THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE CURRICULUM

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UNDERSTANDING AND INTERPRETING THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE CURRICULUM

FOR NEW ENGLISH TEACHERS

English Language Education Section Curriculum Development Institute Education Bureau

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WARM-UP ACTIVITY

In groups, discuss the following:

How far do you agree with the following statements?

1. Students should do more past exam papers in class in order to get good results in the HKDSE examinations.

2. Teachers are required to teach 3 elective modules in the Elective Part.

3. Since the elective modules are not properly assessed in the HKDSE examination, they need not be taught.

4. There is a huge gap between the JS and the SS

curricula.

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BY THE END OF THE WORKSHOP, YOU WILL HAVE

 a better understanding of the design and the features of the English Language curriculum with an emphasis on the senior secondary level;

 a brief idea about the major updates of the ELE KLACG (P1-S6) with a particular focus on RaC

 explored strategies for curriculum planning and implementation; and

 designed task-based activities for senior secondary

students.

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Major Updates of the ELE KLACG (P1-S6)

Catering for the Needs of SEN and Gifted Students in the Mainstream English Classroom

Learning and Teaching of Text Grammar Extending from Assessment for Learning to Assessment as Learning

Integrative Use of Generic Skills Literacy Development

Values Education

Reading across the Curriculum & STEM Education (including entrepreneurial spirit) e-Learning & Information Literacy

Examples

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THE SENIOR SECONDARY

ENGLISH LANGUAGE CURRICULUM

S6

S5

S4

Elective Part (25%) Compulsory

Part

(75%)

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THE COMPULSORY PART

The learning and teaching of:

The four language skills

Language items and communicative functions

Vocabulary Text types

Module

Unit 1

Task 1.1 Task 1.2

Unit 2

Task 2.1

Organising structure of M-U-T

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THE ELECTIVE PART

While Modules, Units and Tasks are to be adopted for organising learning and teaching in the Compulsory Part, the modules in the Elective Part may not necessarily follow the M-U-T structure. However, the general approach to teaching the modules in the Elective Part remains task-based – that is, teachers are encouraged to continue with the principles and practices associated with task-based learning, namely using learner-centred instruction, providing opportunities for meaningful and purposeful communication and promoting integrative and creative uses of language.

English Language Curriculum and Assessment Guide (Secondary 4-6), p.54

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FEATURES OF A TASK

Involves learners in thinking and doing

Requires learners to draw upon a

framework of

knowledge and skills

Product Purpose

Context

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Adapted from Enhancing English Vocabulary Learning and Teaching at Secondary Level (2012)

ADOPTING A TASK-BASED APPROACH IN LESSON DESIGN

Module

Cultures of the World

Task 1

Reading an email from the teacher-

in-charge of the

“Hong Kong’s Heritage Excursion”

Task 2 Listening to an interview with the

Executive Secretary of the

Antiquities and Monuments Office

Task 4 Making

recommendations for the heritage

tour

Final Task

Writing a proposal and designing a poster Heritage ConservationUnit

Task 3

Reading leaflets about some heritage sites in

Hong Kong

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 Provides contexts for:

• integrated use of language skills

• meaningful and purposeful use of English for communication

 Facilitates effective grammar and vocabulary learning and teaching

 Uses learning and teaching resources of a variety of text types

 Promotes a learner-centred approach

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Primary curriculum

• laying the foundation of English Language development

INTERFACE BETWEEN KEY STAGES

Primary curriculum

• laying the foundation of English Language development Junior Secondary curriculum

• providing chances for the application of English for various everyday learning and developmental purposes

Senior Secondary curriculum

• consolidating what students have learnt through P1-S3 and broadening and deepening their learning experiences

