THANH HOA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING TINH GIA 2 HIGH SCHOOL EXPERIENCE INITIATIVE APPLYING SENTENCE FRAMES & SENTENCE STARTERS TO SPEAKING AND LISTENING TEACHING IN UNIT 2, EX
Trang 1
THANH HOA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING TINH GIA 2 HIGH SCHOOL
EXPERIENCE INITIATIVE
APPLYING SENTENCE FRAMES & SENTENCE STARTERS TO
SPEAKING AND LISTENING TEACHING IN UNIT 2,
EXPERIMENTARY ENGLISH TEXTBOOK 10, AND UNIT 1,
EXPERIMENTARY ENGLISH TEXTBOOK 11
Author: LE THI LIEN
Position: Teacher
Subject: English
THANH HOA, 2017
Trang 2TABLE OF CONTENTS
3 3 Applying Sentence starters and sentence frames in teaching
unit 2 (Grade 10) & Unit 1 (Grade 11)
4-9
Reference books
Appendix 1
Appendix 2
Appendix 3
Appendix 4
Appendix 5
Appendix 6
Appendix 7
Trang 3I- INTRODUCTION
1 Rationale
It goes without saying that English has developed into a world language It is considered international because of its significance in cultural aspects in not only former Bitish colonies but also in other countries due to integration Besides, English is regarded as global thanks to the dominance of the language
in this information technology age It is a common knowledge that any modern citizen of this rapidly growing twenty-first century mastering the English language is determined to overpower those who do not Still, there remain some opponents of this trend who decide to go against the flow to probably avoid the domination of the language and its culture Notwithstandingly, any practical and serious thinking individual could easily tell how that conservative idea is hardly working at this point now that English has been deeply rooted and undoubtedly here-to-stay in our society In other words, one, needless to say, greatly depends
on English to survive and thrive in this contemporary world
The teaching and learning of English; therefore, has been immensely concentrated around the globe English language is even separated into four distinctive skills to be easily taught to non-native speakers of English As a child, we learn to listen before we speak, so it is fairly clear that input should come first before output Novel movements in teaching English language also share the same opinion on placing more attention to the communicative purpose
of the language by focusing on Listening and Speaking
Reality has showed inconsiderable improvement in learners’ speaking and listening skills accompanied by a bitter truth of these two skills remaining a struggle for English learners
The apparently undesirable situation of teaching and learning speaking and listening skills has triggered a passionate need in every teacher or instructor of English language to invent new ideas to combat the problem As one myself, I have been concerned enough to detect and apply effective techniques to enhancing students’ speaking and listening skills at Tinh Gia 2 High School in many units in Experimentary English textbook, with the aim of enabling my students to easily obtain what they are learning about
In what follows I shall concentrate on the application of Sentence Starters & Sentence Frames (SS & SF) in teaching unit 2 Listening lesson, experimentary English textbook 10 & Unit1 Speaking lesson, experimentary English textbook
11, by Pearson
Trang 42 Aims of the study
My theme focuses on making clear about some issues below:
-What do Sentence Starters or Sentence Frames (SS & SF) benefit the language learners?
-How are SS & SF applied?
3 Objects of the study
The objects chosen for my study and application are 10th & 11th grade students
of classes 10B7, 11A8, 10C7, 11B7 in Tinh Gia 2 High School, Thanh Hoa province in two school years These students are eligible to focus on speaking and listening skills before their main subjects in the National Examination and English is not really their interest; therefore, they complete the activities in their English text book in an active way
4 Methods of the study
The methodololgy used in this experience initiative is experimental Groups of
168 high school students of 4 classes 10B7, 10C7, 11A8, 11B7 in Tinh Gia 2 high school were involved in the two studies The applications for classes 10B7, 11A8 were in school year 2015-2016, and 10C7, 11B7 were in school yearo 2016-2017, a pair of 10B7 and 10C7, a pair of 11A8 and 11B7 compared with each other
The study is intended to better inform the way teachers prepare SS & SF and to see to what degree the benefits of applying SS & SF extend beyond the groups without any designed activities
My study is conducted by qualitative methods, including
- collecting information about the theme
- practicing teaching
- observing and assessing
- analyzing data
By using the combination of these methods, my theme will make clear the questions in this topic, and reach effectively the targets of the essay
Trang 5II- CONTENTS OF THE STUDY
1 Theoretical background
According to Linda L Evans, Sentence Frames or Sentence Starters are effective means utilized to build background knowledge as well as to consolidate materials Even as native English speakers we sometimes struggle with just the right word to explain, describe, clarify, or elicidate what we want to convey We always understand more than we can speak One of the best ways to engage English language learners (ELL) in actively acquiring new material is to connect their background knowledge to the new topic So, lets give them some sentence frames or starters to help them use language.[1]
2 Practical background
It is a matter of fact that the new English textbook, applied experimentarily in some Vietnamese high schools, is a project- based design, including 10 units and 4 reviews Each unit is relevant to a certain topic and is divided into Getting started, Language, Reading, Speaking, Listening, Writing skills, Communication
& Culture, and Looking back & Project Most of the topics in the books grade 10-12 are designed with real-life situations and modern life in society Curricula attract and motivate the learners a lot However, the amount of vocabulary and activities in almost the lessons require a better level of language learners That’s why, not few teachers have been trying hard to find suitable teaching supplimentary means and, to a certain extent, these means can fulfil the aim of helping students understand and know thoroughly the contents of the lessons Nevertheless, how will the class be if these techniques are applied in all the lessons? Will the students find it motivating enough to acquire knowledge? Will the completing tasks in the text book help students learn how to take initiative , build their confidence, solve problems, communicate ideas, and manage themselves more effectively? Will the students have chance to build important skills such as critical thinking, collaboration, communication in a variety of media, and speaking as well as presentation skill? More important, will the students be confident enough to be connected with comunities and the real world
in the target language?
