperspectives on a social issue they are interested in.

100



Part 2:Researchingand gatheringinformation onsocial issues


Conductingobservationsand interviews



• identify the salientfeatures of observationsand interviews

• use polite expressionsin making a request andshowing appreciation

• seek clarification andadditional information byasking follow-upquestions

• perform an interview

Students identify and discuss the methodsof data collection the researcher used.

Students identify and suggest other issuesthat could be investigated using similarmethods of data collection.

Students learn the features of an interviewand how to ask follow-up questions.

Students role-play an interview.

Conducting asurvey



• identify the salientfeatures of a survey

• write a simple surveyquestionnaire

• critique their own andothers' writing

• carry out a survey

• report on survey findings

Students read a survey report.

Students identify basic features of a surveyquestionnaire.

Students critique and give feedback on asurvey questionnaire.

Students write a survey questionnaire on a

Students carry out a survey on a social

Students identify the conventions andlanguage typically found in reporting onsurvey results.

Students report on the results of the surveysin writing and/or orally to the class.

Acknowledgingthe sources ofinformation



• identify the kinds ofinformation that shouldbe cited oracknowledged

• acknowledge thesources of information

Students learn what kinds of information andcontent must be cited and acknowledged.

Students practise summarising a passageand acknowledging its source.

social issue.

issue.



AssessmentRemarks

This part of the module introduces students to the basicconcept of researching and investigating a social issue. It isnot meant to be presented in an overly academic way.Teachers can expand or conflate this part of the module to fittheir students' interests and abilities. Regardless of whetherstudents spend a longer or abridged period of time on thispart, they should become aware of the following:

• Knowledge can be obtained from primary, first handexperiences, or secondarily;

• There are various ways to gain knowledge beyond theones typically relied on (i.e. the library, and websites)such as through observation, interviewing andsurveying; and

• Writers have an ethical obligation to acknowledge theirsources.

A documentary thatfocusses on a socialissue

^Handouts oninterviews andobservations

An interviewfeedback form

Students' work related tothe interview can beincluded in the folder.Particular attention can begiven in the self, peer and/or teacher assessment ofthe interview on how wellthe students ask forfollow-up information.

Teachers choose a documentary that involves the use of bothobservation and interview techniques to gather knowledgeabout a social issue. Students will watch the documentaryprior to Lesson 23.

(*To help the less able students to understand thedocumentary better, teachers may encourage them to switchon the English subtitles, if they are available.)

If time permits, teachers might like to refer to the TeachingResources for this part and assign students one of theobservation tasks. Students will report back to the wholeclass after completing the task.

It is also appropriate at this stage for teachers to remindstudents to start preparing for the final tasks and to reiteratewhat is expected of them.

Â handout oncritiquing a survey

Â handout on thebasic features of asimple survey

Â handout onreporting on a survey

A feedback form forthe surveyquestionnaire

Self, peer and/or teacherfeedback on the surveyquestionnaire thatstudents develop

The survey questionnaireand students' oral/writtenwork on the survey resultscan be included in thefolder.

Teachers need to exercise their discretion as to whethersome of the activities in this part of the module should beskipped if students have had experience in conducting asurvey in the Compulsory Part of the curriculum or in anothermodule of the Elective Part.

Students should be reminded of the need to respectindividual privacy when they carry out the survey.

(*As far as survey design is concerned, the less able studentscan be encouraged to develop more close-ended items,which would limit responses to some pre-determined options.This should help make the task of analysing the data later onmore manageable. The more able students can, on the otherhand, be encouraged to develop more open-ended items,which may require more sophisticated analysis.)

Regarding assessment activities, students' reporting back onthe surveys can be done either as an oral or a writing activity.

