Resource Package Series (Primary) in Support of
the CDC English Language Curriculum Guide (Primary 1-6)(2004)
© English Language Education Section Curriculum Development Institute
Education Bureau
The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
12/F, Wu Chung House, 213 Queen's Road East, Wan Chai, Hong Kong
Published 2009
The copyright of the materials in this package, other than those listed in the Acknowledgements section,
belongs to the Education Bureau of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.
Duplication of materials in this package other than those listed in the Acknowledgements section may be used freely for non-profit making educational purposes only. In all cases, proper acknowledgements should be made. Otherwise, all rights are reserved, and no part of these
materials may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior permission of the Education Bureau of
the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.
ISBN 978-988-8019-27-4
© 2009
Preface
Acknowledgements
Chapter 1 Theoretical Underpinnings of Vocabulary Learning and Teaching 1 Chapter 2 Learning and Teaching Materials for Vocabulary Learning and Teaching 9
(1) Module: Fun and Games 13
Unit: Sports
(2) Module: Fun and Games 64
Unit: We Can Make Things
(3) Module: We Love Hong Kong 101
Unit: A Visit to Hong Kong
(4) Module: People and Places around Me 135
Unit: Special People in Our Eyes
(5) Module: Changes 162
Unit: I am Growing Up
Chapter 3 Vocabulary Games and Activities 193
3.1 Games and Activities Included in Chapter 2 195
3.2 Other Games and Activities 249
Chapter 4 References 301
Appendix 1 Preamble to the Development of the Wordlists for the 305 English Language Curriculum
Appendix 2 Learning Targets for Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 313
Education Bureau, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, in support of the implementation of the English Language Curriculum Guide (Primary 1-6) (2004).
Materials in this resource package are mainly adapted from the learning and teaching materials developed in the ‘Seed’ Project on ‘The Magic of Words: Enhancing Effectiveness of English Vocabulary Learning and Teaching at Primary Level’.
Aims
Promoting learner independence through the development of lifelong language learning skills, such as vocabulary building skills, is one of the key emphases of the English Language curriculum. It is important to provide pupils with ample opportunities to master these skills through purposeful and meaningful tasks.
This resource package aims to introduce the theoretical underpinnings of vocabulary learning and teaching. It also provides some vocabulary-focused learning and teaching materials and activities for teachers’ reference and adaptation for use in their own English Language classroom.
What is included in the package?
The resource package comprises the following:
• a handbook for teachers which provides:
- theoretical underpinnings of vocabulary learning and teaching - teaching plans
- learning and teaching materials - vocabulary games and activities
- useful references on vocabulary learning and teaching
- a preamble to the development of the Wordlists for the English Language Curriculum
How can the package be used?
This resource package is designed to enhance teachers’ skills and competence in vocabulary learning and teaching. Teachers are recommended to read Chapter 1 first to get an overview of the theoretical underpinnings which lay the foundation of the teaching plans developed in the ‘Seed’
Project.
Teachers can then refer to Chapter 2 to see how theory is put into practice. During the tryouts in the
‘Seed’ Project, teachers selected target vocabulary items by making reference to the textbook materials and the Wordlists for KS1 and KS2 developed by the Education Bureau. (For details about the Wordlists, please refer to Appendix 1 in the Handbook and the web version.) Building on the theoretical underpinnings outlined in Chapter 1, learning and teaching materials were designed to help pupils develop their vocabulary building skills in meaningful contexts. Teachers can download the materials in the web version and adapt them to suit their pupils’ varied interests, needs and learning styles. Video clips demonstrating how the strategies were implemented in the classroom are also included in the web version for teachers’ reference.
In Chapter 3, there are some games and activities that teachers can conduct to enhance pupils’
motivation in learning English and to help them with the revision of the vocabulary items. Games and activities used in the units of Chapter 2 as well as games for other topics are included.
Teachers can modify and use them for different modules.
To further enhance teachers’ professional development and to enrich their knowledge in vocabulary learning and teaching, a recommended bibliography on vocabulary learning and teaching is provided in Chapter 4.
Vocabulary Learning and Teaching at Primary Level’, for his guidance and advice throughout the tryouts in the school year 2007-2008, and his contribution to the production of this resource package.
We would like to thank the following three schools for their participation in the ‘Seed’ Project in the school years 2006-2007 and 2007-2008:
• CCC Kei Faat Primary School
• HHCKLA Buddhist Wisdom Primary School
• Yaumati Catholic Primary School (Hoi Wang Road)
In particular, our gratitude goes to the seconded teachers as well as other teachers who are involved in the project for developing and trying out the teaching plans and activity sheets included in this resource package.
We are grateful to the Hong Kong Tourism Board, Longman Hong Kong Education and Educational Publishing House Limited for their permission to use the copyrighted materials included in this package.
Last but not least, our special thanks are due to the Language Centre, Hong Kong Baptist University for their contribution to some of the vocabulary games and activities that are included in this resource package.
1
Theoretical Underpinnings
of Vocabulary Learning and Teaching
Vocabulary has occupied a special place within applied linguistics during the past twenty years.
Following decades of neglect by scholars of linguistics and education, recent years have seen an enormous expansion in second language vocabulary research, as well as the arrival of a number of influential books on vocabulary aimed at language teachers (e.g. Carter 1987, McCarthy 1990, Schmitt & McCarthy 1997, Nation 2001). A welcome outcome of this renewed interest is that vocabulary teaching has begun to occupy a ‘centre-stage’ position within language education.
However, the wealth of new research related to vocabulary is so rich and diverse that it is not always apparent how classroom teaching might benefit. In a review of some of the recent books on second language vocabulary, Meara (2002) welcomes the revival of interest in vocabulary, but points out that many important questions about vocabulary acquisition remain unanswered and, apparently, unaddressed. This chapter attempts to explain how this resource package relates to insights from second language vocabulary research.
