CURRICULUM CRITIQUE PROJECT

1. PLANNING AND ORGANIZING THE SECOND LANGUAGE CURRICULUM Mark Midensky Masters of Education Second Language Acquisition Affiliations: Centennial College School of Advancement Centre for Academic Excellence St. Stephen’s Community House Ontario Institute for Studies in Education Alumnus CURRICULUM CRITIQUE PROJECT

2. INTRODUCTION

3. The LINC 5-7 Curriculum Guideline by Anne Hajer, Anne-Marie, Kaskens and Margaret Stasiak Funded by Citizenship and Immigration Canada Developed by the Toronto District Catholic School Board INTRODUCTION

4. As the simplest of the starting points, let us use this diagram as a model for comparison. Goals: Principles: Needs: Environment: Content and Sequencing Format and Presentation Monitoring and Assessing PURPOSE AGENDA AND IDEOLOGY Nation, I.S.P. & Macalister, J., (2010), p.3.

5. UNDERSTANDING THAT THIS CURRICULUM MEETS CANADIAN LANGUAGE BENCHMARKS FOR THE CANADIAN CONTEXT WITH OUTCOMES AND SOCIO-CULTURAL ELEMENTS TYPICAL OF A LANGUAGE CONTEXT WHICH IS EMBEDDED. THIS GUIDELINE WAS DESIGNED FOR NEWCOMERS TO ONTARIO SPECIFICALLY. IT COULD BE USED IN ANY LANGUAGE EMBEDDED PROGRAM WITH MINOR ADJUSTED TO NATION AND PROVINCE.GRAVES, THE LANGUAGE CURRICULUM: A SOCIAL CONTEXTUAL PERSPECTIVE, LANGUAGE TEACHING (APRIL 2008), 41 (2), PG. 147-181 

6. “The LINC 5-7 Curriculum Guidelines is meant to assist instructors in program planning by providing ideas for curriculum content that: • is consistent with the Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB) 2000, • is task-based and learner-centred, and • meets the objective of the LINC program, which is to provide language instruction that facilitates social, cultural and economic integration into Canada.” Hajer et al, (2006) Page I Principles, needs and environments clearly stated in the curriculum guide. Nation  Canada Province  Ontario Community  Newcomers Educational  Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada Classroom  Public and private environs which are federally funded THE LINC 5 – 7 CURRICULUM GUIDELINES

7. THEORETICAL SECOND LANGUAGE ASSUMPTIONS • “ The LINC 5-7 Curriculum Guidelines is based on the theory of communicative competence, a theory of second language acquisition which assumes that five areas of communication must be achieved in order for a learner to be proficient in a language.” Hajer et al, (2006), p. 5 • Competencies for this Guideline • Linguistic competence including form-focused instruction • Discourse competence linking oral and written skills • Functional competence as in recognizing tone and purpose • Socio-cultural competence • Strategic competences including ways to avoid misunderstandings Content, principles and needs stated clearly as related to goals

8. COTTERRAL’S SIMPLIFIED PLANNING MODEL

9. THE LINC 5-7 SIMPLIFIED PLANNING MODEL

10. Learner-Centered Approach • Negotiated learning and teaching for planning, content, activities and materials • Meaningful and relevant plans for short and long term • Task-Based Approach • Relate to specific CLB competencies that learners would perform in the real world • Interactive communication and link classroom learning to the world beyond the classroom. • Spiraling • Initial and ongoing needs assessment • Spiraling approach where competencies are repeated in different contexts within a particular level in different units and themes which are graduated by level. Guidelines Hajer et al, (2006), p. 5 Format of lessons Presentation style. Monitoring and assessment. THEORETICAL SECOND LANGUAGE ASSUMPTIONS

