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Cross-curricular planning focusing on vocabulary and language structures

Cross-curricular planning focusing on vocabulary and language structures. Ms Chui Hung Fun, Fanny English Panel Chairperson Buddhist Kok Kwong Secondary School Mrs Bridget Ip Language Learning Support Section. Background and objectives. School background. Formerly a CMI school

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Cross-curricular planning focusing on vocabulary and language structures

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  1. Cross-curricular planning focusing on vocabulary and language structures Ms Chui Hung Fun, Fanny English Panel Chairperson Buddhist Kok Kwong Secondary School Mrs Bridget Ip Language Learning Support Section

  2. Background and objectives

  3. School background • Formerly a CMI school • 2010-11 First time to use English as MOI in junior forms • Classes 1A and 1B to learn Science in English • Working group of • 2 English teachers • English PC • Science teacher of the two classes

  4. Common problems of “former” CMI schools • Students’ foundation in English may not be very strong • Teachers feel they cannot “be themselves” when using EMI • There is a very large gap between the language demands of the subject textbooks and those used for English Language teaching

  5. Objectives of the collaboration • Students: • To help students understand the work in science and express themselves better • Teachers: • To understand the language demands of their own and other subjects and how these affect students’ learning • To learn how to modify teaching approaches in order to support students’ learning in English

  6. Strategies used Objectives Strategies • Enhance teachers’ knowledge of language demands of each others’ subjects • Collaborative planning • Lesson observation • Curriculum mapping • Selected vocabulary and language patterns taught in English lessons • Reinforcement and more language work in Science • Sentence patterns and vocabulary taught used in Science tests and exams • Teach students vocabulary for interpreting the science textbook and language patterns for expressing their understanding

  7. Steps taken in the project Person(s) responsible • Identify students’ problems in learning science in English All • Analyse the language of the science textbook to identify language for teaching LLSS Officer • Identify ways to integrate the science language into the English teaching All • Design additional teaching materials for English English teachers • Review test and examination papers All • Review sentence structures and vocabulary in Science context Science teacher

  8. Analysing the language of the textbook

  9. “Mortar” observe function protect support control contain consist of compare “Bricks” microscope photosynthesis nucleus cell membrane cytoplasm chloroplasts reproduction Verbs Multiple meanings General usage Nouns Specific meanings Concept heavy Limited usage Dutro & Moran, 2003

  10. Examples from science textbook

  11. Language Functions Structures Describing (eg laboratory equipment, cells) It consists of…. It is made up of ….. It gives shape to ….. It is used for / to …………. Comparing (eg plant cell and animal cell – also useful for talking about a fair test) Like / Unlike……it has / can…. Both / neither of them …… In addition, it also has It is larger / smaller…..etc Giving advice (eg on health during puberty) You should….. You must….. You need to……..

  12. Examples from the science textbook Like an animal cell, a plant cell also has a cell membrane, a nucleus and cytoplasm. In addition, it has a cell wall surrounding the cell membrane. There is a large vacuole in the cell. Many plant cells also contain chloroplasts, which are green in colour. Comparing plant and animal cells

  13. Giving advice

  14. Integrating science language into the English Teaching Schedule Curriculum Mapping, Design of English Materials and Application in Science

  15. Overall Plan for S1

  16. Curriculum mapping – Basic Units of Living Things Topic content Science Target vocabulary Target structures Topic content English Unit 3: Basic units of living things • Describing objects seen under microscope • Comparing cells shape n function n size n observe v control v protect v support v contain v same adj different adj • It consists of…. • It is made up of • There is /are… • It is different • from/the same as… • Like…., it also has… • Both .. and … have • X can.., but Y can’t.. • It is bigger, smaller etc Unit 2: Family Matters • Describing family members • Describing objects

  17. Examples of English worksheets – Basic units Writing riddles about common home and classroom objects Comparing family members Sandy is taller than Sally Sandy is heavier than Sally They have the same star sign Sandy likes drawing but Sally likes reading Both of their birthdays are the same Sandy is 75lbs but Sally is 70lbs in weight Both of them can speak Cantonese Their languages are the same

  18. Potential for language work in Science The human egg and the human sperm cell look very different. The egg is larger than the sperm. It looks like a ball, butthe sperm cell looks like a tadpole. The sperm can swim, butthe egg can’t swim. The egg contains a food store, butthe sperm doesn’t.