A handout withdifferent types ofinformation, whichrequires students toindicate whether thegiven information iscommon knowledge(which need not becited) or expert

Students' work whichcovers the following areascan be included in thefolder:

• tell if a statementassumes commonor expert knowledge

• rewrite or

It is important for teachers to note that what is required ofstudents at this stage are simple, straightforwardacknowledgements (e.g. According to the Social WelfareDepartment...) rather than the more elaborate style asexpected in the academic community.

Teachers also need to remind students to make and keepgood notes as they research so that they do not forget wherethey got the information.

102



• refer to sources withinwritten or spoken texts



AssessmentRemarks

information thatneeds to be cited.

Â handout onreporting andacknowledging asource withexamples

Ân example of asummary

summarise aparagraph to avoidhaving to quote anentire passage

• write statementsthat appropriatelyacknowledgesources ofinformation

(*For the more able students, teachers might like to helpthem to use the resources for citing and other relevantreferences found online and in style books.)

104



Presentinginformation andopinions on asocial issue



• write a fact sheet on asocial issue

• write a letter to the editorthat expresses anopinion on a social

• construct a report on asocial issue

• orally present theanalysis of a social

• deliver a speech on asocial issue

In groups, students discuss the advantagesand disadvantages for selecting a particulartype of text/format (fact sheet/poster, letter tothe editor, report, speech, presentation) forpresenting information and opinions on asocial issue.

Students read and/or listen to and identifythe salient features of fact sheets, letters tothe editor, expository essays, reports,speeches and presentations on varioussocial s.

Students, individually or in groups, examine,research and prepare a written text and aspoken text on a social issue.

Part 3:Finalpresentation





• share their experience ofthe module orally

Students bring the module to a conclusionwith the final display of their work.


issue

issue

issue



AssessmentRemarks

A handout withsuggestions on whattasks can beattempted bystudents

A handout on how towrite/orally presentthe varioustext-types

Authentic examples ofthe varioustext-types

Students' work thatdemonstrates theirknowledge and skills inusing various text-types topresent information andopinions on a socialissue will be kept in thefolder.

It is important for teachers to provide a purposeful context forthe final display. The following example can be used toprovide a purpose for students to complete the suggestedtasks:

"As part of the Social Awareness Week organised by theStudents' Union, students are invited to contribute to anexhibition that aims to introduce different social issues to theschool community. Students are required to investigate asocial issue in groups and present the results of theinvestigation in both written and spoken forms...."

Teachers should remind students that they are expected toproduce at least two pieces of work, one written and onespoken, in this part of the module. Teachers should alsoensure that the tasks chosen will provide students with theopportunity to consolidate what they have learned in thismodule. The possibility of adopting topics related to socialissues that are being dealt with in the Compulsory Part of theEnglish Language curriculum or the Liberal Studiescurriculum should also be explored.

Teachers may consider video-taping the oral tasks forshowing during the final display.

As a closure for this module, teachers may organise adisplay of the final tasks, including the videos of theirperformance in the oral tasks. Guests could be invited tobring a sense of occasion to the end of the module.

Teachers may also encourage students to share theirexperience of the module with one another orally in these two

lessons.

106


107Workplace Communication: Module Description

Learning English through Workplace Communication

General DescriptionThis module introduces learners to different text-types related to the workplace. Learners will engagein a range of workplace tasks (e.g. making and handling telephone enquiries and complaints, writingmemos) which aim to develop their knowledge and skills to use the language in a practical way andgain confidence in using English to communicate with others about work-related matters. Learnerswill develop language skills, presentation skills, organisation skills and interpersonal skills in theprocess. At the end of the module, learners will perform a series of communication tasks that simulatereal work situations.