11. The guideline indicates clear format and presentation styles that are communicative, negotiated, and modern. The question of ongoing monitoring and assessment is more complex because of the spiraling and over lapping outcomes and objectives during enactment of the curriculum. It has been my experience that this becomes a more complex problem in multi-leveled classes which is more the case than not in the LINC classroom reality. • Nation & Macalister (2010) (p.118) brought up the point that testing has to satisfy three criteria. In this case, we are concerned with initial entrance testing. • Reliability which statistically measures the same things for each level. In the LINC program these tests are done through a variety of testing centers that are usually community based and federally funded. For example, the YMCA Toronto has testing appointments that follow strict guideline. Teaching professionals in the field often complain that although great effort is made to qualify assessors, benchmarking is sometimes uneven. • Validity which include face validity and content validity. Face validity concern testing reading for reading and not mixing the skills in testing. Content validity which measures that what was taught is tested. These issues are administered in class and for this reasons are well addressed in the guide. • Practicality of the test which measure cost, time restraints, format, and ease of marking. Since the guideline uses task-based assessments that can be included in class based tasks and be discreetly marked, there is a good bases for meeting this requirement. CRITIQUE OF MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT

12. Here are some examples of the resources provided for evaluation of the students. In this guideline, there are only a few examples that can be used by the teacher. There is a companion handbook with templates which is available but on it’s own the guideline does not provide them. Many older teachers found them difficult to implement because they were less familiar with task-based assessments. Some teachers were uncomfortable with less formal testing methods. EVALUATION TOOLS

13. As an example of a assessment activity and using one of the templates which has an explanation of the task, rubric for performance, and grading/ratings. Easily done in class and with the students feedback, this example could also include peer feedback to create a more constructivist approach to building a curriculum which is negotiated continuously. MY EXAMPLE OF A TASKED-BASED ASSESSMENT

14. GOALS OBJECTIVES CONTENT AND SEQUENCING

15. This curriculum guide orients the planner with clear learner goals that are focused and allow for a variety of outcomes. The curriculum gives the teacher a direction or starting point. Hajer et al, (2006) p. 17. Final Outcomes/Objectives Enhanced Language Training Program Bridge training program Direct employment Employment Counseling ESL Program STARTING POINT

16. THE LINC 5 -7 CURRICULUM GUIDELINE USES THE TEACHER-BASED ASSESSMENT MODEL AS PRESENTED BY DAVISON & LEUNG, CURRENT ISSUES IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHER-BASED ASSESSMENT, (2009)

17. GRAVES’ MODEL FOR CURRICULUM DESIGN OVERVIEW

18. THE LINC 5 – 7 CURRICULUM RESOURCE OVERVIEW • Contents • Introduction • Planning and Assessment Theory • Learner Goals: • Essential Skills: • Planning: Long-term, short-term and assessment • Assessment: • Learner Profiles: • At-a-Glance: • 20 Units based different skills needed for academic reading, writing, listening and speaking • 12 themed contexts. For example, English skills needed for note taking in at college or university • Additional Resources: • Spiraling grids which present the level outcomes at each of the LINC levels by skill using CLB competencies for LINC levels 5 to 7. • Grammar Items. • Pronunciation Items. • Computer lessons to complement language activities/tasks. • Classroom Resources listing of sample books, LINC licensed software and websites suitable for LINC levels 5 to 7. • Glossary of terms

19. CONTENTS OF CURRICULUM GUIDELINE COMPARED WITH THE PROCESS OF CURRICULUM DESIGN PROPOSED BY NATION, I.S.P. & MACALISTER, J.. LANGUAGE CURRICULUM AND DESIGN (2010), P.143. • Nation & Macalister’s plan • List goals • Decide on content and sequencing as in the number of units an divide content into themes • Format and presentation as in using the four strands with various resources • Monitoring and assessment with needs assessment, evaluation, and level outcomes. • The curriculum shows in its overview a curriculum that is based on carefully planned units with corresponding themes relevant to student goals. The output of one level in this case level 6 is integrated into the design to flow into the next level. This is an example of the “waterfall” method. There are elements of the “focused opportunistic approach”, as well, which allows for ongoing changes to fit the needs of the students while centering the main part of the curriculum on a foundation of a well thought out plan. An example of this is seen in the following slides. The At-a-glance pages for LINC 6 and LINC 7 show the teacher how this plays out in planning,

20. Hajer et al, (2006) p. 19.

21. To have an overview of elements to plan a course could lead to the production of a quality curriculum. In terms of language outcomes, we will look at how writing competencies with a view to larger units of language, such as in presentation skills and group projects, combined with functional social conventions of language use can be integrated through out a curriculum. As a special note, an effort has been made to show how to design activities that layer the learner’s progress from smaller groups to larger presentations as well as one-on-one interview scenarios. The focus for this review will be writing competencies as as a entry and exit measure of objectives and outcomes FOUR SKILLS