2. The New Importance Attached to Vocabulary
For many years, it was believed that vocabulary would be ‘picked up’ by learners without their teachers having to devote much classroom time to it. It is no coincidence that language curricula have traditionally been determined by a progression of grammatical structures or, more recently, functions. The place of lexis has tended to be peripheral rather than central. A factor which has encouraged teachers to accept the importance of vocabulary in language teaching is the recognition by linguists that vocabulary occupies a central place in our notion of language. Older, simplistic distinctions between what counts as grammar and what counts as vocabulary have been replaced by a more sophisticated view of lexis in language. As Singleton (2000) argues, we may soon ‘reach the point where the notions of lexicon and of language will become interchangeable’. In keeping with the recognition that lexis occupies a central position within language, the teaching of vocabulary has become a high priority concern of language education.
ideologies of approaches such as grammar translation, audio-lingual and communicative language teaching. It is tempting to ask whether any one of these approaches has been more effective than any other in teaching vocabulary. In his evaluation of the three approaches, Singleton (2000) concludes that each has led to vocabulary acquisition: ‘whatever the teaching approach used, lexical learning in the classroom has both an incidental and an atomistic dimension, and (that) both dimensions can be shown to have a valuable contribution to the process’. Nobody would accuse any of the mainstream approaches to language teaching of ignoring vocabulary. However, as Singleton points out, most approaches make a distinction between direct (‘atomistic’) and indirect (‘incidental’) vocabulary learning. Students learn some of their vocabulary when their teacher
‘teaches’ new words directly in the classroom, for example, using explanation, demonstration and even translation. It is also known that students learn some of their vocabulary indirectly through incidental encounters with words, for example, by inferring the meaning of a new word from the context. Unfortunately, little empirical evidence exists about the relative contributions of direct and indirect vocabulary learning. Earlier claims that as much as 80% of a learner’s vocabulary is learned indirectly (e.g. Saragi, Nation & Meister 1978) probably need to be revised.
Studies of the vocabulary size of Hong Kong students (e.g. Fan 2000; Chiu 2005) suggest that most first-year university students know fewer than 3,000 English words, which is a disappointing outcome following twelve years of English teaching at primary and secondary school. According to Laufer (1989, 1992) students need a vocabulary of at least 5,000 words to cope with the demands of an English medium university degree. In order to make a stronger impact upon students’
vocabulary learning, a more ‘interventionist’ approach is required on the part of language teachers.
This means, quite simply, that greater emphasis should be put on vocabulary learning and teaching.
Teachers need to focus students’ attention on different aspects of words and how they are used.
They also need to make sure that students are exposed to a wide range of vocabulary, including creating lexically-rich classroom environments.
3. Some Principles Explored in this Vocabulary Resource Package
3.1 Cognitive elaboration of the form-meaning relationship
Helping students to understand the relationship between language form and meaning is one of the driving principles of task-based language teaching (TBLT). Experts in TBLT research such as Skehan (2001, 2003) and Skehan & Foster (1999) recommend that learners need to have their attention focused, at different times, on form and meaning. Vocabulary experts have long
are to be retained in a learner’s mental lexicon (e.g. Meara 1996).
Traditionally, L2 vocabulary knowledge has been regarded as consisting of two types: (a) receptive (or ‘passive’) knowledge, where learners recognise and understand words when they come across them, and (b) productive (or ‘active’) knowledge, where learners are able to use words in speaking and writing, with correct control of collocation, register and word-grammar. It is assumed that, for most learners, receptive vocabulary is considerably larger than productive vocabulary. Some scholars (e.g. Palmberg 1987) believe that learners’ knowledge of an L2 word operates on a kind of continuum, with receptive knowledge at one extreme and full productive knowledge at the other.
As learners get to know the vocabulary items in greater depth, the closer they move towards productive knowledge. Other scholars (e.g. Nation 1990; McNeill 1994) prefer to regard vocabulary knowledge as consisting of a set of dimensions, such as meaning (i.e. semantic knowledge), orthographic form (i.e. spelling), phonological form (i.e. pronunciation), part of speech / grammar, morphology (i.e. the different forms a word may have) and collocation (i.e. the typical patterns in which a word occurs). It is assumed that for most L2 words, learners know some but not necessarily all of the words’ lexical dimensions.
The materials produced for this resource package deliberately target aspects of form (formal knowledge) and meaning (semantic knowledge). In order to help learners acquire both formal and semantic control of English words, learning activities which, in their entirety, address all dimensions of word knowledge, are provided. Obviously, all of these cannot and should not be attempted at once. However, teachers need to ensure that their vocabulary work includes a range of activities embracing both formal and semantic aspects of words.
3.2 Creating associations – paradigmatic and syntagmatic approaches
For a word to become fixed in a learner’s mental lexicon, it needs to have associations with other words already acquired. The stronger and more stable the associations, the more firmly the word will be anchored. There are two main types of association: (a) paradigmatic and (b) syntagmatic.
Examples of paradigmatic associations are: (1) musical instrument – piano / guitar / violin / drum, and (2) vehicle – car / bus / train / plane. ‘Musical instrument’ and ‘vehicle’ are hyper-ordinates, i.e. they are names of categories which help to group together the members of the category. The arrangement is hierarchical, with a hyper-ordinate term at the top (such as ‘musical instrument’ or
‘vehicle’) and, at the next level down, a group of co-hyponyms such as ‘guitar’ and ‘violin’ or
‘bus’ and ‘train’. This type of hierarchical arrangement can have many levels and it is always
possible to add new words. For learners of a second language, storing words in a paradigmatic arrangement is a logical and efficient exercise. All of the words in a paradigm are related semantically, so the guiding principle of association is meaning. Since the system is open-ended, it is relatively easy to add newly-acquired words to the paradigmatic networks in a learner’s mental lexicon. This type of association promotes efficient expansion and retrieval of words and is particularly valuable in developing a large receptive vocabulary. Some of the materials in this resource package are intended to strengthen students’ development of paradigmatic associations.
Syntagmatic associations, on the other hand, refer to word combinations, such as ‘play football’, ‘go shopping’, ‘film star’, ‘high temperature’, etc. These associations are based on the ways words are used and on the patterns in which they typically occur. This type of association is related to productive vocabulary use, since learners need to know possible word combinations when putting words together to form sentences. Research into word associations in a second language has been stimulated by Meara’s (1983) seminal work in this area. The results of the various word association studies suggest that paradigmatic and syntagmatic associations are important in both first and second language vocabulary acquisition. If teachers can help to promote students’ word associations, they are likely to support the long-term retention of vocabulary.