• establish and maintain relationships and routines in the workplace context

• produce or exchange a range of workplace-related messages, both oral and written

• analyse, organise, integrate and present information, messages and views with suitable reasoningand strategies, and produce texts appropriate to the purpose, context and audience in theworkplace

• identify and define problems from given information, explore and discuss options, and solve theproblems

• understand how the English language functions in work-related contexts and apply thisunderstanding to their learning and use of the language in real life

Learning Objectives1. To familiarise learners with the different types of workplace correspondence

2. To develop learners' understanding of the vocabulary, language, formats, styles and conventionsused in spoken and written communication in the workplace

3. To help learners to apply the knowledge and skills they have learned in their production ofworkplace-related texts

4. To enhance learners' ability to carry out workplace-related activities through providing them withopportunities to practise and demonstrate their language and communication skills in simulatedtasks

ContentThe module has three different types of lesson.

There are lessons that concentrate on work-related reading and writing texts and activities, includingbusiness memos, letters, e-mails, sales/promotional materials, meeting agendas and minutes.

There are lessons that concentrate on listening and speaking activities which help to develop skills inhandling spoken communication in the workplace. Activities will cover telephone enquiries andcomplaints, sales presentations and job interviews.

There are other lessons which allow learners to develop work-related vocabulary and discuss business

108

concepts. Learners will also plan and make a final presentation/performance of the work-relatedtexts that they have produced in the course of the module.

Time AllocationIt is recommended that a total of around 50 periods be allocated to the teaching of this module. Thesuggested number of periods is based on the assumption that schools are running 40-minute periods.Schools may adjust the number of periods if their time-tabled periods are of a different duration.The breakdown for the three types of lessons can be as follows:

Reading and writing activities 17 periodsListening and speaking activities 14 periodsOther activities 19 periods


Assessment in the Workplace Communication module will focus on learners' demonstration of theirability to:

• write appropriate texts

• speak in a suitable style for workplace purposes

• organise and convey information relevant to a workplace-related situation

A range of the following activities from the module can be used for assessment purposes:

• short oral tasks

• short writing tasks

• presentation/performance of workplace-related tasks

• quizzes

109Workplace Communication: Scheme of Work

A suggested scheme of work for Learning English through Workplace Communication


necessary adaptations considering the needs and level of ability of their students. For illustrationpurposes, some teaching materials have been developed to indicate how some of the lessonscould be conducted. These materials are marked with a ̂ in the Teaching Resources column andare available online at http://cd.edb.gov.hk/eng. There are also suggested activities catering forstudents with different needs and paces of learning in the online Teaching Resources. Teachersmight like to use their discretion as to whether to adopt them for use.

2. This module requires students to apply the language knowledge and skills that they have developedin the Compulsory Part. It aims to provide the basis for further exploration of some of thetext-types (e.g. memos, articles, advertisements, letters) in the context of workplace communication.Students taking this module are expected to have had previous exposure to some of thesetext-types.



110



Moduleintroduction

Buildingknowledge andvocabulary ofdifferent trades/



• understand the aims ofthe module

• understand and usesome business-relatedvocabulary

The teacher introduces to students whatthey will be studying in the module.

Students form groups and choose a trade/business (e.g. hospitality and tourism,sales, logistics, banking, marketing andadvertising) to focus on.

Students search for information (such as jobnature, duties or services involved) andvocabulary related to their selected trade/business and then make a shortpresentation on their findings.

Starting ascrapbook of aselected trade/



• demonstrate a generalunderstanding ofbusiness-relatedmatters

• demonstrate anawareness and anunderstanding ofbusiness-relateddiscourse

Students are given a variety of businesstexts (e.g. charts, reports, news articles,interviews, advertisements/classified ads)covering different trades. They learn how togive comments or reflect on them.

Students are asked to keep a scrapbookand start to collect cuttings fromnewspapers, magazines and websitesrelated to their selected trade/business, andgive brief comments/reflections on thesetexts.

Conceptsrelating toorganisations



• understand theorganisational set-up invarious trades/

• demonstrate anawareness of theconcept of

Students brainstorm a list of company posts(e.g. salesman, secretary, accountant,human resources manager) and discusstheir duties.

Students prepare an organisational chart fortheir selected trade/business.