22. Hajer et al, (2006) p. 62

23. Hajer et al, (2006) p. 68.

24. WRITING OUTCOMES FOR LINC 6 & 7 CLB 6 CLB 7

25. LINC 6 Convey a short message such as an email or letter of apology Write a business message that is grammatically correct and appropriate in tone and register

26. LINC 7 Write a personal and formal message on a more complex theme that resolves conflict or resolves an issue Write a business message that is an official memorandum, meetings notes or request a change.

27. In this curriculum review, we will go over the steps for planning that are offered by the guidelines and show how they can be applied practically. The guideline overview offers explanations for planning student-centre instruction, design lessons to encourage students to indentify topics, promote the study of English through various types of media, and facilitate and encourage self-guided study. The review offered here will include the analysis of topical themes related to academic study and business, academic realia, hands-on internet activities, real world job scenarios, presentation skills, skills for change, and suggest material topics for fieldwork study for the real world planning of lessons. To show how this guideline can be used to plan for specific purpose and for purposes that are close to the target group of the curriculum guideline which is based on theoretical principles and benchmark level of the Canadian Language Benchmarks. To give examples of actual daily lessons and long term plans REVIEW GOALS

28. As previously stated the guideline gives concrete example of ways to integrate resources in sequencing lessons that meet the project goals for providing training and academic English for newcomers from a variety of countries. Here is an example of how the guide suggests putting it together to form a valid task with clear assessed outcomes that meet the objective goals of the a eighteen week course. CONTENT AND SEQUENCING

29. My examples for planning take the prompts offered in the guideline to plan each an 18 week session of full-time week of study, which includes needs assessment, learner centered activities, task-based lessons, and spiraling competencies with repeated themes and objectives at different levels throughout the syllabus. Grammatical accuracy, fluency in sentence structure, vocabulary use, contextual language, pronunciation and spelling are all covered with outcomes offered in the guidelines based on the demands of the academic and business world. A full-week of themed lessons which include: Needs Assessment Learners Centered Activities Tasked-based lessons. Spiraling competencies Objectives by level Grammatical accuracy Fluency in sentence structure Contextual vocabulary Pronunciation and spelling EXAMPLES

30. The following slides demonstrate the kind of long-term plan that can be made to affect a program for LINC 6 and LINC 7. The long-term plan that I wrote uses the resources and planning suggestions for putting it together. Each week is themed and uses one of the units from the guideline. Each week plan is meant to serve a combined class of LINC 6 and LINC 7 with two outcomes. One to bring student up from level 6 to level 7. The other to bring the level 7 student to level 8. Each week has the following lesson content: Theme Objective Part 1 – CLB 6 Part 2 – CLB 6/7 Part 3 – CLB 7 Grammar Focus Computer Skills Assessment Needs Assessment Special Skills EXAMPLES

31. 18 week course with a focus on academic and business English in a Canadian context. content: Theme Objective Part 1 – CLB 6 Part 2 – CLB 6/7 Part 3 – CLB 7 Grammar Focus Computer Skills Assessment Needs Assessment Special Skills EXAMPLE OF LONG RANGE PLAN – WEEK 1 - 9

32. By using the themes and adapting them to the learners needs, different aspects of contextual life in Canada could be used to facilitate greater learning power for the students. Needs assessment would include negotiating these themes as suggested in this planning guideline. EXAMPLE OF LONG RANGE PLAN WEEK 9 - 18

33. Formal language use and test preparation using lessons that focus on the writing of English for academic purpose, test taking, note taking, memoranda, blogging, journal writing, business writing and electronic communication skills on par with college preparatory course are a fundamental component of this syllabus. In the same way, reading skills that focus on reading for main ideas, scanning, skimming and focused reading combined with analytical and critical skills development in order to make the students aware of unity, coherence and the linking of ideas in English. Some examples for comparison of formal language, test preparation, and academic skills. FORMAL LANGUAGE AND ACADEMIC ENGLISH

