Components of a School-based English Language Curriculum

There are various ways to organize and implement a school-based English Language curriculum. Schools may consider including, but should not limit themselves to, the following four key components:

• General English Programme

• Reading Workshops

• Intervention Programme

• Enrichment Programme

The following figure serves to illustrate the relationships between these four key components in terms of the:

• learning and teaching of knowledge and skills in the English Language as embodied in the Learning Targets and Objectives;

• use of learning and teaching resources; and

• use of learning time.

Figure 1: Components of a School-based English Language Curriculum

M or al a nd C iv ic Ed uc at io n Pro je ct L ea rn in g

IT for Interactive Learning

Life-wide Learning

- Extra-curricular activities - Co-curricular activities

etc. Intervention

Programme

Enrichment Programme

General English Programme

Self-access Learning

Reading to Learn

Reading Workshops

General English Programme

The General English Programme focuses on intensive learning and teaching of the English Language knowledge and skills set out in the English Language curriculum framework for all learners. It is implemented during the English lessons in the school time-table and may take up more than half of them. For example, about 60% of the lesson time (say five out of eight English lessons) can be allocated to the General English Programme. A task-based approach and the concept of Modules, Units and Tasks are used to organize the learning and teaching of the English Language in the General English Programme. Learners participate in pedagogical and real-world tasks to develop the four language skills for effective communication for the various purposes set out in the Learning Targets. Please refer to Section 3.2.2 and Chapter 4 for further details on the suggested learning and teaching strategies.

Reading Workshops

Reading Workshops are specially devoted to the development of reading skills. They can help learners acquire language knowledge such as grammar and vocabulary in appropriate contexts. They are conducted on a regular basis and take up less than half of the English lessons. For example, about 40% of the lesson time (say three out of eight English lessons) can be allocated to the Reading Workshops. Additional Reading Workshops may also be conducted as extra-curricular activities, or in the Intervention or Enrichment Programme to enhance the learning and teaching of reading.

Teachers use various reading activities and strategies to engage learners in whole-class, group and individual work in the Reading Workshops.

Learners are supported in their development of reading skills and strategies. Teacher support gradually diminishes as learners progress from Key Stage 1 to Key Stage 2. At the same time, more learner input is expected as learners become more mature in their cognitive development and experience of the world. Please refer to Section 4.3.4 and Appendix 5 for further details and discussion about the learning and teaching of reading skills and the suggested reading activities and strategies to be used in the Reading Workshops.

EXEMPLAR 2

It is suggested that English textbooks, if adopted for the General English Programme, are used for integrative language development, as advocated in the task-based approach. Real books with a variety of text types are used in the Reading Workshops for boosting learners’ interests and reading skills, and helping them become lifelong readers of English.

A wide range of learning and teaching resources designed by teachers, publishers, or taken or adapted from authentic contexts should be used where appropriate.

The exploration or adoption of similar themes across the General English Programme, the Reading Workshops and the other English programmes will help learners find their English Language learning experiences coherent and related.

Intervention Programme

The Intervention Programme is a short, focused programme, which provides timely support for learners who have exhibited difficulties in learning English. The Learning Objectives of an Intervention Programme are based on those of the regular General English Programme.

A task-based approach, which does not exclude the use of some short and form-focused pre-task grammar exercises, is recommended to teachers conducting the Intervention Programme. Features of an Intervention Programme are additional time, additional opportunities and focused learning. Schools may incorporate an Intervention Programme as part of the Remedial Programme^* or as an additional programme focusing on particular areas of learning. It may be conducted during class time in a withdrawal mode or outside class time.

Making use of the available resources for remedial teaching of English is a possible way of running an Intervention Programme for learners at different levels. Please refer to Appendices 7 and 8 for suggestions on the design of an Intervention Programme.

Enrichment Programme

The Enrichment Programme is designed to extend the more able learners through different activities conducted during or after class time, inside or outside the school premises. Teachers may design challenging tasks based on the prior knowledge and learning experiences already provided in the regular General English Programme to extend or intensify gifted learners’ language learning experiences. Teachers will find open-ended tasks that encourage creativity and critical thinking most useful. They may also seek and provide opportunities to further develop gifted children’s capabilities in learning English through life-wide learning. Please refer to Exemplar 13 of the English Language Education Key Learning Area Curriculum Guide (Primary 1-Secondary 3) on the design of an Enrichment Programme.