Enhancing the Interface between the Junior Secondary Teaching of Language Arts”

“Enhancing the Interface between the Junior Secondary
and the Three-year Senior Secondary English Language
Curricula through Promoting the Learning and
Teaching of Language Arts”
Workshop & Sharing on
Using Fiction to Enhance the Interface
Curriculum Development Institute &
Language Learning Support Section
• Liu Po Shan Memorial College
• Po Kok Secondary School
• United Christian College (Kowloon East)
15th June 2006
Topic
Overview
How the use of fiction can help
to enhance the interface
 To attain the targets and objectives of the Experience
Strand
 Effective use of fiction helps to prepare students for the
SBA and NSS elective module of ‘Short Stories’
 Fictional texts are effective in

motivating reading and cultivating a reading habit

teaching students how to read on their own

providing a variety of contexts for using English
 Generic skills (4Cs) and culture are best developed
through fiction
Getting ready to teach fiction
Fundamental skills
 Reading skills (the ‘what’)
 Reading strategies (the ‘how’)
 Vocabulary building skills
Refer to
Curriculum Guides
Reading Skills
1.
Skills for treating
the text as a whole
 Predictive skills
 Extracting specific
information
~ Reading the lines
 Getting the general picture

2.
Skills for detailed
comprehension
and text analysis
Inferring opinion and attitude
~ Reading between the lines
~ Reading beyond the lines
 Deducing meaning from
context
 Recognising function and
discourse patterns and
markers
Jeremy Harmer
The Practice of English Language Teaching
Reading Strategies
Reading for meaning using

pictorial clues

contextual clues

comparison --- what
they are going to read
with their prior
knowledge
Associating spoken sounds
with printed letters by
 sounding out individual
letters and combining
them together
 looking at letter
sequence and chunks
within words
Studying sentence structures and identifying unfamiliar words
using knowledge of
grammar (verb tense, s-v agreement …)
 spelling patterns and root words (suffixes, prefixes,
verb endings, plurals …)

Basic strategies for reading

S
Q

3R

Survey
Question
Read
Recall
Review
Strategies for interactive reading





Q
V
P
C
R
Question
Visualise
Predict
Connect
Respond
• Bringing your own
experience and
knowledge to the
story
• Making connection
with what you know
about similar people
or people in your
own life
Thinking about
• the meaning of the story
• the feelings evoked
• how it adds to your understanding of
people and event
What is fiction?
Definition
• A type of literature that describes
imaginary people and events
Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary
• Its purpose is to present a view of the
world that entertains or informs the
reader.
• Novels and short stories
Print and non-print materials
Categories of fiction
• fairy tale
• mythology
• legend /
folk tale
• fable
• fantasy
• science fiction
• historical fiction
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
real-life fiction
adventure
mystery
thriller
crime
humour
diary novel
Language features of narrative text
• Nouns that identify specific characters
and places
• Adjectives that provide accurate
descriptions of the characters and
settings
• Verbs that illustrate the actions in the
story
• Time words that connect events,
indicating when they occurred.
Elements of a story
Setting
Location &
time
Characters
The people
& their
relationship
5
Elements
Plot/
story line
Actions and
events
Style
Writing
techniques
Theme
Main idea
(Message /
Coda)
The structure of a story
PLOT
Plot
Initiatin
g
event(s)
Complication
Problems & conflicts
Climax
Resolution
(Outcome)
Sequence of events
Orientation
Applying theories into practice
Discussion
1. Why is it useful for students to
• know the story elements
• analyse the plot of the story?
2. What activities can be given to students
to demonstrate their knowledge of the
plot concept and put it to use?
Please refer to handout
A plot figure
Main character
Orientation
Initiating
event
Complication
Climax
Resolution
Story outcome
A story map figure
King Midas
Orientation
He
got a
reward
complication
His daughter
became a
gold statue
His golden
touch was
taken away
A story map of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Charlie is the only
child left
Climax
Augustus is sucked up …
Charlie gets the
last ticket with
the money he
picks up …
Initiating event(s)
Orientation/
Exposition
•Charlie
•The Wonka factory
Mr Wonka puts 5
golden tickets in
the choco bars
Complication
Mystery:
•Why is the visit arranged?
•What will happen to the
children?
Charlie
inherits the
factory
Story outcome
Resolution
Solution of mystery
Using the plot structure to guide
their summary writing
Planning to Teach
the Story
Questions for consideration
 Which level of students does the story suit?
 What are the strengths and weaknesses of
the story?
 How many lessons will you use to teach
this story?
 How do you expect the students to read it?
(Independently? With T’s support? At
home? In class?)
Thinking about the treatment
 What will you focus on?
 Plot?
 Characterization?
 Writing techniques?
 Messages?
 Language function /structures /
vocabulary?
Theme
 Generic skills?
Special features
 What task(s) can be set?
Language features
 What strategies / activities to use?
Lesson
Procedure
Pre-reading stage
Why?
To activate learners’ schemata
How?
Build up knowledge of the topic
Recall previous knowledge and experience
When?
In class --- Teacher-guided
What?
The setting, theme, character, author, etc
While-reading stage
How? (under T’s guidance)
 First reading (at home / in class) -- reading
through whole story / section
 (in class) Teacher-directed reading of
significant parts
What?
 understanding the gist and details
 responding to the writer
 connecting the story to reader’s mind
and experience
Post-reading Stage
What?
 Integrative use of skills and creative expression
to show interpretation & appreciation
 Purposeful and selective re-reading
 Careful studying of the author’s words for
meaningful language work & increasing
pleasure in using it in context
How?
 Extended tasks and projects
Activities
and
Strategies
Please work in pairs.
Sort them out !
Task:
Classify the activities according
to focus and lesson stage
Key to
Success
Key to Success
 Teach students how to read and respond --do not just test
 Teachers must have a habit of & love for
reading
 Share reading with students
 Act as a resource person
 Get them into the habit of reading for
pleasure every day
 DEAR
 USSR
Teaching Examples
from the Seed Schools
Po Kok Secondary School
~ Matilda (Print to non-print)
Focuses:
• Teaching reading strategies
• Using extension activities
Liu Po Shan Secondary School
~ Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
(Non-print fiction)
Focuses:
• Pre-viewing
• Extension activities
United Christian College (Kowloon East)
~ Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
(Print and non-print fiction)
Focuses:
• Plot and characters
• Language in context
Enhancing the Interface
Through Language Arts
A Summary
The Road to NSS
Preparation
in S3
What do we
need
to provide for
students?
CORE
New Senior Secondary Curriculum
ELECTIVES
Language
Arts
Non-Language
Arts
Exposure to a wide
range of text-types,
both print and non-print
Encouragement
to read and view
widely
Exposure to English
speaking cultures
through
imaginative texts
Opportunities to give
a personal response
to texts
Activities which involve
Critical evaluation and
higher-order thinking
Provide meaningful
grammar practice
In context
Teach specific
features of texts
Opportunities to learn
collaboration and
communication skills
Activities to
enhance motivation
Encouragement
to be creative
Opportunities to experience
different forms of assessment
Quality
feedback
Opportunities to reflect
upon and improve their
own performance
A journey of a thousand miles
begins with a single step
See you next year!
Useful reference
• Class Readers --- Jean Greenwood
(Oxford University Press)
• Using Readers in language teaching --Tricia Hedge (Macmillan)
• Teaching Literary Elements with Short
Stories --- Tara McCarthy (Scholastic
professional books)
• English Language Curriculum Guide (P1-6)
The Teaching of Reading Skills (Appendix
5)