In groups, students choose a trade-specific

business

businesses

businesses



AssessmentRemarks

A handout with a listof different trades/businesses andguiding questions tohelp students tomake selection andsearch forinformation anddevelop vocabulary

Teachers might like to tell students that the module will coverdifferent text-types related to the workplace context, andengage them in a range of workplace tasks which aim todevelop their knowledge and skills in communicating withothers about work-related matters.

Given its worldwide importance, there is an enormousamount of business-related material on the Web. A search foralmost any item in the module will produce a wealth ofinformation. In addition, the school library should beencouraged to stock books on business English. Onewebsite that teachers and students can gain a great dealfrom is http://www.eleaston.com. The business materials areat http://www.eleaston.com/biz/home.html.

A bank of business-related materials, possibly located in thelibrary, would also be a useful resource for the teacher andclass.

It would not be suitable to make it a requirement of themodule, but an activity that involves actual contact with theworld of business would be an excellent addition and couldeither be carried out as an out-of-school-hours activity orreplace one of the writing lessons. A tour, conducted inEnglish, of a company or a discussion session with anEnglish-speaking businessman in his office or the schoolwould offer variety and useful exposure to English in use.Possibly the Parent-Teacher Association could be ofassistance in arranging something of this sort.

^Handouts withsample cuttings andcomments, givingexamples of topicsand texts to becollected, andrequirements aboutlength and content ofcomments/reflections

The scrapbook, whichcomprises cuttings fromvarious sources, withstudents' comments andpersonal response, canbe reviewed regularly.

The scrapbook is intended to encourage students to dosome reading about business and to familiarise them withtheir selected trade/business. The teacher can remindstudents of the newspapers, magazines and websites thatcarry business news, and encourage them to consult theseregularly during the course of the module and extract cuttingsthat are related to the trade they selected.

For Hong Kong news, students might like to consult:http://www.thestandard.com.hk/http://www.atimes.com/

The handouts are meant to provide an example of what mightbe included in the scrapbook. Students, however, areencouraged to exercise their imagination in determining itscontent. The teacher should also take into considerationstudents' abilities and the make-up of the class to decide onthe size and complexity of the scrapbook.

(*The more able students may be asked to follow a morecomplex issue (e.g. being "green", the price of oil and itsimpact), one particular big company (e.g. HSBC), anindustrial sector (e.g. airlines), or a topic such as innovation incomputer products.)

A handout oncompany posts,organisational chartsand company image

A presentationfeedback form

Peer and/or teacherassessment of thepresentation

Students' work onorganisational chart canbe kept in the folder.

A familiar context (e.g. a restaurant business) can be used tointroduce the key vocabulary and concepts relating toorganisations.

Teachers might like to refer to the following websites fororganisational charts:http://www.smartdraw.com/specials/orgchart.asp?id=10520http://www.solbaram.org/articles/clm3.htmlhttp://www.vuw.ac.nz/home/index.asp

112



Handlingbusinesstelephone calls



• understand Englishtelephone etiquette

• handle telephone callsin a professionalmanner

• apply strategies ofestablishing andmaintainingrelationships intelephone English

Students listen to some good examples oftelephone conversations, and identify thesubjects of the conversations and therelationship between the parties involved.

Students identify manners and etiquette (e.g.a courteous opening) that arecharacteristic of good telephoneconversations in the business context andnote useful phrases.

In pairs students read transcripts ofbusiness telephone dialogues, and identifyand revise areas incorrectly handled.

Students role-play the telephone dialoguesusing the revised transcript.

Memo writing 4 periodsLessons 15-18


• write memos in English

• demonstrate anunderstanding of theneed to be succinct inmemo writing

• understand and applystrategies of politenessand tact

Students read examples of good memosand identify the subjects and therelationship between the parties involved.

Students discuss examples of good and badmemos, noting the format, use of tact andpoliteness when necessary and need forprecision and conciseness.

Students are then given situations andasked to write appropriate memos, e.g.sending a reminder, making a request.

