HELPING STUDENTS UNDERSTAND THE MEANING OF WORDS IN CONTEXT FOR “TIENG ANH 11” IN NONG CONG 3 SCHOOL

The main technique I used for my activities were to brainstorm the ideas to fill in the “mind map” The following is the full description of how I helped my students understandthe meaning

SỞ GIÁO DỤC VÀ ĐÀO TẠO THANH HÓA

TRƯỜNG THPT NÔNG CỐNG 3

Tên đề tài sáng kiến kinh nghiệm:

HELPING STUDENTS UNDERSTAND THE MEANING OF WORDS

IN CONTEXT FOR “TIENG ANH 11” IN NONG CONG 3 SCHOOL

Môn: Tiếng Anh

Tên tác giả: Vũ Ngọc Văn

Tổ: Ngoại ngữ

Số điện thoại: 0354548888

Năm học: 2018-2019

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PART I: INTRODUCTION

PART II: ACTIVITIES

PART III: CONCLUSION

PART I: INTRODUCTION

1 The need of teaching words in context

Teaching new words always plays an important part in teaching the wholelesson Because words are the bricks that help students build their house ofEnglish However, many teachers have the habit of teaching isolated words.Actually, they have used many techniques of teaching words, but the wordspresented by the teachers are not in the same contexts with the words in thelessons Moreover, we all know that words and phrases have differentmeanings in different contexts As a result, it is difficult for students tounderstand the true meaning of the words in the lessons In addition,students feel that it is really difficult for them to remember the words Thisleads to the fact that students are lack of motivation for learning new words.And they feel that learning words are really boring because there is nolinking between the words in the lessons and the words presented by theteachers Therefore, in each lesson I have tried my best to help my studentsunderstand the meaning of words in the lesson context

2 In what ways were my activities carried out?

In the school year 2018-2019, I was responsible for teaching grade 11 So,

in this paper I would like to deal with the lessons only in Textbook “ Tieng

Anh 11” Here are the description and the purpose of each activity.

Activity1:

At this state teacher led students to the context by giving the topic of thelesson or the main content of the lesson to activate students’ backgroundknowledge The reason for doing this was that students were motivated toget interest in the topic and had ideas of words related to the topic

Activity 2:

At this state students were given some suggested questions by the teacher,they were step by step led to this context to another one by the teacher’sinstructions The keys words in each lesson were underlined And the

lessons which I used “ the power point” to present, the keys words were

both underlined and changed the colour in red to make students easier tonotice In some cases, students understood the contexts and the meaning ofwords, but they did not know how to express in English, I myself helpedthem know what those words in English were As a result, their words weredeveloped in a natural way Therefore, they were eager to learn new words

because they found no difficulties in understanding and remembering.Besides, this not only helped students understand the new words but alsohelped students have the prediction of the content of the lesson that theywould learn

The main technique I used for my activities were to brainstorm the ideas to fill in the “mind map”

The following is the full description of how I helped my students understandthe meaning of words in context in each lesson in “ Tieng Anh 11” in Nông Công 3 School

PART II: ACTIVITIES

UNIT 1: FRIENDSHIP

A READING

In this lesson, students were led to the context of “ THE FRIENDSHIP” From the context, I asked students some questions to activate their

background knowledge of friendship to complete a mind map.

Question 1: Do you have any friends?

From the word “ friend”, I taught my students the word “ acquaintance”.Question 2: What qualities are necessary for true friendship?

Students gave some qualities of true friendship However, Some words were only given in Vietnamese, I helped my students understand what those words in English were

* The mind map

UNIT 2: PERSONAL EXPERIENCES

A READING:

From the fact that teenagers tend to have their own idols, I led students to the context by asking questions:

1.Do you have your own idol?

2 Dou you immediate his/ her in different ways?

Students answered my questions about her/ his own idol and in what ways they liked to immediate her own idol After that I said that in this lesson theywould read a story about a girl who wanted to have a hat like her idol’s one Her father knew this and gave her some money so that she could buy the onefor herself Next, students were divided into groups and were asked to build

a story based on the pictures in the textbook Each student in the group who were chosen to tell the story completed the story they had built During the time students told the story I helped them to understand the meaning of some new words based on the pictures

Picture d: > idol

Picture b: > floppy cotton hat

Picture f: > glance > sneaky; not making a fuss > take the money back

C LISTENING:

In this lesson students were led to the context of a fire They were told to listen to Christina who would tell the audience about her unforgettable experience that she had witnessed The experience was that her house caughtfire during the night time when she was very small Then students were asked to look at the picture in the textbook and to answer some questions to

complete the “mind map”.

