• Liu Po Shan Memorial College• Po Kok Secondary School• United Christian College (Kowloon East)

Curriculum Development Institute &Language Learning Support Section

15th June 2006

“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 onWorkshop & Sharing on

Using Fiction to Enhance the Using Fiction to Enhance the

InterfaceInterface

TTooppiicc OOvveerrvviieeww

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

• How to build up students’ schemata

• How to respond to the text

Refer to Curriculum Guides

Reading Skills

Inferring opinion and attitude ~ Reading between the lines ~ Reading beyond the lines Deducing meaning from

context Recognising function and

discourse patterns and markers

Skills for detailed comprehension and text analysis

2.

Predictive skills Extracting specific

information~ Reading the lines

Getting the general picture

Skills for treating the text as a whole

1.

Jeremy HarmerThe Practice of English Language Teaching

sounding out individual letters and combining them together

looking at letter sequence and chunks within words

Associating spoken sounds with printed letters by

Reading Strategies

pictorial clues contextual clues comparison --- what

they are going to read with their prior knowledge

Reading for meaning using

grammar (verb tense, s-v agreement …) spelling patterns and root words (suffixes, prefixes,

verb endings, plurals …)

Studying sentence structures and identifying unfamiliar words using knowledge of

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

Is it the same as recount text type?

• Its purpose is to present a view of the world that entertains or informs the reader.

• Novels and short storiesPrint 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

 

 

 

 

 

 

5 Elements

Characters

The people & their

relationship

Setting

Location & time

Style

Writing technique

s

Theme

Main idea(Message /

Coda)

Plot/story line

Actions and

events

The structure of a story 

 

Plot 

 

Initiating

event(s)

Orientation

ComplicationProblems & conflicts

Resolution (Outcome)

Climax

Seq

uen

ce o

f even

ts

P L

O T

Applying theories into practice

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?

Discussion

Please refer to handout

A plot figure

Main character

Setting

(place)

Significant

event(s)

Orientation

Settin

g (T

ime)

Significant event(s)

Resolution

Initiating event

Complication

Story outcome

Climax

A story map figure

King MidasKingdom

of LydiaMan

y ye

ars

ago

He washed himself in a magic river

His golden

touch was

taken away

Problem: Everything he touched became goldHis wish for having

more gold was

grantedcomplication

He got a

reward

His daughter became a

gold statue

Orientation

Orientation/Exposition Resolution

ComplicationMystery: •Why is the visit arranged?•What will happen to the children?

•Charlie •The Wonka factory

Rising acti

on

Rising acti

on

A series of e

vents

building up to th

e climax Charlie is the only

child left

Mr Wonka puts 5 golden tickets in the choco bars

Climax

Initiating event(s) Story outcome

Solution of mystery

A story map of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Charlie gets the last ticket with the money he picks up …

Augustus is sucked up … Falling action

A few

events

after the climax

Charlie inherits the factory

Using the plot structure to guide their summary writing

PPllaannnniinngg ttoo TTeeaacchh tthhee SSttoorryy

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? Generic skills?

What task(s) can be set?

What strategies / activities to use?

Theme

Special features

Language features

LLeessssoonn PPrroocceedduurre e

Pre-reading stage

Why? To activate learners’ schemata

How?Build up knowledge of the topicRecall 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 StageWhat? 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

AAccttiivviittiieess a anndd

SSttrraatteeggiieess

SSoorrtt tthheemm oouutt !

Please work in pairs.

Task:Classify the activities according

to focus and lesson stage

Refer to checklist for

classification and examples

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

Read not (only) to learn language, but to ENJOY!

Let’s Have a Break !

Teaching Examples from the Seed Schools

Po Kok Secondary School ~ Matilda (Print to non-print) Focuses: • Teaching reading strategies• Using extension activities

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

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

United Christian College (Kowloon East) ~ Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (Print and non-print fiction)Focuses: • Plot and characters• Language in context

A Summary

Enhancing the Interface Through Language Arts

ELECTIVES

CORE

LanguageArts

Non-LanguageArts

New Senior Secondary Curriculum

Preparation in S3

What do we need

to provide for students?

The Road to NSS

Exposure to a widerange of text-types,

both print and non-printExposure to Englishspeaking cultures

through imaginative texts

Encouragementto read and view

widely

Opportunities to give a personal response

to texts

Activities which involve Critical evaluation and higher-order thinking

Provide meaningfulgrammar practice

In context Teach specific features of texts

Encouragement to be creative

Opportunities to learn collaboration and

communication skills

Activities to enhance motivation

Opportunities to experiencedifferent forms of assessment

Opportunities to reflectupon and improve their

own performance

Quality feedback

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)