Conventionsand style ofbusiness letters



• write business letters inappropriate format andstyle

Students read samples of good businessletters and identify the purposes, subjectsand target readers of these letters.

Students then examine the samples andlook for the characteristic features of goodbusiness letters (e.g. good layout, supplyingor requesting information precisely, andbuilding good customer relations).

Having noted points of good practice,students write appropriate business lettersfor given situations.

organisational "image"

• understand and usesome trade/business-relatedvocabulary

context (e.g. starting a restaurant business)and think of the various ways in which thebusiness can build or preserve its image(e.g. uniforms, logos, stationery, courtesy,service). They then present their ideas to therest of the class.



AssessmentRemarks

A recording oftelephoneconversations whichcover such points asestablishing identity,correct forms ofaddress, level offormality, offeringhelp, askingsomeone to wait,taking a message,passing the caller onto someone else,building companyimages and closingthe call

A transcript ofincorrectly handledcalls

The corrected transcriptscan be assessed. If theteacher feels the class'oral English needs extraattention, students couldbe asked to recordexamples of some simplephone calls to be addedto the folder.

The school may have recordings of telephone conversationsamong its listening resources. If not, it may be worthwhile forthe teacher to make some. Alternatively, two students couldbe asked to read to the class from prepared scripts.

For the activities suggested for Lessons 11-24, students maywork on any relevant trade/business. They need not be tied tothe specific trade/business that students have elected tofocus on in the earlier lessons or for the scrapbook.

A handout on memowriting

A memo writingfeedback form

Self and/or peerassessment of thememos written

The memos can beadded to the folder.

Memos are covered extensively in books on businessEnglish that can be consulted for ideas. Another usefulsource of information is:http://writing.colostate.edu/guides/documents/memo/index.cfm

A handout withsample businessletters

A business letterwriting feedback form

Self and/or peerassessment of thebusiness letters written

The letters can beincluded in the folder.

In addition to the many books on business letters that can beconsulted, teachers may also refer to the following website:http://www.trinity.wa.edu.au/plduffyrc/subjects/english/writing/letters.htm

(*Instead of merely focussing on the conventions and basicstyle of business letters, the more able students could beintroduced to the persuasive qualities and techniques ofbusiness letters.)

http://www.swin.edu.au/corporate/hr/f_orgchts.htm

(*For the more able students, the range of vocabulary andconcepts introduced can be expanded to cover lesscommon posts.)

A possible task would be to ask students to suggest animage for a new company and design uniforms, etc. Thiscould also be part of the final project for students with someartistic ability.

For company image one can consult:http://www.mbda.gov/?section_id=2andbucket_id=129andcontent_id=23

For uniform design:http://www.customuniformcompany.com

114



Handlingcomplaints



• demonstrate oral skillsthrough making andhandling a complaint

• observe politeness andhandle complaints/situations diplomatically

• demonstrate anawareness of the natureof service transactions

Students are given role cards andinstructions which require them to role-playmaking and handling a complaint. Studentspractise how to be polite, solve problemsand handle difficult people.

The teacher and classmates then commenton the dialogue and suggest how thecomplaint could have been handled better.

Planning thefinal project



• work co-operatively on abusiness project

• use English creativelyfor a business purpose

Students form their own groups of four to fivefor the final project. They identify a majorbusiness task or event that they have toaccomplish as a group. This may be relatedto the trade that they have been working onthroughout the module, or in a new area ifthey prefer.

Students then make a list of the sub-tasks(e.g. holding a meeting, conducting a survey)that would need to be carried out in order toaccomplish their project, and decide on twoto three sub-tasks (see examples inTeaching Resources) that their group wouldcarry out.

Based on the initial plan produced by eachgroup, the teacher provides feedback andsuggestions on matters such as thefeasibility/suitability of their project, format,content and appropriate length of each of thesub-tasks.

