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Introduction to Curriculum Leadership

and Management Series for

New Primary School Curriculum Leaders (2013/14)

Key Emphases of

the English Language Curriculum

17 October 2013

English Language Education Section

Curriculum Development Institute

Education Bureau

1

Strengthening

a “Reading to Learn”

culture

Developing a balanced school-based

curriculum

Promoting

Assessment for / as

learning

Ensuring the smooth

transition between

key stages of learning

Catering for learner

diversity

Role of the Curriculum Leaders

Managing resources

Supporting the

professional

development of

teachers

2

Curriculum Leaders

Role of the English Panel Chairperson in Planning

for

a School-based English Language Curriculum

What are the

major concerns of your

School Development

Plan?

What are the

needs, interestsand abilities of

your students?

What kind of learning experiences are

students expected to

gain through English

Language education?

What are the

latest key emphases of the

English Language

curriculum?

3

Curriculum Documents for the

Implementation of the English Language Curriculum

English Language Education Key Learning Area Curriculum Guide (Primary 1 – Secondary 3) (CDC, 2002)

English Language Curriculum Guide (Primary 1 – 6)(CDC, 2004)

4

Components of a School-based

English Language Curriculum

60% of English

lesson time

40% of English

lesson time

Must 40% of the English lesson time be allocated toReading Workshops?

5

6

Key Stage 1 Students Key Stage 2 Students

• Enjoy participating in meaningful

English learning activities

• Develop phonics skills and

vocabulary-building skills

• Use simple grammar structures

in familiar contexts

• ...

• Have more opportunities for

reading, writing, speaking and

listening to English

• Develop dictionary and

information skills

• Communicate effectively by using

suitable grammar structures

• …

Teachers’ role:

� create a language-rich learning environment

� make flexible use of textbooks and other resource materials

� use tasks and projects to facilitate the integrative use of language

� make greater use of open-ended questions to stimulate thinking

� strengthen literacy skill development (reading and writing)

� facilitate grammar learning through the use of a wide range of materials

and activities

Key Emphases of the English Language Curriculum

• Adopting a task-based approach

• Learning and teaching grammar in context

• Promoting learner independence

• Strengthening a ‘reading to learn’ culture

• Promoting assessment for / as learning

• Catering for learner diversity

7

Task-based Approach

Purpose

ContextProduct

Process: a mode of thinking and doing

Framework of Knowledge and Skills

Five Features of

a Task

8

Module: Happy Days

Unit: An Unfair Race

Level: Key Stage 2

Purpose:

To develop students’ creative thinking and help students generate new ideas,

explore possibilities and discover alternatives

Context:

The Jade Emperor wanted to measure time and decided to have a race to

decide on the order of the Chinese Zodiac. Buddha found the results of the

race strange and would like to find out why.

9

What I predicted

before reading

the myth

Give a star “��” to

the animal that ran

faster than you

expected and a cross

“X” to the one

slower than what

you expected.

What I found out after reading the story

Positions of animals: Positions of animals: Guess why. Be creative!

1st : 1st : Rat

2nd : 2nd :

3rd : 3rd :

4th : 4th :

5th : 5th :

6th : 6th :

7th : 7th :

8th : 8th :

9th : 9th :

10th : 10th :

11th : 11th :

12th : 12th :

13th :

To activate

students’ prior

knowledge

about animals

To help

students

think creativelyand

generate

new ideas

To search and

re-read to establish

and confirm

meaning

Example: An Unfair Race

Students are asked to predict the resulting positions of different animals in the

running race and read the text to find out if their guesses are correct.

To develop

students’

reading skills

and strategies

10

To practise giving reasons using

the connective ‘because’


Students take turns to be interviewed by “animals” from other groups and to

interview them. They use the note cards to record information they collect about

the race.

To provide

opportunities for

purposeful communicationand

collaboration among students

11

To consolidate the use of the

connective ‘because’ in

giving reasons to express

personal opinions

To develop

students’

critical thinking skills


Students are guided to solve the problems of the unfair race for the animals.

They are encouraged to brainstorm creative solutions for Buddha.