Making students aware of a word’s collocations is an obvious way to promote syntagmatic association. The teaching of typical word combinations has been given strong support from research into the way vocabulary is used in texts, in particular, the recognition that English is a highly formulaic language. Wray (2000) estimates that as much as 80% of English text is formulaic in nature. She also argues that multi-word units (or ‘chunks’) are processed by the human brain with the same amount of effort and attention as free-standing words. Wray, therefore, recommends that vocabulary teaching should include multi-word units, which are not necessarily analysed by learners in detail.
How often do students need to meet a new word before they remember it? It is quite common for teachers to express surprise when students fail to recognise words that have already been ‘taught’.
Hong Kong students process a vast number of English words during their years at school. Yet only a fraction of the words are retained in the students’ long-term memories. Research into the effectiveness of extensive reading for vocabulary uptake has concluded that a learner needs to meet a new word between six and twenty times for the word to be remembered (Rott 1999, Zahar, Cobb
& Spada 2001). Providing sufficient encounters with target vocabulary represents one of the biggest challenges for language teachers. All too often, new words are introduced and practised within the context of a particular theme or topic. Then the teacher moves on to a new topic and focuses on a completely new set of vocabulary items. Finding ways of recycling previously introduced vocabulary is crucial to effective vocabulary instruction.
4. Conclusion
One of the obvious implications of the recent research in L2 vocabulary acquisition is that language teachers need to devote more time and effort to vocabulary work in the classroom. The attention of learners needs to be deliberately focused on the various aspects of words, including their forms, meanings and collocations. Helping learners make meaningful associations with words will also promote retention of vocabulary. Providing sufficient encounters with words remains one of the biggest challenges, especially for teachers who feel under pressure to get their students through an already crowded curriculum. To end on a more positive note, the teachers who took part in the
‘Seed’ Project on ‘The Magic of Words’ reported that their students greatly enjoyed vocabulary- focused activities and developed greater confidence and enthusiasm for learning English. Finding opportunities to recycle vocabulary also called for close collaboration among the English teachers in the same school and led to a real sense of achievement when teachers applied their creativity and ingenuity to developing a school-based English Language curriculum with due emphasis on vocabulary learning and teaching.
Dr. Arthur McNeill
Advisor of the ‘Seed’ Project on
‘The Magic of Words: Enhancing Effectiveness of English Vocabulary Learning and Teaching
at Primary Level’
2
Learning and Teaching Materials
for Vocabulary Learning and Teaching
developed in the ‘Seed’ Project on ‘The Magic of Words: Enhancing Effectiveness of English Vocabulary Learning and Teaching at Primary Level’. The ‘Seed’ Project was conducted in the school years 2006-07 and 2007-08 with the following objectives:
i. to enhance teachers’ knowledge and skills in planning for effective learning and teaching of vocabulary;
ii. to explore strategies to promote the development of vocabulary building skills;
iii. to develop appropriate learning and teaching materials to improve the quality of vocabulary learning and teaching;
iv. to encourage pupils’ application of vocabulary knowledge for communication; and
v. to enhance the competence and confidence of pupils and teachers in vocabulary learning and teaching.
Throughout the 2-year tryout period, the project teachers were equipped with various vocabulary teaching strategies to develop pupils’ vocabulary building skills. Pupils were given ample opportunities to apply these skills for purposeful communication in meaningful contexts. With an aim to arouse pupils’ interests in vocabulary learning, vocabulary-focused games and activities were also well- integrated into the English Language curriculum.
The project teachers participated actively in the development and implementation of plans focusing on the learning and teaching of vocabulary. In the initial planning stage, target vocabulary items were carefully identified, taking into consideration the words introduced in the textbooks as well as pupils’ prior knowledge, interests and needs. During the word selection process, teachers also made reference to the words in the relevant categories of the Wordlists with an aim to enrich pupils’
vocabulary bank. (Please refer to Appendix 1 and the web version for more information about the Wordlists for the English Language Curriculum.)
After the word selection stage, learning and teaching materials for the relevant units were designed based on the following theoretical underpinnings which have been discussed in Chapter 1:
i. cognitive elaboration of the form-meaning relationship
ii. creating associations – paradigmatic and syntagmatic approaches iii. providing pupils with multiple exposures to new words
In order to help pupils acquire both formal and semantic control of the vocabulary items, a range of vocabulary-learning activities were included in Chapter 2 to address all dimensions of word knowledge. Pupils were guided to create paradigmatic and syntagmatic associations to help them anchor the newly-acquired words in their mental lexicon. Word formation methods such as compounding*1, derivation*2, conversion*3 and affixation*4 were also taught to help pupils guess meanings of unfamiliar words, build a linkage among different words and extend their vocabulary knowledge. Through providing repeated exposure to the words in various contexts, pupils learnt how the words are used. They were also provided with opportunities to use the newly-learnt vocabulary to express their own ideas and feelings in meaningful learning activities.
To provide pupils with multiple encounters of the target vocabulary and the opportunities to experience English learning as a source of pleasure and enjoyment, a variety of vocabulary learning activities and games were incorporated in the tryout lessons. Teachers may refer to Chapter 3 for suggestions on games and activities under various themes.
Throughout the tryout period, a conscientious effort was made to expose pupils to a language-rich environment. New vocabulary items were displayed on the learning walls in the classrooms and pupils were encouraged to refer to them during the learning process. A reading corner was set up to promote a reading to learn culture and self-learning. A variety of theme-based books related to the tryout modules were displayed for pupils to borrow or read during recess or lunch time. Help from the school librarians was also sought to borrow more books from the public library for display in the reading corner.
*1 compounding – the formation of words with two or more separate words which can stand independently on other circumstances, e.g. foot + ball = football
*2 derivation – the formation of a word from another word or a base word, e.g. excite ➔ exciting
*3 conversion – the process by which the same word can be used in different parts of speech, e.g. cook (verb, noun)
*4 affixation – the process of adding prefixes and suffixes to the base word and modifying the meaning and/or part of speech, e.g. happy ➔ unhappy, help ➔ helpful
graphic organisers, such as spider webs and tree diagrams. Pupils were encouraged to enter the new vocabulary learnt both inside and outside the classroom into their word banks or vocabulary cards using the paradigmatic and syntagmatic approaches. Pupils were invited to share with the class the words they had got from time to time. Positive feedback was given to pupils who added new entries on their own initiative. During the learning process, pupils were also encouraged to refer to their word banks to help them complete the learning tasks. The tryout experience showed that active use of word banks was an effective way to help pupils gather new words at their own pace for their own reference as well as retrieve or recall the words they need in writing. By managing their personal word banks, pupils learnt to acquire self-management skills as well as study skills. They were thus able to develop good learning habits for lifelong learning.