Making salespresentations



• demonstrate oral skillsthrough making a salespresentation

• research and organiseinformation

• present informationpersuasively and withsuitable visual aids

• speak before anaudience

Students read/view examples of salespresentations and identify the content andmajor features of these texts.

In groups, students choose a product,research it fully and prepare a presentationon it for a group of potential customers.



AssessmentRemarks

Â handout onlanguage andstrategies forhandling complaints

^Role cards

A role-play feedbackform

Peer and/or teacherassessment of students'work on handlingcomplaints

Teachers may refer to the following website for material onthis topic:http://www.pdptoolkit.co.uk/Files/wellclosetraining/wellcloseconsult/training/consult/diffic.htm

(*The more able students can be asked to write briefguidelines for employers on how to handle complaints.)

Â handout on thefinal project

Êxamples of projectsand sub-tasks

The initial plan, and othermaterials which will beproduced for the groupproject, can be put in aseparate file.

Students' completed workfor the final project can beplaced in the folder.

This is an information session in which the teacher assignsor helps students to decide on the major tasks for the groupproject, deals with problems and answers questions.

(*For the less able students, it might be necessary for theteacher to help them to select the sub-tasks. Teachers shouldexercise their discretion in setting the number of sub-tasks,level of difficulty, and amount of work expected in performingthem.)

Students can be asked to append a breakdown of the way inwhich the work was shared with the final product.

Â handout onpreparing andconducting a salespresentation

Ân example of asales presentation

A presentationfeedback form

Each presentation can beassessed with grades forpronunciation, clarity,preparation, interest,accuracy, fluency, etc.

Peer assessment can beconducted based on thesame set of criteria.

The main aim is getting the students to use oral English inan enjoyable and business-oriented way. A certain amount ofresearch for material will also be necessary. As teamwork isan important feature of business life, group presentations aresuggested here. Each presentation should lastapproximately 10 minutes and each group member shouldbe given an opportunity to perform.

It will be necessary to give students information about thepresentations, possibly in the form of a handout, much earlieron. A useful address for the students is:http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/SN006

If recordings of good work done by earlier classes are kept,students can also be given an opportunity to view suchmaterial to help them to gauge the standard expected.

(*For the more able students, individual or pair presentationscan be attempted. It would also be possible to include a shortQuestion and Answer session for the audience to askquestions and the presenter to give appropriate answers.)

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Producingsales/promotionalmaterials



• demonstrate anunderstanding of thelanguage used in sales/promotional materials

• select importantinformation

• demonstrate creativity

• write sales/promotionalmaterials

Students review the sales/promotionalmaterials they bring back to class anddiscuss:

• their main components (e.g.information, illustrations, addresses,maps, telephone numbers) andpurposes (e.g. to persuade, to attractattention)

• the ways in which companiescommunicate with potential customers

Students make use of the language andtechniques they have learned and produceone or two types of promotional materialssuch as leaflets, flyers and posters for aproduct or service related to the trade/business that they have been working on.

#Setting up andholdingmeetings, andpreparingminutes



• understand theprocedure and thenecessary preparationand follow-up formeetings

• co-operate on abusiness meeting task

• use appropriatelanguage skills forconducting a meetingand taking minutes

Students engage in tasks involved in settingup meetings, e.g. sending emails to confirmmeeting date and time, booking venue andpreparing agenda.

Students look at some minutes samplesand note their formal features.

Students then work in groups of four or five.Each group is given a situation, a number ofroles and instructions for role-playing ameeting. The groups assign roles, inventdetails and practise the role-play.

All group members take notes at themeeting, and the group as a whole has towrite up and submit the minutes after themeeting.

Job interviews 4 periodsLessons 41-44


• understand thedynamics of an interviewand how to preparethemselves for one

• demonstrate oralEnglish skills in a jobinterview

In pairs or small groups, students read jobadvertisements and decide on one or twojobs that interest them most.

They then discuss how they could preparefor the interview, speculating on the sort ofperson being looked for, possiblequestions to be asked at the interview, andappropriate answers to these questions.