  19. Overall Plan for S1

  20. Curriculum mapping - Energy Topic content Science Target vocabulary Target structures Topic content English Unit 4: Energy • Describing sources and types of energy • Describing energy changes • Advice about conservation need v produce v store v convert v save v waste v advantage n disadvantage Comparatives, • “the louder a sound is, the more energy it carries” • convert into Modal verbs • We should…. • We need to….. Unit 3: On Holiday • Changing currencies • Travel advice Unit 4: Festivals • Describing Chinese New Year customs • Advice on being “green” at Chinese New Year

  21. Examples of English worksheets – Energy Giving advice to a person travelling to another country Dear Jane, How are you? I hope that everything’s fine with you. I’ll travel to Japan next week. I hope that you can give me some advice. I haven’t travelled to Japan before. I know that I can rely on the tour guide but I’d like to know more about Japan before setting off. What should I know or do before setting off? What things do I need to bring? What places should I visit? Is the transport convenient in Japan? How should I travel? Do I need to convert some HK dollars into Japanese yen in HK first, or can I change the money when I arrive? What shouldn’t I do when I go overseas? I’m looking forward to your reply. Write soon. Love, Sandy Writing about Chinese New Year superstitions Vocab work: how to be green at Chinese New Year

  22. A piano converts kinetic energy into sound energy. An electric lamp converts electrical energy into light energy and heat energy. An electric iron converts electrical energy into heat energy.

  23. Overall Plan for S1

  24. Hall activity on movement prepositions of movement related to science lesson

  25. Moving like the particles in a solid and in a gas

  26. Reviewing the design of assessment papers

  27. Tackling problems with assessment • Students’ first test results very poor • English teachers and the science teacher reviewed the question papers together • Approaches were suggested for making the papers more manageable Clip art licensed from the Clip Art Gallery on DiscoverySchool.com

  28. Advice given to Science teacher • Limit the number of MC questions • Simplify the language • Use pictures to illustrate the meaning. Bring the text within students’ reading level • Use labelling, matching, true/false, gap-fill to limit the amount of writing • Provide alternative answers for students to select • Give sentence structures to start the answer Allow students to express their understanding Align test requirements with language items and skills taught in class

  29. Increase language input to help students deal with text and express their answers • Reduce language requirement to focus on helping students to show understanding In lessons….. In tests….. No need to “dumb down” the Science content

  30. First assessment paper • Large amount of text for students to read • No word choices for labelling question • Students required to write answers in sentences when they may not know the language structures required

  31. Second assessment paper True / False questions Word choices for labelling

  32. Sentence patterns taught in English and Science lessons

  33. Response from students and teachers

  34. Students’ Questionnaire Response • Term 1 and Term 2 • Students were aware of the strategy • They felt the approach benefited their work in both Science and English • Confidence in using the language structures improved in the second term

  35. Students’ performance in tests • After first term test disaster, improvement shown in later quizzes and tests • Tests held in English lessons showed students better able to remember sentence structures than vocabulary • Need to revisit vocabulary more frequently and systematically in English lessons

  36. Science teacher’s reflections • Curriculum mapping helped to identify language structures for teaching • Including these structures in the tests helped students perform better • Observation of English lessons helped with language teaching strategies • English teachers’ advice on the language used in tests and exams helped to make them more manageable for students

  37. English teachers’ reflections • Became aware of the gap in language demands between English and content subjects • Realised the importance of collaboration between the departments • Saw the need for English teachers to try to bridge that gap

  38. Tackling problems and difficulties • Start with those who are more ready • Start with one depart-ment first • Teachers’ readiness • Focus on language, not theme • Choose language items with wider application • Difficult to “match” teaching schedules • Teachers’ workload unmanageable • Fewer lessons for T’s • Time for shared preparation • Move some items to the Enhancement Programme • Additional lessons • Not enough time for additional materials

  39. Update and way forward 2011-14: Greater focus on cross-curricular work • 2011-12: • set up LACC (Language Across Curriculum Committee) to oversee LAC work • 4 task groups: • Maths • I.S. • Computer • ELA subjects (DT, Visual Arts, Home Economics, PE, IH, Music)

  40. Update and way forward Subject Level Mode Mathematics Collaborative planning between subject teachers and English teachers Teaching of vocabulary and language structures S1 (3 classes) Integrated Science S2 (2 classes) Computer Studies S2 (one class) ELA S1 and S2 (all classes) Reading across the curriculum

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