Unit: Sports
Introduction
A rich man is going to donate some money to the school for building a sports facility. Pupils need to consider what sports facility is the most suitable for the school, taking into account their interests and the sports facilities available in the school. They will then suggest to the Principal and persuade him to build it in the school.
Task 1 A Survey on Favourite Sports
Pupils work in groups of four to conduct a survey on the most popular sport. After they have interviewed their classmates, they construct a bar chart and write a summary on their survey findings.
Task 2 A Review of Sports Facilities in the School
Pupils review the sports facilities in the school by listening to the interviews of PE teachers. Based on the information collected, they write a summary on the existing sports facilities and discuss which sports facility is to be built.
Task 3 A Letter to the Principal
Based on the findings in Task 1 and Task 2, pupils write a letter to the Principal to give suggestions on the sports facility to be built in the school.
Unit: Sports
Suggested Level: Key Stage 1
Task 1 Task 2 Task 3
Learning Targets*
Interpersonal Strand (IS)
• ISb and ISe
• ISd • ISc
Experience Strand (ES)
• ESa Learning Objectives
Vocabulary Vocabulary Items Names of sports:
water sports, track and field events, ball games, diving,
swimming, surfing, running, long jump, high jump, tennis, table tennis, basketball, football, badminton, ice-skating, cycling Names of sports facilities:
swimming pool, gym, table tennis room, basketball court, tennis court, football field, badminton court, ice-skating rink, cycling path
Adjectives to describe sports activities:
healthy, thrilling, exciting, frightening, interesting, relaxing, boring, expensive, inexpensive, dangerous, safe, suitable, popular, difficult, easy
Adjectives to describe feelings:
thrilled, excited, frightened, interested, relaxed, tired, bored Phrases to describe the sports activities (make me + adj.):
make me tall / strong / fit / healthy Knowledge
Strand (KS)
• KSa and KSb
• KSf • KSd
*Please refer to Appendix 2 for the description of the learning targets.
Vocabulary Verbs to show preferences:
love, like, enjoy, prefer Others:
interview, survey, favourite, suggest, enough Vocabulary Building Strategies
• organising vocabulary
➢ paradigmatic approach – using tree diagrams to show paradigmatic relationships,
e.g. sports ➔ ball games
➔ water sports
➔ track and field events
➢ syntagmatic approach – using tables to associate the sports activities with the place where the activities are held, e.g.
• understanding word formation
➢ compounding, e.g. foot + ball = football
➢ derivation, e.g. excite ➔ exciting, excited
• understanding word associations
➢ word combinations, e.g. make me + adjective as in ‘make me fit’
➢ synonyms, e.g. exciting = thrilling
• keeping a word bank on sports and sports facilities Where on a tennis court.
on a football field.
What play tennis plays football Who
We He/She
Text Types • Interviews
• Reports
• Expositions
• Bar charts
• Songs • Letters
Language Items and Communicative Functions
• Use the connective ‘because’ to give reasons e.g. We like playing tennis because it is healthy.
• Use ‘ing’ nouns or noun phrases to refer to activities e.g. I enjoy swimming.
I suggest building a swimming pool.
• Use the simple present tense to express interests or simple truths e.g. Swimming is a kind of water sport.
• Ask ‘wh-’
questions to find out various kinds of specific
information about one’s favourite sports
e.g. What sport do you like?
• Use the introductory
‘there’ to express that something exists
e.g. There are three basketball courts in the school.
• Use the simple present tense to express thoughts and ideas
e.g. I think that there are not enough basketball courts.
• Use formulaic expressions to begin and end personal letters e.g. Dear , Regards
• Use the simple past tense to talk about past
activities or events e.g. I did a survey on favourite sports.
Vocabulary Relevant Categories in the Wordlists
• Toys, Games and Hobbies
• Places and Areas
Language Items and Communicative Functions
• Use prepositions to indicate places e.g. There are two badminton courts in the school hall.
Language Skills Listening
Speaking
• Listen for explicit meaning
➢ identify key words in a conversation
• Participate effectively in an oral interaction
➢ open an interaction by - using
formulaic expressions to greet someone politely - introducing
oneself briefly
➢ maintain an interaction by asking
questions and replying
➢ close an interaction by using simple formulaic expressions
• Participate effectively in an oral interaction
➢ maintain an interaction by agreeing, disagreeing, asking questions, replying and explaining, using formulaic expressions where appropriate
Reading
Writing
• Construct meaning from texts
➢ understand the connection between ideas by identifying cohesive devices
➢ work out the meaning of unknown words by using
semantic clues
• Locate information and ideas
➢ locate specific information in a short text in response to questions
• Understand the basic conventions of written English
➢ use knowledge of basic letter- sound
relationships to read aloud simple words and short simple texts
• Construct meaning from texts
➢ recognise the format and language features of some common text types
• Present information, ideas and feelings clearly and coherently
➢ provide personal ideas and information based on a model or framework provided
➢ use a small range of language patterns such as different verb forms and structural patterns
➢ use available resources such as word banks and word cards
Writing • Present
information, ideas and feelings clearly and coherently
➢ plan and organise ideas by using strategies such as mind maps
• Present
information, ideas and feelings clearly and coherently
➢ plan and organise ideas by using strategies such as mind maps
➢ use appropriate formats and conventions of short written texts, e.g. letters
- LT 1.1 - LT 1.14 (pp. 27-63)
- Games and activities in Chapter 3.1 (pp. 195-206)
- Video clips of interviews with teachers on their favourite sports
- Video clips of interviews with PE teachers on the sports facilities in school - Video clips of the tryout lessons (for teachers’ reference)
Procedures
Task 1: A Survey on Favourite Sports Part A: Knowing different sports
1. Introduce names of sports to pupils with a PowerPoint presentation (LT 1.1) and a reading passage on Olympic Games (LT 1.2) and elicit from them their knowledge about different kinds of sports.
