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Experience Sharing

Using NWTE (2nd Edition) in English lessons

North Point Government Primary AM School

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A. Why do we select New Welcome To English (2nd Edition) as our textbook?

I. Strengths• The approach and coverage of the textbook facilitate the development of the knowledge, skills, values and attitudes promoted in the curriculum

• Abundant teaching aids and resources for teachers

• The teaching content suits learners’ needs, abilities and daily life experiences

II. Weaknesses

• Grammar and phonics teaching are not emphasized

• The appropriateness of the examples, exercises and illustrations

• Writing tasks are controlled or guided which limit the creativity of learners

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B. Other supplementary materials

2002-2003 2003-2004

1.Pre-task Language Practice 1.Pre-task Language Practice

2. Reading and Writing Skills 2. Creative Writing

3. Fun Reader 3. Fun Reader

4. Listening Skills 4. Listening Skills

5. * Task & Project Book 5. * Task & Project Book

6. * Grammar Practice 6. Grammar Practice

7. Phonics Fun

* For teachers’ reference only

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C. Time allocation

Level Periods/ week

NWTE Reading Writing Listening/ Phonics

Dictation

P.1 7 3 1 1 1 1

P.2 8 4 1 1 1 1

P.3 10 5 1 2 1 1

P.4 10 5 1 2 1 1

P.5 10 5 1 2 1 1

P.6 10 5 1 2 1 1

• Each period is usually 30 minutes long.

• Double period sessions are arranged for task-based learning.

• Reading, writing and phonics skills can also be enhanced through extra-curricular activities.

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D. Curriculum tailoring

Procedures• Identifying learners’ interests, abilities, needs and learning

styles.• Selecting learning content by trimming down the school curriculum, making additions, or both for effective learning.

• Adapting the activities to make them attractive to the learners – the interesting activities can be extended to promote further learning, and the less interesting activities can be modified or removed.

• Teachers apply their professional judgment and use textbook flexibly according to the needs, abilities and interests of their learners.

• Teachers select or adapt relevant parts to suit their teaching purposes.

• Teachers advise parents on the rationale for adapting the textbook at appropriate meeting whenever necessary.

• Promoting specific learning & teaching strategies

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E. Scheme of work

• To leave some periods in the S.O.W free after examination or uniform test to give teachers time to do remedial work with the pupils on areas that are found to be weak.

• Example (6A)

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F. Assignments

• Worksheets (writing, comprehension & grammar)• Pre-task Language Practice• Reading & Writing Skills

• GE (exercises from NWTE)• Project work

• Web-based learning

G. Assessment

- Questions are set in context - Resources (Summative Assessment, Listening Test & Question Bank)

• Book reports

• Homework policy

• English project

• Types of assessment

• Setting papers

• Listening Skills

• Others (reading aloud, reading English books, singing songs, etc)

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Teaching and Learning in Primary One

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Selection and adaptation of learning content

Level: P.1

Target units to be adapted: Unit 5 My school things (1A)

Unit 2 Birthdays (1B)

Unit 5 With my senses (1B)

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Learning activities

• Role-plays e.g. characters from Fun Reading

• Singing songs e.g. Head and shoulders, knees and toes

• Miming game e.g. What is he / she?

• Guessing game e.g. Who is he / she? (Using half-covered pictures)

• Board game e.g. Snakes and ladders; NWTE

• Listening and speaking game e.g. Describe and draw (prepositions)

Games from Pair Work Cue Cards

• Memory game e.g. Name or describe the objects with the target language

• Action game e.g. Simon Says

• Reading aloud

• Shared reading with Big Book

• Interactive games e.g. Interactive CD-ROM from NWTE

• Action rhymes e.g. Do this! (Time to Rhyme-1A)

• Surveys e.g. How do you come to school? (1A-Unit 6)

• Phonics game e.g. Bingo

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Assignments

• Pre-task Language Practice

• Reading & Writing Skills

• Listening Skills

• Worksheets

• GE exercises (stickers)

• Project work

• Web-based learning (P.1)

• Copy book

• Book reports

• Reading English books

• Reading aloud

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AssessmentTypes of assessment

• GE (100%)

• Dictation (100%)

• Listening (50%)

• Oral (50%)

Evaluating pupils’ learning

• To discuss thoroughly on matters related to the setting of assessment papers in panel meetings.

• To ensure that the liaison teacher will hold meetings regularly to get an understanding of the progress of work of each class.

• To ensure the assessment papers are properly marked.

• To hold meetings to evaluate the performance of the pupils and the teaching methods used and draw out ways to improve both.

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Thank you very much!

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Task-based approach• Daily classroom interaction provides an authentic situation for teachers to engage learners in using English for a range of communicative purposes.

• Teachers are encouraged to use English not only for instructional purposes, but also for carrying out daily classroom routines and for social exchange.