34. Computers and internet search lessons adapted to the level of the class are provided to facilitate English language learning. Each lesson includes a component part that is presented to provide basic functionality in basic office computer programs, special knowledge needs for business, academic internet research skills, internet job search skills, social networking, data retrieval and storage, basic accounting, and online self-study. Planning lessons that promote useable and doable computer skills appropriate to the level of the student. COMPUTER LEARNING

35. Several of the ways that the guideline promotes learner autonomy discussed earlier included negotiated tasks and content based on needs assessments, student feedback, peer to peer feedback and teacher input. One additional feature of the guideline is to promote a computer skill in every class, integrate tasks that go beyond the classroom, and presentations/projects that include using search engines, social networking, wikis, and blogs COMPUTERS & PROMOTING LEARNER AUTONOMY

36. Using the guidelines offered here each weekly session includes a lesson at level 6, a combined lesson for levels 6/7, and a lesson at level 7. Student progress is measured weekly with a lesson presented as assessment tool for the instructor. Using the CLB criteria, students given a variety of activities that measure all the competencies and scored using the offered template can tender the necessary data for progress reports and a basic needs assessment based on student performance. This is an important tool for the instructor to gauge the objectives and outcomes of the following lessons. We will examine in more detail each of these components and attempt to reconcile them with the principles of curriculum development discussed in this class. Assessment Planning Evaluation Reporting/Reflection CREATING TEMPLATES AND LESSON PLANS

37. One week of eighteen focus on academic and business writing in a Canadian context: Theme Objective Part 1 – CLB 6 Part 2 – CLB 6/7 Part 3 – CLB 7 Grammar Focus Computer Skills Assessment Needs Assessment Special Skills LESSON MATERIALS AND RESOURCES

38. One week of eighteen focus on academic and business writing in a Canadian context: Theme Objective Part 1 – CLB 6 Part 2 – CLB 6/7 Part 3 – CLB 7 Grammar Focus Computer Skills Assessment Needs Assessment Special Skills LESSON MATERIALS AND RESOURCES

39. One week of eighteen focus on academic and business writing in a Canadian context: Theme Objective Part 1 – CLB 6 Part 2 – CLB 6/7 Part 3 – CLB 7 Grammar Focus Computer Skills Assessment Needs Assessment Special Skills

40. Theme: TOEFL Test • LESSON OBJECTIVE(S) • Research and read text about college entrance exams. Make a 10 minute oral presentations on the writing process. • Listen to a student news story and summarize. Write a paragraph or two, revise, peer edit and final copy. • Summarize longer texts. • Research using an online encyclopedia to research and essay topic. • Pair work - Student swill prepare and research a 10 minute presentation, take notes and compare. • Answer questions that they have written. • Complete practice tests from the TOEFL test. • Use a TOEFL prep manual to write a essay based on a reading and a listening. • Prepare a feedback survey for writing partner. • Self-evaluation and correction. The final objectives are varied enough to provide for level appropriateness and discrepancies in learner knowledge and language awareness. THEME AND OBJECTIVE

41. TOPIC-BASED OUTCOMES OR CLB COMPETENCIES • Write one of two paragraphs to relate/narrate a sequence of events, describe a person, object, scene, picture, procedure, or to explain reasons. • Write an outline or a summary of longer texts. • Write a two or three paragraphs to describe an event, story or description that is familiar. • Write three or four paragraphs to on a familiar abstract topic as in the TOEFL exam. • Read a paragraph and listen to a recording and write a summary of both. • Present a short explanation on writing style Graduated level outcomes CLB 6, CLB 6/7, and CLB 7. TOPIC BASED OUTCOMES

42. LANGUAGE • Vocabulary nouns related to paragraphs and essays including: footnotes, bibliography, quotations, thesis statement, controlling idea, main idea and supporting ideas. • Grammar usage of linking words, prefixes and suffixes. Time clause, cause and effect, conditional sentences and reported speech. Transitions, coordination, conjunctions, subject verb agreement, and word order. • Pronunciation focusing on low rise intonation. Reading aloud to help editing for grammatical correctness and tone. • Capitalization, punctuation, spelling, and bibliographical styles. Language structures that can be easily made level appropriate GRAMMAR AND VOCABULARY