Junior Secondary curriculum

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Junior Secondary

•Exposure to a wide range of print and non-print texts

•Extensive reading and RaC

•Further development of reading skills and strategies

Senior Secondary

•Exposure to a widened range of more complex text types

•School-based

Assessment: critical and imaginative responses to texts

•Comprehension of more complex messages in more formal/academic texts

Primary

•Exposure to a range of text types

•Incorporation of Reading Workshops into the School-based English Language

Curriculum

•Development of basic reading skills and

strategies

LEARNING EXPERIENCE ACROSS KEY STAGES

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Junior Secondary

•Exposure to a wide range of print and non-print texts

•Extensive reading and RaC

•Further development of reading skills and strategies

Senior Secondary

•School-based

Primary

•Incorporation of Reading Workshops into the School-based English Language

Curriculum

strategies

LEARNING EXPERIENCE ACROSS KEY STAGES

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T

EXPOSURE TO A WIDE RANGE OF TEXT TYPES

Text Types for Key Stage 1

Additional Text Types for Key Stage 2

• Advertisements

• Captions

• Cards

• Cartoons/comics

• Charts

• Diaries

• Fables/fairy tales

• Forms

• Illustrations

• Leaflets

• Lists

• Menus

• Notes and messages

• Notices

• Personal letters

• Poems

• …

• Announcements

• Autobiographies

• Biographies

• Blogs

• Brochures

• Children’s

encyclopaedias

• Discussions

• Emails

• Formal letters

• Informational reports

• Jokes

• Maps and legends

• News reports

• Plays

• Questionnaires

• …

• Book

reviews/reports

• Encyclopaedias

• Film reviews

• Interviews

• Itineraries

• Letters to the editor

• Manuals

• Memoranda

• Newspaper/

Magazine articles

• Presentations

• Short films

• Short novels

• Social media texts

• Talks

• …

• Abstracts/synopses

• Agendas

• Debates

• Documentaries

• Editorials

• Essays

• Feature articles

• Films

• Minutes

• Novels

• Proposals

• Speeches

• Resumes

• Thesauri

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Junior Secondary

Senior Secondary

•School-based

Assessment: critical and imaginative responses to texts Comprehension of more complex messages in more formal/academic texts

Primary

Curriculum

strategies

LEARNING EXPERIENCE ACROSS KEY STAGES

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Listening

Speaking Writing

Reading

Language across

the Curriculum

Academic content Awareness

+

Academic language awareness

• Reading across the curriculum (RaC) is a component within Language across the

Curriculum

• Through engaging in purposeful and meaningful reading,

students are guided to connect reading texts related to various KLAs with their previous

knowledge and life experience

(SECG, 2017, Chap.6B, p.9)

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GROUNDWORK FOR PROMOTING RAC:

• Enhancing the reading atmosphere on campus

• Fostering collaboration among teachers

Understanding students’ interest Encouragement for students Making RaC an emphasis Quality reading materials Context for application

School-based reading curriculum Favourable reading environment Whole-school reading scheme

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Collaboration – (1) Collaboration – (1) Skill-based

Liberal Studies English

Language History

Letter to

the editor Editorial Editorial Cartoon

Points to note:

1. The reading materials do not necessarily need to be thematically related.

2. English Language teachers reminds students that the same reading strategies and skills can be employed when reading texts of other subjects.

3. L.S. & History teachers should also emphasise the key reading strategies and skills.

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Sept-Nov Jan-Mar Apr-Jun

Skills • Understand the use

of discourse markers

• Recognise the rhetorical functions performed by

sentences in the development of a text

• Make use of

knowledge of the world to make sense of the text

• Use linguistic and contextual clues, knowledge of

features of different text types to

determine the

meaning of the text.

• Differentiate fact from opinion

• Understand and appreciate the tone, mood and intention of the writer and his/her attitude to the theme or topic

Related KLA / subject English Language,

Physics, History English Language,

Geography English Language, LS, History

Text types Experiment procedures,

news, documentaries Feature Articles, essays Letters to the editor, editorials, editorial cartoons

Chinese Language

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Collaboration – (2) Collaboration – (2) Theme-based

Information and Communication Technology Curriculum and Assessment Guide (Secondary 4 - 6), 2015

English Language Information and Communication

Technology Websites

(http://www.infosec.gov.

hk/english/main.html)

Interpret how linguistic and structural devices as well as visual elements achieve certain effects

Magazine articles –

cyber bullying Use linguistic and contextual clues,

knowledge of features of different text types and knowledge of the world to determine the meaning of the text

Points to note:

1. English Language teachers

• provide students with guidance on reading different text types related to the themes; and

• train students’ thinking skills by guiding them to connect their learning

experiences with their personal lives.

2. ICT teachers relate the topic to the texts students have read to strengthen their understanding.

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RaC is an effective means to promote cross-curricular activities with different themes such as:

1) Chinese history and culture 2) Healthy living

3) STEM education 4) Moral education

Collaboration – (2) Theme-based

EBD’s suggested themes for promotion of reading in the

2018/19 s.y.