12

Developing Vocabulary Building Skills

• Promoting learner independence through thedevelopment of lifelong language learningskills and strategies such as vocabularybuilding skills, phonic skills and informationskills

• Providing opportunities for the mastery of theenabling skills through purposeful tasks andin meaningful contexts

• Encouraging learners to read extensively toacquire vocabulary in natural contexts,especially the high frequency words

13

English Language Curriculum Guide (Primary 1-6), pp.164-171

Developing Vocabulary Building Skills

� Guessing and inferring meaning

� Word formation

� Word association

� Organising vocabulary

� Using vocabulary books

14

Resource Packagehttp://cd1.edb.hkedcity.net/cd/eng/vocab09/index.htm

Enhancing English

Vocabulary Learning

and Teaching at Primary

Level

15

Learning and Teaching Phonics in Context

� Incorporate phonics teaching into the school

English programme instead of adopting and

implementing a separate phonics programme

� Teach and practise phonics in the GE

Programme as well as Reading Workshops

through short, interesting and purposeful

activities and games (e.g. funny rhymes,

phonics tic-tac-toe)

English Language Curriculum Guide (Primary 1-6), pp.171-17416

Strategies and Activities to Maximize Pleasurable Learning Experiences (SAMPLE)

Phonics in Action

Resource Packageshttp://resources.edb.gov.hk/phonics/

17

How are Reading

Workshops

implemented at

KS1 and KS2?

Does the school

provide a wide

range of

interesting and

quality texts in

the school library?

Have we collaborated

with the school

librarian to provide

opportunities for

students to read

meaningfully?

Strengthening a ‘reading to learn’ culture

How could we help

students develop a

good reading habit

and interests in

reading?18

Junior

Secondary

• Exposure to a wide

range of print and

non-print texts

• Introduce elements

of Language Arts

• Extensive reading

and viewing

Senior

Secondary

• Exposure to a

widened range of

more complex text

• Elective modules

(Language Arts & Non-

Language Arts)

Primary

• Exposure to a range

of text types

• Incorporation of

Reading Workshops

into the School-

based English

Language

Curriculum

Reading Journey across Key Stages

19

Text TypesCategories of Text Types

Examples of Text Types for Key Stage 1

Additional Examples of Text Types for Key Stage 2

Narrative Texts • Cartoons and comics• Diaries• Fables and fairy tales• Poems• Stories

• Autobiographies• Biographies• Myths• Plays• Tongue twisters

Information Texts

• Labels• Menus• Notices• Picture dictionaries• Rules• Signs• Time-tables

• Announcements• Children’s encyclopedias• Dictionaries• Directories• Maps and legends• News reports• Pamphlets

Exchanges • Cards• Conversations• Personal letters

• Emails• Formal letters• Telephone conversations

Procedural Texts

• Directions• Instructions

• Procedures• Recipes

Explanatory Texts

• Captions• Illustrations

• Explanations of how and why

Persuasive Texts

• Advertisements• Posters

• Brochures• Discussions• Expositions

English Language Curriculum Guide (Primary 1-6) (CDC, 2004), p.1720

Longman Express 5A Unit 5

Teaching the structure of

different text types explicitly

21

Five Teaching Strategies for Reading

Story

telling

Share

d R

eading

Reading

Aloud

Sup

ported R

eading

Ind

epe

ndent

Reading

KS1

KS2

English Language Curriculum Guide (Primary 1-6), p. A2922

�Ensure progressive development of reading skills

�Provide opportunities for students to develop their creativity and critical thinking skills

� Introduce the features of different text types explicitly

Strategies to Enhance Students’ Literacy Skills

Enhancing the implementation of

READING Workshops

�Explicit teaching of text features

�Providing flexibility for students to write freely

�Sharing assessment criteria with students

Improving students’

WRITING skills through

coherent unit planning

23

Creating a Conducive Language

Learning Environment

24

RTHK radio programme – The Sunday Smile

http://app1.rthk.org.hk/special/sundaysmile/

25

• Arouse students’ curiosity andinterests in observing language use inthe school campus and the real world

• Give assignments which requirestudents to make use of the materialsdisplayed in the school and outsideschool

• Encourage students to watch TVprogrammes or listen to radioprogrammes in English

• Encourage students to take part inEnglish activities

• Set up Reading Award Schemes

• Nurture a school reading culture

through role-modelling of teachersand the school head

Role of Curriculum LeadersRole of the

English Panel Chairperson

Widening the Space of

Learning and Teaching English

26

Why am I

assessing?

What am I

assessing?

How can I

ensure quality

in the

assessment

process?

What

assessment

method should I

use?

How can I

use the

information

from the

assessment?

Rethinking of Classroom Assessment

27

Modes of Assessment in the Primary English Classroom

Modes of Assessments

Learning Tasks and Activities

Assessment Tasks

Shared Writing and

Process Writing

Proects

Oral Presentations

Homework

Examinations

Dictation

Conferencing

28

Promoting Assessment for / as Learning

• An integral part of learning-teaching-assessment cycle

• Sharing learning intentions and success criteria with learners

• Using different modes of assessment

• Making use of assessment data (e.g. TSA data, internal assessment data) to help review

- expectation of students’ learning

- content of learning

- strategies to enhance learning

• Providing quality feedback to enhance learning

English Language Curriculum Guide (Primary 1-6)(2004), pp. 191-20129

For improvement

• Identifying learners’ strengths

and weaknesses in order to

enhance learning and teaching

For accountability

• Reporting learners’ attainment

against the learning targets and

objectives

Why

assessing?