Question 1: What do you think were the causes of the fire?

Question 2: How did she feel when she saw the fire?

Question 3: Who do you think she was the first person that she called when she saw the fire?

* The mind map

A HOUSE CAUGHT FIRE

causes of the fire

UNIT 3: A PARTY

A READING:

In this lesson, students were led to the context by looking the pictures in the

textbook and answering the teacher’s questions to complete the “mind

map”.

Question 1:

1 On what occasions are parties held?

2 What is the relationship between the people in the pictures?

3 What are they doing?

* The mind map

C LISTENING:

In this lesson, students were led to the context by answering the questions in

the textbook to complete the “mind map”.

Question 1: What do you usually do to prepare your birthday party?

Question 2: What foods and drinks are often severed at your birthday party?

Question 2: What activities do you often have at your birthday party?

* The mind map

open presents

saying “ happy birthday

to the host”

preparing the birthday cake with

UNIT 4: VOLUNTEER WORK

Question 1: What do American students do as volunteers?

Question 2: What are the words in the passage related to the word “

volunteer”?

* Volunteer work: Working in hospitals, orphanages or homes

for the

aged Helping disadvantaged children or handicapped children, give care and comfort to them

* Volunteer (n): Voluntary ( adj)

Voluntarily( adv)

Volunteer( v)

C LISTENING:

In this lesson, students were told to listen to a talk about a school for

disadvantaged children in Ho Chi Minh city Then students were asked to

answer the teacher’s questions to complete the “mind map”.

Question 1: Who are students in Spring School?

Question 2: How is money raised to support charities in Spring School?Question 3: Who set up classes in Spring School?

* The mind map

SPRING SCHOOL

disadvantaged children fund-raising activities

Organisation for Educational Development co-operates with Spring School set up the classes

UNIT 6: COMPETITIONS

A READING:

In this lesson, students were told that they would read a passage about an

English competition in a high school Then students were led to the context

by answering the questions to complete the “mind map”.

Question 1: How often is the English competition held in your school?

Question 2: What is the purpose of the competition?

Question 3: What do we call in English the students who are chosen to take part in the competition?

* The mind map

ENGLISH COMPETITIO N

representatives

UNIT 7: WORLD POPULATION

A READING.

In this lesson, students were told that they would read a passage about

WOLRD POPULATION Then students were led to the context by

answering the questions to complete the “mind map”

Question 1: Do you know what the population of the world in 1850, 1950,

1985, and 2000?

Question 2: Can women in the world limit the size of their families?

Question 3: How does the government help them in family planning?

* The mind map

B SPEAKING.

In this lesson, students were told that they would talk about WOLRD

POPULATION Then students were led to the context by answering the

questions to complete the “mind map”

Question 1: What are the causes of population explosion?

Question 2: Can you list the problems facing poor and overpopulated

the size of their families

safe birth- control

methods

WOLRD POPULATION

C LISTENING

In this lesson, students were told to listen to a world population expert

talking about the world population Then students were asked to answer the

teacher’s questions to complete the “mind map”.

Question 1: Which country has the population ranked the first?

Question 2: What problem does population explosion cause to the world?

* The mind map

WOLRD POPULATION

China ranks the first

problems population explosion cause to the world

illiteracy

lack of hospitals and schools/ shortage of food / poor living conditions particularly in

developing countries

UNIT 8: CELEBRATIONS

A READING

In this lesson, students were watched to a video clip about Tet Then

students were asked to answer the teacher’s questions to complete the “mind

map”.

Question 1: When is Tet?

Question 2: What activities do people usually do at Tet?

Question 3:What are special things at Tet?

Question 4: What do people prepare for Tet?

* The mind map

activities

when

special things

visit

relatives

eating special foods

receiving lucky money

go to pagoda to

pray

between 19 th January and 20 th February

grandest

and most important occasion

for agrarian people, the start of a new year

flowers ( apricot blossom, peach blossom )

candied fruits ( sugared apples, plums

Banh chung

preparations

streets decorated with

colored lights and red

banners

decorating the house

B SPEAKING

In this lesson, students were told that they would talk about popular holidays

and celebrations in Vietnam and in the world Then students were asked to

look at the pictures in the textbook and answer the teacher’s questions to

complete the “mind map”.