(EDB Circular No. 10/2018)

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Collaboration (3) Project Learning

Secondary Education Curriculum Guide, 2017, Booklet 6C, p.10

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Cross KLAs / subjects collaboration

English Language Curriculum and Assessment Guide (Secondary 4 - 6), 2015, p.60

Skill-based Theme-based

Project Learning

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Junior Secondary

Senior Secondary

•School-based

Primary

Curriculum

strategies

LEARNING EXPERIENCE ACROSS KEY STAGES

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Depth of Processing

Range and application of reading strategies

Text complexity

Abstractness

Organisation Density of information

Understanding

- Locating information

- Working out meaning of words and phrases

- Connecting ideas

- Identifying main ideas and supporting details

- Distinguishing facts from opinions - Organising information and ideas

Inferring

- Inferring feelings

- Deducing information and ideas

- Comparing information and ideas

- Working out main ideas and themes

Interpreting

- Analysing information and ideas

- Synthesising - Evaluating - Justifying

Reading Skills and Strategies

- Activating learners’ prior knowledge and experiences

- Selection of a wide range of texts of appropriate lengths and different topics - Interplay between texts and tasks

- The provision of teacher support and the need to promote learner independence

Underlying principles

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COMPLEXITY OF TEXTS

Easier texts More difficult texts Abstractness

 Ideas and information explicitly

stated

 Straightforward & factual information

 Ideas and information implicitly stated

 Meaning hidden between lines or beyond lines

Organisation

 Well-defined text structure

 Organisation of paragraphs following sequence of events, logical progression (general to specific)

 Use of short paragraphs,

subheadings & cohesive devices

 Lack of well-defined text structure, mix of text-types

 Organisation of paragraphs not following a common pattern (problem-solution)

 Lack of signposts to facilitate understanding of texts

Density of information

 Most sentences/paragraphs containing one piece of information

 Sentence structures and

language largely simple, with occasional use of complex structures

 High lexical density – with a large amount of information- carrying words

 A wide range of complex sentence structures and language

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IMPLICATIONS FOR LEARNING AND TEACHING

• To expose students to a wide range of reading materials of different subject areas and connect reading with their learning and daily lives

• To teach reading strategies explicitly

• To review the reading assessment items (e.g. levels of difficulty, range of reading skills)

• To set the right questions / tasks

• To ask appropriate questions for different pedagogical purposes

• To provide feedback to students on their reading skills

development

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PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTING THE SENIOR SECONDARY

ENGLISH LANGUAGE CURRICULUM

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THE SENIOR SECONDARY

ENGLISH LANGUAGE CURRICULUM

S6

S5

S4

Elective Part (25%) Compulsory

Part

(75%)

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THE ELECTIVE PART

• Adds variety to the English Language curriculum

• Caters for students’ diverse needs and interests

• Broadens students’ learning experiences

• Provides them with opportunities to apply

what they have learnt in the Compulsory

Part

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Language Arts Non-Language Arts

8 Elective Modules

Learning English through Drama

Learning English through Short Stories

Learning English through Poems and Songs

Learning English through Popular Culture

Learning English through Social Issues

Learning English through Debating

Learning English through Sports Communication Learning English through Workplace Communication

THE ELECTIVE PART

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Choices of module, considering:

 Learners’ background, needs, interests and abilities

 Teachers’ expertise and readiness to teach the module

 Learning objectives and content of the modules

 Resources available, both inside and outside school

THE ELECTIVE PART

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Compulsory Part

Reading/ Writing Listening/ Speaking

Vocabulary

Text Types

Grammar Forms &

Communicative Functions

Speaking Skills

• pronunciation

• stress

• rhythm &

intonation

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN

THE COMPULSORY AND ELECTIVE PARTS

(AN ILLUSTRATION WITH THE DRAMA MODULE)

Elective Part (Drama module)

Dramatised Reading

Role play / Drama performance Text Types

• dialogues

• stories

Extension, application and consolidation of what has been learned

• stress &

intonation

• expression of emotions and feelings

• short scene writing

• production of an original script

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PLANNING THE ELECTIVE MODULE IN CONTEXT (KEY CONSIDERATIONS)

• Approaches to implementing the elective module (as a standalone module or integrated with other curriculum and assessment components)

• Adaptations of the S.O.W.