Assessment for / as LearningAssessment of Learning

Assessment of Learning vs Assessment for / as Learning

Mainly learners and teachersMainly school heads, teachers

and parents

Whom to

inform?

Providing quality feedback for

learners, which entails timely

support and enrichment, and

helping teachers review the

learning objectives, lesson

plans and teaching strategies

Assessing learners’

performance and progress

against the learning targets

and objectives

What to

focus?

Promoting Assessment for Learning in English Language Education at Primary Level (2004), p.5 30

Giving feedback / Peer assessment

(Lesson 10)

Give one suggestion:

Group work:

Assessment for / as Learning

31

Giving feedback through

Peer assessment

Individual work:

Peer assessment

Constructive feedback

Sharing the assessment criteria with students

Role of teacher: Role of students:

- Identifying students’

strengths and

weaknesses

- Providing

constructive

feedback

- Making reflection

on their own

learning, especially

the writing skills

- Making

improvement

based on feedback

from teachers and

peers

32

Using Dictation to Develop Pupils’

Listening and Writing Skills

Promoting Assessment for Learning

in English Language Education

at Primary Level

Resource Packages

ETV Programme on “Providing

Quality Feedback”

33

Catering for Learner Diversity

• Using different strategies (e.g. differentiation, flexible grouping, project learning, open-ended learning tasks and activities) to cater for the diverse needs, abilities and interests of learners

• Providing opportunities for learners to use a combination of their intelligences (e.g. verbal and linguistic, visual and spatial, bodily and kinesthetic, interpersonal)

34

Using a variety of resources in the English lessons

Self-directed learning

- e-dictionary

- reading and

grammar practices

- language games

Inside the classroom

- e-books

- websites

(e.g. WLTS, PEERS, One-stop portal)

- video clips

Should I mainly use the textbook materials?

35

Development of E-learning

E-textbook Market Development Scheme (EMADS)

• To develop interactive and diversified e-textbooks for betterlearning and teaching

• To generate the experiences of building schools’ capacity inincorporating e-learning into learning and teaching

• A Recommended Textbook List for e-textbooks available inthe 2014/15 school year covering all the subjects of KeyStages 1 to 3

• A Partner Schools Scheme set up to field-test the e-textbooks and collect feedback to enhance the design andquality of e-textbooks to cater for learner diversity

36

ToolsResources

Contents

Learning Process

Tools

Resources

Contents

Learning and Teaching

37

傳統作業Traditional

轉化作業Translation

EEEE----textbookstextbookstextbookstextbooks

變革作業Transformation

38

EEEE----learninglearninglearninglearning

E-textbooks vs E-learning

http://www.hkpl.gov.hk/tc_chi/coll

ections/services_er/services_er_wa

e/services_er_wae.html

Hong Kong

Public Libraries Resources

41

E-learning English Resources

EDB One-stop Portal

http://minisite.proj.hkedcity.net/edbosp-eng/eng/home.html42

E-learning English Resources

Primary English E-learning Resources (PEER)

http://peer.edb.hkedcity.net/43

� Build up a resource bank with teaching plans, learning tasks and resource materials developed by teachers

� Introduce EDB resource packages to teachers

Managing Resources

Human resources

� Appoint level coordinators to help with horizontal coordination

� Deploy the NET effectively

Learning and teaching resources

Management of funds and grants

� English Extensive Reading Grant to procure reading materials

� Capacity Enhancement Grant to focus on critical tasks

� English Enhancement Grant Scheme for Primary Schools to facilitate the implementation of the school-based curriculum

44

Curriculum Leaders

Initiate curriculum changes, collaborate with the English Panel in developing a balanced school-based English language curriculum

Formulate school-based assessment policies with the English Panel

Conduct holistic planning based on student needs to ensure smooth transition between key stages of learning (interface)

Create conducive language learning environment to promote the learning and use of English Language

Provide space and support to support the professional development of English teachers

Manageresources to facilitate L& T of English

Roles of Curriculum Leaders in your school’s

English Language Education

45

More Information

• General – circulars, training calendar, links, etc. http://www.edb.gov.hk

• Quicker access to information regarding the English Language Education Key Learning Area – training opportunities, references & resources, etc. http://www.edb.gov.hk/index.aspx?langno=1&nodeID=2402

• English Language Education Section, CDI

Room 1206, 12/F., Wu Chung House, 213 Queen’s Rd. East,

Wan Chai, HK (Fax: 2834 7810)

Ms Wendy TSANG (Tel: 2892 6570)

Ms Isabella HUNG (Tel: 2892 5874)

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