Based on the result of the discussion, andwith the teacher's feedback and advice,students role-play the interview.

Quiz on generalbusinessknowledge



• demonstrate theirgeneral knowledge ofthe business world

• use some trade/business-relatedvocabulary

• gain a sense ofachievement and enjoylearning

Students are to take part in a quiz whichtests their knowledge of the business world.

Each student has to bring to class tenquestions (with the answers) which are puton separate pieces of paper. These are putin a container and drawn out one by one forthe quiz.



AssessmentRemarks

Examples of leaflets,brochures,pamphlets, flyers,advertisements,letters, catalogues,posters, stickers,webpages, etc.

Â handout onadvertisinglanguage used insales andpromotionalmaterials

The promotionalmaterials produced canbe placed in the folder.

Students are asked in advance to collect and bring back toclass sales materials in English.

As well as looking at actual examples students can bedirected to websites such as the following:http://graphicdesign.about.com/od/brochuretips

Handouts on:

• checklist onpre-meetingprocedures

• sample agendaand minutes

^Sets of role-playinstructions


Feedback on the role-playcan be provided by usinga role-play feedback form.

The minutes can beplaced in the folder.

Teachers might like to refer to the following websites forassistance.

For minutes:http://www.lupinworks.com/roche/pages/minutes.php

For meetings (with some Chinese):http://cycnet.com/englishcorner/practical/business/meeting.htm

For agendas:http://www.usi.edu/extserv/training/agenda_guidelines.htm

(*The groups with the more able students can be asked tostage their meetings first to provide examples for the rest ofthe class to follow.)

Classified jobadvertisements

Â handout oninterviews


The handout comprisingactivities related to jobinterviews and therole-play feedback formfor the interview role-playcan be placed in thefolder.

Many websites offer advice and suggestions on interviews.Below is one example:http://esl.about.com/library/weekly/aa113097.htm?once=trueand

(*For the more able students, it would be valuable to havethem produce a brief report on the group's discussion and theinterview that followed.)

These two lessons are basically for pleasure and expandingstudents' English vocabulary. The questions must relate tomajor world companies or reasonably well-known HongKong companies. Students should choose questions that areneither too easy so that everyone will get them right, nor sohard no one knows the answer. The teacher can discard anyunsuitable questions. If the teacher keeps the questions thatwork well, a question bank can gradually be built up.

The quiz can be done by all the class or by teams on aknockout basis with a student quizmaster.

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#Sharing ideason businessethics



• develop an appreciationof ethical behaviour

• think in moral terms

The teacher announces to class in advancethat they are to focus on the issue ofbusiness ethics and talk about theresponsibilities of business companies.

In groups, students identify a topic/questionrelated to business ethics, and search forrelevant information. They then give a brieforal report (of about five minutes) in class.



• organise and presentwork in a display


Students gain a sense of achievement andbring the module to a conclusion with thefinal display of their work.

The final projects, scrapbooks and otherpieces of work can all be presented, withrecordings being played and written/graphicwork being displayed.



AssessmentRemarks

A list of topics/questions onbusiness ethics

Peer assessment of theoral report

There are a lot of materials on the Web connected to thistopic. Below are some websites that teachers might like torefer to:

For a company credo:http://www.jnj.com/our_company/our_credo/index.htm

For a statement of mission and values:http://www.microsoft.com/mscorp/mission

For a business charter:http://www.iccwbo.org/home/environment/charter.asp

For a code:http://www.ethicsweb.ca/codes/http://www.business-humanrights.org

A folder, consisting of,among others, students'completed work for thefinal project

Teachers might consider extending the display to more thana double period or holding it somewhere in the schoolpremises where plenty of people could see it. Guests couldalso be invited to bring a sense of occasion to the end of themodule.

Documents

Suggested Schemes of Work for the Elective Part of the Three-year Senior Secondary English