Question 1: What are the holidays and celebrations?

Question 2: What is the purpose of each celebration?

Question 3: What are main activities in each celebration?

* The mind map

children wear

masks, parade in the streets

C LISTENING

In this lesson, students were told to listen to how people celebrate the New

Year in Japan Then students were asked to answer the teacher’s questions

to complete the “mind map”.

Question 1: What activities do people usually do on New Year Days in

Japan?

Question 2:What are special things on New Year Days in Japan?

Question 3: What do people prepare on New Year in Japan?

* The mind map

UNIT 9: THE POST OFFICE

A READING

NEW YEAR IN JAPAN activities

special things

put on special clothes

decorate the house

with pine trees

In this lesson, students were told that they would read a passage about Thanh

Ba post office Then students were asked to answer the teacher’s questions

to complete the “mind map”.

Question 1: What services do you think the post office offers?

Question 2: What do you know about fax machine?

Question 3: Who do you work with when you go to the post office?

* The mind map

the post office staff

THE POST OFFICE

send a document

not lose its original shape

courteou

s ( helpful)

C LISTENING

In this lesson, students were told to listen to some information about the

development of Vietnam’s telephone system over the past few years Then

students were asked to answer the teacher’s questions to complete the

“mind map”.

Question 1: How has Vietnam developed its telephone system over the past

few years ?

Question 3: What do you know about the mobile phone system in Vietnam?

* The mind map

more than

2,000,000

suscribers

upgrade its telephone system

almost communes have

post offices

develop the rural network

the growth in the capacity of the mobile system

UNIT 10: NATURE IN DANGER

A READING

In this lesson, students were told that they would read a passage about THE

NATURE IN DANGER Then students were asked to answer the teacher’s

questions to complete the “mind map”.

Question : What have human beings done with the environment, animals andplants?

* The mind map

endangered species

plants

cutting down

flood and drought

B SPEAKING

In this lesson, students were watched some pictures about some reasons why nature is threatened Then students were asked to answer the teacher’s

questions to complete the “mind map”.

* The mind map

C LISTENING

In this lesson, students were told to listen to the tape about National Parks in America Then students were asked to answer the teacher’s questions to

complete the “mind map”.

Question 1: What are the purposes of the National Parks?

Question 2: Can you list some reasons why National Parks are destroyed?

* The mind map

THE REASONS WHY NATURE IS THREATENED

killed for fur , skin , and

food

hunting or capturing

animals for recreation and

entertainment

using fertilizers and

pesticides for cultivation discharging chemicals

pollutants

UNIT 11: SOURCES OF ENERGY

A READING

In this lesson, students were told that they would read a passage about

SOUCES OF ENERGY Then students were asked to look at the pictures

and answer the teacher’s questions to complete the “mind map”.

Question 1: What source of energy does each picture refer to?

Question 2: What is advantage and disadvantage of each picture?

* The mind map

animals are

down

devastating fires

C LISTENING

In this lesson, students were told to listen to the tape about natural

environment Then students were asked to answer the teacher’s questions to

complete the “mind map”.

Question 1: What is natural environment?

Question 2: How many groups are resources divided into?

clean and safe

fossil fuels

limited

exhausted in a relative short time

* The mind map

NATURAL RESOUCES

important ( vital) the ecologists study their

importance

divided into two groups

renewable

non-renewable

UNIT 12: THE ASIAN GAMES

A READING

In this lesson, students were told that they would read a passage about THE ASIAN GAMES Then students were asked to answer the teacher’s

questions to complete the “mind map”.

Question 1: What is the purpose of the Asian Games?

Question 2: How have the Asian Games been through the history?

Question 3: How do Vietnamese athletes compete in different sports?

* The mind map

THE ASIAN GAMES

purposes

sports skill are

solidarity

Asian Games through the history

advancing in all aspects

C LISTENING

In this lesson, students were told to listen to the tape about THE ASIAN

GAME REPORT Then students were asked to look at the pictures and

answer the teacher’s questions to complete the “mind map”.

Question 1: What kind of sport in the third picture? What do we call the

player in English ?

Question 2: What is it under the man’s back in the first picture? What is he

going to do?

Question 3: What kind of sports in the second picture?

* The mind map

THE ASIAN GAMES REPORT