2. Invite pupils to categorise the sports into different groups and give reasons for the categorisation.
Help pupils create paradigmatic associations by introducing the superordinates of different sports (e.g. water sports, track and field events, ball games) and guiding them to organise the vocabulary in a tree diagram.
A Tree Diagram of Different Kinds of Sports
3. Develop pupils’ knowledge of word formation by highlighting that some of the words are formed by compounding.
e.g. Noun Noun Compound Word
foot + ball = football
basket ball basketball
event.’ Invite pupils to act out some sports and let others guess the answers. Through this miming game, pupils practise the newly learnt sentence structure and vocabulary items.
5. Help pupils familiarise with the vocabulary learnt by preparing some Word Wizard cards with answers for them to work on during recess and lunch time. (For details about the activity, please refer to pp. 195-197.)
6. Provide pupils with some websites*1 about sports and encourage them to search for more information about different sports.
Part B: Knowing teachers’ favourite sports
1. Introduce the context – a rich man would donate some money to the school for building a new sports facility and pupils need to write to the Principal to make suggestions about the sports facility to be built.
2. Have pupils listen to interviews with some teachers (LT 1.3) on their favourite sports and complete the interview form (LT 1.4).
3. Introduce interview skills using the interview cue sheet (LT 1.5).
4. Focus pupils’ attention on the adjectives for describing sports activities (e.g. thrilling, exciting, interesting). Elicit more adjectives by guiding pupils to think of reasons why they like or do not like the different sports activities (e.g. relaxing, tiring, boring).
5. Draw pupils’ attention to the derived forms of the adjectives, i.e. the -ing adjectives and the -ed adjectives. Highlight the difference in the use of the derived forms: the -ing adjectives for describing the sports activities and the -ed adjectives for describing the feelings.
*1 Websites related to sports:
http://en.beijing2008.cn/
http://www.london2012.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sport
7. Introduce some phrases to describe the sports activities. Draw pupils’ attention to the word combinations, i.e. make me + adjective.
e.g.
8. Play a ‘Broken Sentences’ game with pupils to revise the vocabulary learnt. (For details about the game, please refer to pp. 198-202.)
9. Show pupils a bar chart of the results of the teachers’ survey (LT 1.7) and guide them to guess why the teachers like playing the sports. Encourage pupils to practise using the newly learnt adjectives and phrases.
Part C: Conducting a survey on favourite sports
1. Tell pupils they are going to work in groups of six to interview their classmates about their favourite sports.
2. Before the interview, guide pupils to think about why they like playing their own favourite sport and where they play it. Have them complete the activity sheet (LT 1.8 Part A).
3. Remind pupils that different synonyms of verbs can be used when talking about their favourite sports (e.g. enjoy, like, love, prefer). Highlight the use of gerund after these words to describe preferences as in ‘I enjoy swimming.’
make me
strong fit healthy
e.g. -ing adjectives -ed adjectives
(for describing the sports activities) (for describing the feelings)
thrilling thrilled
exciting excited
interesting interested
Remind them that they could refer to the sample dialogue on the activity sheet or the language wall in the classroom while conducting the interview. After the interview, ask pupils to write a brief summary of the survey findings (LT 1.8 Part C).
5. Guide pupils to construct a bar chart (LT 1.9 Part A) with the data from the interview and answer the questions (LT 1.9 Part B).
6. Brainstorm with pupils what to write in the summary using a mind map and help them organise the structure of the summary with guiding questions. Have pupils complete the summary (LT 1.9 Part C).
Mind map
1. What survey did your group do?
6. Why do they like it?
5. How many students like / enjoy it?
2. How many different sports are there?
What are they?
3. Which is the most popular sport?
Survey
4. What kind of sport is it?
(water sport / ball game / track and field event)
Part A: Reviewing different sports facilities in the school
1. Invite pupils to sing the song ‘Sports Facilities’ (LT 1.10 Part A) together. Help them associate the sports activities with the place where the activities are held with the help of a syntagmatic table. For practice, ask pupils to make sentences using the learnt vocabulary.
2. Review the sports facilities in the school with pupils by showing them some photos. Draw their attention to the location and the availability of the facilities. Tell them that they could also do some investigations during recess and note down what they have observed (LT 1.10 Part B).
3. Ask pupils to summarise the existing sports facilities (LT 1.10 Part C) and write their own suggestions (LT 1.10 Part D).
Part B: Knowing PE teachers’ ideas on sports facilities
1. Have pupils listen to the interviews of two PE teachers (LT 1.11) who talk about the different sports facilities in the school.
2. Draw pupils’ attention to the sentence structure ‘I suggest building a .’ and highlight the use of gerund after ‘suggest’.
3. Remind pupils that they could also take into consideration the opinions of the PE teachers when making suggestions to the Principal.
Syntagmatic Table
Who What Where
We play tennis on a tennis court.
He/She plays football on a football field.
1. Revise the adjectives for describing the sports activities by asking pupils to do a role play of
‘Good Angels vs. Bad Angels’. (For details about the activity, please refer to pp. 203-206.) Before doing the role play, revise the language for interaction with pupils.
e.g. I like your ideas.
I agree with you.
You’re right.
I don’t think so.
Yes, but ...
It’s not a good idea to ...
2. Ask pupils to work in groups to discuss what sports facility they would choose and suggest to the Principal (LT 1.12).
3. Before the group discussion, remind pupils to make their decision according to the interests of the classmates and the needs of the school. With the help of a mind map, brainstorm different aspects pupils have to consider.
Mind map
4. Invite a representative from each group to share their ideas with the whole class.
1. What is the most popular sport?
5. Is it safe / expensive / easy to play?
4. What do our teachers think?
2. Does our school have this sports facility?
3. Where should we build the sports facility?
What sports facility should be built?
1. Go over a parent’s letter (LT 1.13) to the Principal. Focus on the purpose, content and language use. Highlight the format of a letter and remind pupils of the use of the structure ‘I suggest
ing ...’ for making suggestions.
2. Guide pupils to understand the overall structure of the letter:
3. Tell pupils that they are going to write a letter to the Principal to make suggestions (LT 1.14).
Brainstorm the content of the letter and help pupils organise the ideas with the help of a mind map. Guide them to refer to the information they have got in Task 1 and Task 2.
Mind map
4. Share-write the beginning of each paragraph with pupils. Have them finish the rest of the letter on their own. Give support and feedback if necessary.