• Teachers plan and organize tasks or activities with the aim of maximizing

learners’ exposure to English both inside and outside the classroom.• Example – (1A) Animal Riddles from Task & Project Book

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Trimming down learning materials• The more able learners may skip the easy parts and the less able learners may skip the more difficult parts.

• The part that overlap with what has already been taught should be omitted.

• Example – 6A

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Making additions• The parts that are insufficient should be supplemented with other materials

• Example – (1A) Big Book, rhymes & songs

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Teaching strategies• Employing a variety of teaching methods (e.g. draw upon learners’ existing knowledge to construct concept maps with the class, provide clear explanations and instructions, give constant feedback and use IT) to enhance interactive learning.

• Providing learners with the same tasks and exercises, but - vary the expected output of different learners; or - vary the amount and style of teacher input and support to provide extra help to the less able learners and stretch the more able ones.

• Making use of graded learning tasks and exercises.

• Examples (graded learning exercises; concept maps; IT-School exercises; web-based learning )

• Motivating learners by attending to their affective needs, especially the less able learners, by giving positive reinforcement, building on their successful experiences and caring about their self-esteem.

• Promoting self-access, independent learning both inside and outside classroom e.g. Interactive exercises from IT School and Web-based learning.

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Homework policy• To draw up a homework policy regarding the type , frequency and amount of assignments for all levels. The quantity, variety, coverage, etc of assignments should be properly balanced. Assignments given may be used to consolidate pupils speaking and listening skills as well.

• To ensure that assignments will reinforce / consolidate learning outcomes and meet learners’ need and abilities.

• To ensure that no direct copying of vocabulary should be given to learners.

• To ensure judicious use of supplementary exercises.

• To draw up a standard marking system for pupil assignments.

• To ensure assignments for learners are properly set and marked, and learners’ corrections are given proper feedback as well.

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Project work

Advantages• Providing an effective framework for language use and language learning – Through the processes of planning, information search, note-taking, interviewing, data analysis, discussion, drafting and re-drafting, presentation, etc. that are often involved in project work, learners are able to use language skills and language learning strategies in an integrated way.

• Helping learners develop independence and a sense of responsibility – It allows learners to pursue a topic of their own interest, set their own learning targets and plan and reflect on their course of action. Personal involvement of this sort enables learners to become more responsible for their own learning.

Objective

• To develop learners’ ability to inquire, communicate, conceptualize, reason and solve problems

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Project work

Steps

• Planning

• Action

• Reviewing

• Collaboration

• Organization

• Finalization

• Reporting

Project work in our school

Advantages• Facilitating lifelong and life-wide learning – Project learning encourages learners to move out of the classroom into the community, allowing them to connect what they learn at school with the working world and the world at large. Through participating in real-life investigations which involve exploring problems from multiple aspects, presenting information in various modes, as well as planning and organization, they develop not only language knowledge and skills but also the generic

skills and attitudes that are conductive to lifelong development.

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Web-based learning

Advantages

• Learners can continue their learning outside the classroom. • It is greatly reduce the tension of those learners whose parents cannot give them much help in their learning.

• Learners who are living in the remote areas and don’t have computers can access the self-learning programmes on TV.

• Songs, rhymes and poems may begin to develop an appreciation of the beauty of the English language and keenness to use it for communication in real life situations.

• Examples (P.2 - P.6)

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Songs, rhymes & poems

Why?

• Learning becomes more effective when it is pleasurable and enjoyable, especially for young children. • Children are usually curious and creative, and enjoy playing.

• Involving children regularly in songs, action rhymes and poems is a good way to help learners to enjoy English lessons and appreciate the English language.

• Songs, rhymes and poems can also help learners acquire sensitivity towards the sounds and rhythms of the English language.

• Songs, rhymes and poems may begin to develop an appreciation of the beauty of the English language and keenness to use it for communication in real life situations.

• Examples (songs & rhymes)

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Examples from textbook & other learning materials

A. Why use NWTE? Strengths• knowledge – Using adjectives to describe friends (6B-Reading: Trick or Treat)• skills – Integrate 4 language skills in the learning materials of each unit• values & attitudes – Be a friend of the world (6B-U8)• daily life experiences – Festivals in HK; planning a day trip• abundant teaching aids – Audio & visual aids (interactive CD-ROM & PowerPoint presentation)• resources – Longman website Weaknesses• Grammar – singular / plural forms (1A-U3)• Phonics – not in a systematic way for practising phonics skills• Writing – examples from RWS (6B)

B. Other supplementary materials• RWS – too many reading tasks; some are not relevant to the target language – most are guided writing exercises• Task & Project Book – Adapt the tasks to your learners’ abilities & needs• Creative Writing – (6A-U3 Inventions)• Grammar Practice – (1A-U1p.3; U3p.12; U5p.20 Singular / Plural)• Phonics Fun – Enhancing reading & pronunciation skills (1A-U8: z / sh)