43. MATERIALS/RESOURCES • American Headway 4 – Student Book – Linking Ideas p. 116 – Photocopied • Developing Compositions Skills – Rhetoric and Grammar, p. 2 – 9. • Delta’s Key to the Next Generation TOEFL Test p. 410 - 413 • Google Search • News Podcasts – cnnstudentnews.com • Ontario College Writing Exemplars: www.hol.on.ca/ocwe • Ohio ESL @ Ohio University: www.ohiou.edu/esl/english/writing/activites.html • University of Toronto Advice on Academic Writing: www.utoronto.ca/writing/advise.html • Teaching Points – WWCCUnit2-HowtouseEnglishPunctuationProperly Material and resources that come largely from the guideline included in the week plan with supplemental more current online materials available simply. MATERIALS RESOURCES TEXTBOOKS WEBSITES

44. COMPUTER SKILLS • Google Search • Microsoft Word – Tracking Changes • COMMUNITY CONNECTION • Universities, Colleges and Training entrance requirements for study. Learner autonomous computer skills, computer program skills, and needs based research are all a part of the week’s plan and final objectives. COMPUTER SKILLS AND LEARNER AUTONOMOUS RESEARCH

45. Warmer • Ask the students to look at the photographs on page 2 of Developing Compositions Skills – Rhetoric and Grammar, Introducing the Paragraph. • Discuss what is happening in each picture. • Ask the student is they have written a letter recently. Who did you write to? What did you write about? •Ask the students to read “Reading Across the Gap: How I write.” in DCS p. 3. Some of the words may need to be looked up. Have the students work in pairs. • In pairs, have the students answers the comprehension questions DCS on p, 4. • Follow with discussion questions. Examples: Do you remember learning how to write? Do you remember your first school essay? Have you ever regularly written to anyone anything larger than a quick message? If you write to someone who has a different background or experience than you what do you have to remember? Developing activities to teach. Warmer for levels 6 and 7. USING THE GUIDELINE TO PUT IT TOGETHER

46. Activity One • Students write a letter to a friend in a different country than their own or distant family member and tell them about life in Canada over the last few months. • In pairs, have the students read the letter to a partner. Ask the students to ask each other one or two follow up questions. • If there are enough students in the class post the letters around the room. Change the pairs of students to different pairs and have the students read the different letters and discuss the changes. Monitor and correct. CLB 6 Writing Activity USING THE GUIDELINE TO PUT IT TOGETHER

47. Activity Two • Students read the Parts of the Paragraph from Developing Compositions Skills – Rhetoric and Grammar, p. 5. Exercise 1. • Ask them to find the three main parts of the paragraph in the sample. • Talk about main idea, controlling idea and support in paragraphs. • Ask the students to find the topic sentence and controlling idea in the exercise on p.6. • Correct in pairs. Monitor and answer any questions. CLB 6 Reading and Grammar Activity USING THE GUIDELINE TO PUT IT TOGETHER

48. Activity Three • Students read the Parts of the Paragraph from Developing Compositions Skills – Rhetoric and Grammar, p. 7. Exercise 2. • Ask them to notice the different possible locations of topic sentences and choose the better one. • Correct in pairs. Monitor and answer any questions. CLB 6 Reading and Speaking Activity USING THE GUIDELINE TO PUT IT TOGETHER

49. Activity Four • Students study the Parts of the Paragraph from Developing Compositions Skills – Rhetoric and Grammar, p. 7 - 8. Exercise 3. • Ask the students to find the main idea/topic sentence and controlling ideas in each paragraph. • Ask the students in pairs to compare their answers. • Have the students write the sentences that they have decided upon on the board. • Compare and correct as a class. CLB 6 Reading, Writing and Speaking Activity USING THE GUIDELINE TO PUT IT TOGETHER

50. Activity Five • Students take the letter they have written in the first part of the class and rewrite it in full paragraphs. • Each student letter should be two or three paragraphs long. • Ask the students to compare the revised version with a partner and make any other changes. • Students read the final version aloud to the class. CLB 6 Reading and Writing Activity USING THE GUIDELINE TO PUT IT TOGETHER