(e.g. selecting appropriate learning focuses)

• Sources of learning and teaching materials

(e.g. textbooks, school-based materials, resource packages, the media)

• Teacher deployment

• Interface with the JS curriculum

• Timetabling

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INTEGRATING VARIOUS CURRICULUM COMPONENTS

Compulsory Part and Elective Part Elective Part and SBA

Elective Modules

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COMPULSORY PART AND ELECTIVE PART

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ELECTIVE PART AND SBA

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Examining the content, language and stylistic features

of advertisements

-Examining an issue from different perspectives

-Using language functions that signal

cause and effect

Producing a leaflet giving advice on how

to be a wise and sensible consumer

INTEGRATION OF ELECTIVE MODULES

Popular Culture

Social Issues

Final

Product

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ACTIVITY

• In groups, design three tasks set against a particular context to develop or consolidate the target

knowledge and skills pertaining to any two modules

in the Elective Part.

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EXPERIENCE SHARING

In your group, share with others your experience in planning and/or implementing the senior secondary curriculum. You may want to talk about:

• if your school integrates different curriculum components;

• the challenges you encountered/you anticipate in planning and delivering the curriculum; and

• how you overcame the challenges/you think the challenges could be

tackled.

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USEFUL RESOURCES FOR THE

IMPLEMENTATION OF THE ENGLISH

LANGUAGE CURRICULUM

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USEFUL WEBSITES

• Professional development programmes (PDP)

 Information on PDP by Curriculum Development Institute, EDB http://www.edb.gov.hk/en/curriculum-development/kla/eng-

edu/professional-development-programmes.html

 Application and Details

http://tcs.edb.gov.hk

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USEFUL WEBSITES

• Learning and teaching resources

 Curriculum Documents http://www.edb.gov.hk/elecg

 One-stop Portal for Learning and Teaching Resources http://minisite.proj.hkedcity.net/edbosp-eng/eng/home.html

 References & Resources

http://www.edb.gov.hk/eleresources

 ETV Programmes

http://etv.edb.gov.hk/home.aspx

 Radio Programmes

http://www.edb.gov.hk/index.aspx?nodeID=4034&langno=1

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USEFUL WEBSITES

• Other useful websites

 Central Resources Centre by Curriculum Development Institute, EDB http://www.edb.gov.hk/crc

 Language Learning Support Section, EDB

https://www.edb.gov.hk/en/edu-system/primary-secondary/applicable-to- primary-secondary/sbss/language-learning-support/index.html

 NET Section, EDB

https://www.edb.gov.hk/en/curriculum-development/resource- support/net/index.html

 The English Campus of HK Education City

http://www.hkedcity.net/english/

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e-Learning and Information Literacy

• e-Learning Series: Media Literacy in the Junior Secondary English Classroom – Enhancing Critical Thinking Skills through the Use of Digital Texts

• e-Learning Series: Effective Use of e-Resources for Communication – Tapping into Secondary Students’ Creativity, Critical Thinking and Problem-solving Abilities

• e-Learning Series: Effective Use of Multimodal Materials in Language Arts to Enhance the Learning and Teaching of English at the Junior Secondary Level

Language across the Curriculum

• Enriching and Extending Students’ Learning Experiences through Reading and Writing across the Curriculum at the Secondary Level

PDPS FOR 2018/19 S.Y.

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Catering for Learner Diversity

• Catering for Learner Diversity Series: Adopting e-Learning to Cater for Students with Special Educational Needs in the Junior Secondary English Classroom

• Catering for Learner Diversity Series: Effective Strategies for Accommodating the Diverse Needs of Students in the Secondary English Classroom

• Catering for Learner Diversity Series: Stretching the Potentials of Advanced Learners in the Secondary English Language Classroom

Learning and Teaching of Grammar and Language Skills

• Adopting an Inductive Approach to Enhance Secondary Students’ Grammar Knowledge and Promote Self-directed Learning

• Grammar as Choice: The Role of Grammar in Enhancing Students’ Writing in the Senior Secondary English Language Classroom

PDPS FOR 2018/19 S.Y.

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Assessment Literacy

• Developing Reading and Listening Skills of Secondary Students with Reference to the Learning Progression Framework

• Developing Secondary Students’ Writing and Speaking Skills with Reference to the Learning Progression Framework

• Effective Assessment Practices in the Secondary English Language Curriculum

Integrative Use of Generic Skills and New Literacy Skills

• Developing Students’ Creativity and New Literacy Skills through Language Arts Elective Modules

• Developing Students’ Thinking Skills through Non-language Arts Elective Modules

PDPS FOR 2018/19 S.Y.

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