Opening paragraph Main body
Concluding paragraph
- the aim of writing the letter - favourite sports of the classmates - sports facilities available in the school
- suggestions on the new sports facility to be built - asking the Principal to consider the suggestion
Introduction:
Why do you write this letter?
Ending:
What do you hope the Principal will do?
Suggestions:
What is to be built?
What will happen if the school has the new
facilities?
Survey on favourite sports:
What is the most popular sport? Why?
Facilities review:
Does your school have enough facilities for
this sport?
Letter to the Principal
Olympic Games
Do you know any sports in the Olympic Games? Let’s read the following paragraphs.
The Olympic Games are held once every four years. There are different kinds of games such as track and field events, ball games and water sports.
Running is a kind of track event. Runners need to run very fast on the track. It is very exciting when you see runners dash to the finish line.
Table tennis is a kind of ball game. Many children like playing table tennis because it is exciting. We need at least two players to play this game. Sometimes, there are four players when they team up.
Football is a thrilling ball game too. People feel excited and shout when they watch a football match. There are usually eleven players in each team.
Diving is a kind of water sport. Divers need to do different
actions while jumping into the swimming pool. You cannot do
this sport if you are afraid of water.
Now answer the following questions.
1. What are the three main kinds of sports in the Olympic Games?
2. Which sport needs two people to play together?
3. Which two games are in the same group? What is the group?
4. Which sport takes place in a swimming pool?
5. What does ‘thrilling’ mean?
(Answer Keys)
Now answer the following questions.
1. What are the three main kinds of sports in the Olympic Games?
The three main kinds of sports in the Olympic Games are track and field events, ball games and water sports.
2. Which sport needs two people to play together?
We need two people to play table tennis.
3. Which two games are in the same group? What is the group?
Table tennis and football are in the same group. They belong to the group of ball games.
4. Which sport takes place in a swimming pool?
Diving takes place in a swimming pool.
5. What does ‘thrilling’ mean?
‘Thrilling’ means exciting.
Scripts for the Teachers’ Interviews
Interview (1) : Miss Leung
Miss Leung: Sure.
Student A: Thanks! What sport do you enjoy?
Miss Leung: I enjoy swimming.
Student A: How do you spell ‘swimming’?
Miss Leung: S-W-I-M-M-I-N-G.
Student A: Oh, I see. Why do you like swimming?
Miss Leung: Well ... I like swimming because it’s very healthy. I want to be fit and strong.
Student A: Alright. Where do you usually swim?
Miss Leung: I usually swim in the swimming pool.
Student A: I see. That’s the end of the interview. Thank you!
Goodbye!
Miss Leung: You’re welcome. Goodbye!
Student A: Good morning, Miss Leung. I’m from Class .
I’m doing a survey about favourite sports. May I ask
you some questions about your favourite sport?
Interview (2) : Mr Jim
Mr Jim: Okay.
Student B: Thanks! What sport do you like?
Mr Jim: I like playing football.
Student B: Why do you like playing football?
Student B: Alright. Where do you usually play football?
Mr Jim: I play football in the park.
Student B: I see. That’s the end of the interview. Thank you!
Goodbye!
Mr Jim: You’re welcome. Goodbye!
Student B: Good morning, Mr Jim. I’m from Class . I’m doing a survey about favourite sports. May I ask you some questions about your favourite sport?
Mr Jim: Well... I like it because it’s very exciting. I’m thrilled
when I play the game.
Interview (3) : Miss Cheung
Miss Cheung: Certainly.
Student C: Thanks! What sport do you like?
Miss Cheung: I like playing table tennis.
Student C: Why do you like playing table tennis?
Miss Cheung: I think it’s very exciting.
Student C: Alright. Where do you play table tennis?
Miss Cheung: I play table tennis in my club house. There is a table tennis room.
Student C: I see. That’s the end of the interview. Thank you!
Goodbye!
Miss Cheung: You’re welcome. Goodbye!
Student C: Good morning, Miss Cheung. I’m from Class .
I’m doing a survey about favourite sports. May I ask you
some questions about your favourite sport?
Listen to the interviews on favourite sports. Fill in the answers and tick the correct boxes.
Teacher 1: Miss Leung
Favourite sport:
Reason(s): ❑ interesting ❑ exciting ❑ healthy
Where to play: ❑ beach ❑ club house ❑ swimming pool
Teacher 2: Mr Jim
Favourite sport:
Reason(s): ❑ fun ❑ exciting ❑ healthy
Where to play: ❑ school playground ❑ park ❑ countryside
Teacher 3: Miss Cheung
Favourite sport:
Reason(s): ❑ interesting ❑ exciting ❑ healthy
Where to play: ❑ school playground ❑ park ❑ club house
(Answer Keys)
Listen to the interviews on favourite sports. Fill in the answers and tick the correct boxes.
Teacher 1: Miss Leung
Favourite sport: swimming
Reason(s): ❑ interesting ❑ exciting ❑ healthy
Where to play: ❑ beach ❑ club house ❑ swimming pool
Teacher 2: Mr Jim
Favourite sport: football
Reason(s): ❑ fun ❑ exciting ❑ healthy
Where to play: ❑ school playground ❑ park ❑ countryside
Teacher 3: Miss Cheung
Favourite sport: table tennis
Reason(s): ❑ interesting ❑ exciting ❑ healthy
Where to play: ❑ school playground ❑ park ❑ club house
LT 1.4
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
Interview Cue Sheet
1. Greet the person when you start the interview.
Good morning / afternoon, Mr / Miss .
2. Tell the person what the interview is about.
I’m doing a survey about . Can I ask you some questions?
3. Show that you are listening.
I see. Okay.
4. Ask the person to repeat if you can't hear clearly.
Pardon?
5. Ask the person for spelling if you don't know the word.
How do you spell …?
6. Say ‘Thank you’ at the end of the interview.
Thank you very much. Goodbye.
LT 1.5
Complete the following sentences with the suitable adjectives.
Remember to use the -ing adjectives for describing the sports activities and the -ed adjectives for describing feelings.
thrilling exciting frightening interesting relaxing tiring boring thrilled excited frightened interested relaxed tired bored
1. I am as I have won the first prize in the 100-metre race.
2. I like joining the swimming competition because it is very . Every swimmer swims very fast and all the schoolmates cheer for us!
