Promoting Life-wide Learning through Interacting with
This example further illustrates how teachers:
from the school with Chinese speaking students (i.e. School A)
design interesting activities in which students learn, practise and use English meaningfully before, during and after the school visit; and
identify appropriate vocabulary items, grammar items and communicative functions to focus on, and provide meaningful contexts for students to learn the use of the target language items.
from the school with non-Chinese speaking students (i.e. School B)
provide support to the visit by preparing and encouraging the students to receive the visiting students and participate actively in the activities; and
ask students to express personal feelings and experience through writing.
Learning and Teaching Stage
Before the Visit, Impact on Learning
School A’s students
revise, practise and consolidate the formulaic expressions needed in making acquaintance with non-Chinese speaking students (e.g.
Hello. I’m Peter.);
listen to, practise and role play a dialogue between two children meeting each other for the first time;
School B’s students
are briefed on the
background of School A’s students;
are prepared to introduce themselves to School A’s students;
understand that they may respond freely and naturally when communicating with School A’s students;
prepare an Indian dance to welcome School A’s students;
Students from the two schools develop
an awareness of the need to use English as an international language for
communication; and
intercultural awareness.
School A’s students develop their
interpersonal skills and command of English through role play;
confidence and capabilities in using English to
communicate with non-Chinese speaking students;
and
develop confidence and competence in using appropriate questions to solicit specific information.
in a simulation, practise the use of appropriate
“wh-”and “how”
questions to obtain specific information from non-Chinese speaking students;
work on a group project to introduce Tin Shui Wai to non-Chinese speaking students (e.g.
collect pictures of Tin Shui Wai, write
appropriate captions to describe them);
discuss and practise how to present the project to non-Chinese speaking students;
School A’s students
are engaged in independent learning in authentic
situations;
develop keenness, open-mindedness, and skills in collaboration and critical thinking by working on and presenting a group project; and
develop their artistic creativity through designing the layout of their project book.
prepare the instructions for making paper
firecrackers to introduce Chinese culture to non-Chinese speaking students; and
learn, revise and practise the necessary
vocabulary items, grammar items and communicative functions to give instructions on how to make a paper
firecracker.
School A’s students develop
an initial interest in introducing Chinese culture to some non-Chinese speaking students;
and
an understanding of the need to use the target language items in authentic
situations.
During the Visit, Impact on Learning School A’s students
watch an Indian dance;
in groups
introduce themselves to the students from School B;
initiate the conversation by asking the students from School B some questions about their daily lives;
School B’s students
perform an Indian dance to welcome School A’s students;
in groups
introduce themselves to the students from School A;
respond to their new friends, sustain the
conversation, and provide encouragement and support by answering questions about their daily lives;
Students from the two schools
develop intercultural awareness;
develop confidence and a keenness in using English to communicate with others;
experience the use of English for
communication in authentic situations;
develop an
awareness of using English as an international language for communication;
develop respect for others and different ways of life; and
heighten intercultural awareness.
present their project and introduce Tin Shui Wai to their new friends in the same group; and
listen to their new friends, provide encouragement and support, and show interest in the presentation by listening patiently and asking further questions about Tin Shui Wai; and
Students from the two schools
develop
collaboration and communication skills in the project
presentation and firecracker production;
develop an interest and a keenness in participating in meaningful activities with the use of English in authentic situations;
experience the use of English for
communication in authentic situations;
develop respect for other cultures, different ways of life;
and
reinforce self-respect and develop an appreciative attitude.
give instructions to teach the students from School B how to make paper firecrackers.
show interest in the activity and provide encouragement by following the
instructions and asking questions to seek clarification.
After the Visit, Impact on Learning School A’s students
introduce the new friends they made during the school visit to the whole class; and
School B’s students
write about their experience and feelings.
Students from the two schools are
motivated and keen to participate in activities which engage them in the purposeful use of English; and
on the way to develop the values of love, equality and appreciation.
School A’s students
develop
collaboration and communication skills through organising and presenting the information collected; and
use the target
language items orally and in writing for purposeful communication.
School B’s students use English to express personal feelings and experience.
write about their new friends as homework.
Some of the activities have been tried out in Tin Shui Wai Methodist Primary School (School A) with support from Po Leung Kuk Camões Tan Siu Lin Primary School (School B). We thank the schools for sharing their experience.