They make me feel .
3. I think basketball is an ball game because you can play in a team. But you need a good rest after the game as it is very
to run around the court.
4. I don't like watching tennis matches because it is difficult to
understand the rules. It makes me feel .
5. I don't enjoy high jump because it is to practise it alone.
I prefer group games.
6. I think hiking is a activity. I feel when I can see the green trees and hear the birds sing in the countryside.
7. I am not in diving because I am afraid of heights. I
am when I look down from high above.
(Answer Keys)
Complete the following sentences with the suitable adjectives.
Remember to use the -ing adjectives for describing the sports activities and the -ed adjectives for describing feelings.
thrilling exciting frightening interesting relaxing tiring boring thrilled excited frightened interested relaxed tired bored
1. I am thrilled as I have won the first prize in the 100-metre race.
2. I like joining the swimming competition because it is very exciting.
Every swimmer swims very fast and all the schoolmates cheer for us!
They make me feel excited.
3. I think basketball is an interesting ball game because you can play in a team. But you need a good rest after the game as it is very tiring to run around the court.
4. I don't like watching tennis matches because it is difficult to
understand the rules. It makes me feel bored.
(Answer Keys)
5. I don't enjoy high jump because it is boring to practise it alone. I prefer group games.
6. I think hiking is a relaxing activity. I feel relaxed when I can see the green trees and hear the birds sing in the countryside.
7. I am not interested in diving because I am afraid of heights. I am
frightened when I look down from high above.
A. Look at the chart below and answer the following questions.
Teachers’ Favourite Sports
1. How many sports are there?
2. Are they the same kind of sports? Put them into different groups.
Add one more sport to each group.
3. Which is the most popular sport?
4. How many teachers enjoy doing it?
(names of sports)
(no. of teachers)
water sports
B. Think of the reasons why the teachers like these sports? Read the chart again and fill in the table.
How many teachers? What? Why?
1 e.g. Two teachers e.g. table tennis e.g. exciting, make them strong
2 teachers
3 teachers
4 teachers
5 teachers
6 teacher
7 teachers
Now, write about your favourite sport.
8 I
C. Make sentences with the information in the table.
1. Two teachers like playing table tennis because it is exciting and it makes them strong.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
(Answer Keys)
A. Look at the chart below and answer the following questions.
Teachers’ Favourite Sports
1. How many sports are there?
Seven
2. Are they the same kind of sports? Put them into different groups.
Add one more sport to each group.
* Accept other possible answers.
3. Which is the most popular sport?
Swimming
4. How many teachers enjoy doing it?
Fifteen
(names of sports)
(no. of teachers)
water sports swimming
diving*
ball games table tennis
badminton football
tennis basketball*
track and field events running
long jump
high jump*
(Answer Keys)
B. Think of the reasons why the teachers like these sports? Read the chart again and fill in the table.
How many teachers? What? Why?
1 e.g. Two teachers e.g. table tennis e.g. exciting, make them strong
2 Eight teachers running
3 Six teachers badminton
4 Thirteen teachers football
5 Ten teachers tennis
6 One teacher long jump
7 Fifteen teachers swimming
Now, write about your favourite sport.
8 I
Accept any reasonable answers.
C. Make sentences with the information in the table.
1. Two teachers like playing table tennis because it is exciting and it makes them strong.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Accept any reasonable answers.
A. My favourite sport
Think of your favourite sport and answer the following questions.
1. What sport do you enjoy?
I like 2. Why do you like it?
I like because it is 3. Where do you usually play it?
I play it 4. Can you play it in school? Why or why not?
play footabll play basketball play tennis play badminton play table tennis swim
healthy interesting exciting thrilling relaxing safe easy
in the park
in the swimming pool
in the school playground
B. My classmates’ favourite sports
Interview your classmates. Ask the following questions and fill in the table below.
Survey: Favourite Sports of Group
What? Why? Where? In school or not?
e.g. Mary e.g. playing e.g. healthy e.g. in the ❑ Yes
football school ❑ No
playground
❑ Yes
(your name)
❑ No
group member: ❑ Yes
❑ No
group member: ❑ Yes
❑ No
group member: ❑ Yes
❑ No
group member: ❑ Yes
❑ No
group member: ❑ Yes
❑ No A: Good morning, . I’m doing a survey on favourite
sports. May I ask you some questions?
B: Sure / Certainly.
A: What sport do you enjoy?
B: I enjoy .
A: I see. Why do you like this sport?
B: I like it because it is .
A: Okay. Where do you swim / play basketball / play football?
B: I swim / play basketball / play football . A: I see. It’s the end of our interview. Thank you very much.
B: You’re welcome.
✓
C. Write about the favourite sports of your group members.
I did a survey about . I interviewed classmates.
Their favourite sports are .
We can play in school but we
cannot play in school.
A. Complete the bar chart on the favourite sports of your group with the data you got from the interview.
Favourite Sports of Group
(names of sports)
B. Answer the following questions about the chart.
1. What is the survey about? 1.
2. How many classmates did you interview? 2.
3. How many sports are there? 3.
4. Which is the most popular sport? 4.
(no. of pupils)
C. Write a summary about the group survey.
• What survey did your group do?
• How many different sports are there? What are they?
• Which is the most popular sport?
• What kind of sport is it (water sport / ball game / track and field event)?
• How many students like / enjoy it?
• Why do they like it?
A survey on
A. Sing the song together.
C. What sports facilities does your school have and not have?
Write about them.
In my school, there are
but there are no
D. What other sports facilities would you like to have in your school?
Why?
I would like to have
B. Think about your school. What sports facilities can you find on each floor? Fill in the table with the correct names of sports facilities.
Floor Sports Facilities No. of Facilities
7/F
6/F
5/F
4/F
3/F
2/F
1/F
G/F
Scripts for PE Teachers' Interviews
Interview (1) : Miss So
Student: Good morning, Miss So. I am from Class . I would like to know what you think about the sports facilities in our school. May I ask you some questions?
Miss So: Sure.
Student: Thanks! What levels do you teach?
Miss So: I teach PE lessons in P.2.
Student: I see. What are the most popular sports of your students?
Miss So: Well ... two popular sports are basketball and table tennis.
Students enjoy swimming too.
Student: Do you think there are enough facilities for these sports in our school?
Miss So: Um ... There are 4 basketball courts. Students can play basketball at school. There are also some table tennis tables but students can't swim in school because there are no swimming pools. They need to take swimming lessons outside school.
Student: I see. So, what sports facility would you suggest building in our school?
Miss So: Well ... I suggest building a swimming pool. Swimming is a healthy and interesting sport. Many students enjoy it. I think we can build it next to the school playground. So students can have swimming lessons there.
Student: Okay. That's the end of the interview. Thank you, Miss So!
Goodbye.
Miss So: You're welcome. Goodbye.
Interview (2) : Mr Choi
Student: Good morning, Mr Choi. I am from Class . I would like to know what you think about the sports facilities in our school. May I ask you some questions?
Mr Choi: Okay.
Student: Thanks! What levels do you teach?
Mr Choi: I teach PE lessons in P.3 to P.6.
Student: I see. What sports do your students like?
Mr Choi: Well ... they like playing tennis and football.
Student: But there are no football fields or tennis courts in our school. Would you suggest building them?
Mr Choi: Well ... Both tennis and football are healthy sports, but there is not enough space in school. With a tennis court, only a few students can play at the same time. Football is a team game and most students can take part in it, and there is also a football team in our school. So I suggest building a football field.
Student: I see. That's the end of the interview. Thank you for your time, Mr Choi! Goodbye.
Mr Choi: You're welcome. Goodbye.
What sports facilities should be built? Gr oup: ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) 1 . What is the most popular sport in your group? 2. What facilities do you need to play this sport? 3. Do you have these facilities in your school? (❑ T ick the correct box) ❑ Y es ➔ How many? ❑ No
4. What does your teacher think / suggest? 5 . How about your group? Do you have any other suggestions or ideas? 6. What sports facility does your group suggest building in the school?
L T 1.12 thinks there are not enough facilities in the school. He/She suggests building a in the school. W e suggest building a in the school.
✓
Reading – A Letter to the Principal
A parent wrote a letter to the Principal to make some suggestions on the sports facilities in the school. Read the letter.
Dear Mr Cheung,
I would like to make some suggestions on the school facilities. I think we
should build a swimming pool in our school.
Swimming is a popular sport. It is healthy and interesting. Many parents
take their children to the swimming classes. My daughter and son also enjoy
swimming very much. I take them to the public swimming pool once a week.
In our school, there are four basketball courts and two badminton courts
but there are no swimming pools, so I suggest building a swimming pool in the
school. I also suggest having swimming lessons in the PE lessons. I think the
students will be happy and healthy if they can swim at school.
I hope you will consider my suggestions. Thank you.
Best regards,
Lily Ma
(Parent of a P.3 student)
Answer the following questions.
1. Who wrote the letter?
2. What sports facility did the parent suggest building? What are the two reasons?
3. How many basketball courts are there?
4. Are there any swimming lessons at school now? Why?
5. What kinds of ball games can students play at school? Why?
(Answer Keys)
Answer the following questions.
1. Who wrote the letter?
Lily Ma wrote the letter.
2. What sports facility did the parent suggest building? What are the two reasons?
The parent suggested building a swimming pool because swimming is a popular /
healthy / interesting sport and there are no swimming pools in the school.
3. How many basketball courts are there?
There are four basketball courts.
4. Are there any swimming lessons at school now? Why?
There are no swimming lessons at school now because there are no swimming pools
in the school.
5. What kinds of ball games can students play at school? Why?
Students can play basketball and badminton at school because there are basketball
courts and badminton courts.
Writing – My letter to the Principal (I)
Write a letter to the Principal to make some suggestions on a new sports facility in our school.
Dear ,
I would like to make some suggestions on the sports facilities in our school. I think we can build a
.
My group did a survey on . There are
favourite sports. They are
. is the most popular sport. It is a kind
of . My classmates
. In our school, there are
.
Introduction:
What sports facility do you think your school needs?
Reason 1:
What survey did your group do?
How many favourite sports are there?
What are they?
What is the most popular sport in your group?
What kind of sport is it?
Why do they like it?
Reason 2:
What sports facilities does your school have?
What sports facilities does your school NOT have?
What can't students do?
I, therefore, suggest
. We can build it
. Then students can
in the school. They will be . I hope
.
,
Suggestions:
What sports facility do you suggest building?
Where can we build it?
What can students do if we build it?
How will they feel?
Ending:
What do you hope the Principal will do?
Writing – My letter to the Principal (II)
Write a letter to the Principal to make some suggestions on a new sports facility in our school.
Opening phrase
Introduction
Body: Reason 1
Body: Reason 2
Body: Suggestions
Ending
Closing phrase &
name
Unit: We Can Make Things
Introduction
To celebrate the 40thanniversary of the school, pupils are invited to participate in the programme You Can Make It! on the school Campus TV. They have to design some presents and teach other schoolmates how to make them.
Task 1 A Gift for the School
After learning how to make different gifts, each pupil thinks of a gift to celebrate the school anniversary and writes a set of instructions for making the gift. Then, they get into groups and teach other group members how to make it. Each group votes for the best gift to present to the class.
Task 2 You Can Make It!
Pupils work in groups to revise the instructions for making the gifts chosen. After obtaining the stationery and materials required, they prepare the scripts for their presentation. Then they teach their classmates and schoolmates how to make the gifts on the programme You Can Make It! on the school Campus TV.
Unit: We Can Make Things Suggested Level: Key Stage 1
Learning Targets*
Interpersonal • ISd
Strand (IS) • ISe
Knowledge • KSa and KSc
Strand (KS) • KSb and KSd Learning Objectives
Vocabulary Vocabulary Items Names of shapes:
oval, heart, triangle, rectangle Adjectives to describe shapes:
oval, heart-shaped, triangular, rectangular Names of stationery items:
scissors, sticky tape, glue, crayon, coloured pencil, stapler, cutter, pin, paint, paintbrush
Names of materials:
glitter, ribbon, cardboard, string, button, marble, bead, bean, shell, sock, needle, thread, bottle, can, shoe box, coloured paper, wrapping paper, magazine, newspaper
Action verbs:
cut, draw, fold, glue, decorate, tape, fill, tie, remove, wrap, stitch, paint
Others:
lastly
*Please refer to Appendix 2 for the description of the learning targets.
Task 1 Task 2