SS & SF bearing many good points as mentioned above can help language learning reduce more and more stress I, therefore, forcedly implemented SS &
SF in teaching many units, of which Unit 2 Listening lesson, Experimantary English textbook 10, and Unit 1 Speaking lesson, Experimentary English textbook 11, brought my students and my teaching as well much joyful experience
Trang 63 Applying SS & SF in teaching Unit 2, Listening skill, New English textbook 10 and Unit 1, Speaking skill, New English textbook 11
The kinds of SS & SF can be varied, depending on the real situation in terms of students’ ability and the content of each unit By my experience in learning and teaching English, I have successfully applied some kinds of SS &
SF in teaching many units Below are some SS & SF-applied activities extracted
in two units to illustrate the way I experienced in school year 2016-2017
3.1 Applying SS&SF in unit 2, listening skill (Page 21), English 10.
In Unit 2, English 10, Listening skill (Page 21), SS & SF, used as an effective means in Act 4 and Act 5, are designed to help students divide the plate of the food pyramid in the simplest way but the least time-consuming and summarize the plate of food pyramid they have learnt easily
To illustrate the way I applied the techniques, I extract activities implemented
in the lesson plan
UNIT 2: YOUR BODY AND YOU Lesson 5: LISTENING SKILL: “The Food Pyramid”
V Procedures
Teacher’s activities Students’ activities
Activity 3: (12ms)
Aim: To check students’ comprehension
-Help sts underline key words for each
sentence
-underline key words Key words:
1.The Healthy Eating Pyramid is
a complex guide of choosing your diet
2.Daily exercises and weight control are key to staying healthy according to the Pyramid
3.You are advised to eat more things on the top of the Pyramid 4.It’s suggested that half of your plate consists of vegetables and fruit
5.Fish, poultry, beans and nuts
Trang 7-Have sts guess the answer basing on their
background knowledge
-Have students listen to the recording once,
require to take notes during their listening
-Have sts to listen to for the 2nd time
-Check some sts about their taking notes
-Call on students to check their answers
-Give feedback:
-Explain sentence 5 to sts (because it is the
most difficult and the key to do Act 4)
-Lead in Act 4
-*Activity 4: (5ms)
Aim: To develop students’ skill in
listening for specific information.
-Have students listen again to divide the
plate into sections with the right labels of
foods they hear
-Provide sts with sentence starters on screen
of the projector to enable them to have
anwers easily and correctly
SENTENCE STARTERS………
1 In our daily diet, half of the plate should
be………
2 A quarter of the plate should be
…………., and ……… should be
the other half of the dinner plate -Guess the answer
-Listen to the recording and take notes
-Do as required
Key Act 3
1 The Healthy Eating Pyramid
is a complex guide of choosing your diet->F(simple)
2 Daily exercises and weight control are key to staying healthy according to the Pyramid.->T
3 You are advised to eat more things on the top of the Pyramid.->F (bottom)
4 It’s suggested that half of your plate consists of vegetables and fruit ->T
5 Fish, poultry, beans and nuts the other half of the dinner plate ->F ( a quarter)
-Listen to the recording again
-use Sentence starters to give answers
Trang 8the other quarter.
-Call on some sts to read aloud sentence
starters
-*Activity 5: ( 5ms)
Aim: To wrap up the listening with an
expansion to writing using the knowledge
and information students have just
learnt.
-Provide sts with sentence starters by
handouts or on screen of the projector to
check their comprehension
SENTENCE STARTERS………
(Appendix 1)
1 1.Three important group of food to stay
healthy are………
2 2.Daily exercises and weight control are
…………
3 3.In your daily diet, half of the plate
should be……
4 4.Whole grains should make
up…………
5 5.Fish, poultry, beans and nuts
………
-Have sts work in pairs/groups to complete
sentence starters
-Call on someone to read aloud their answer
-Give feedback
-Ask sts to write down and study at home
-Key Activity 4
-See the SS&SF given and do as required
-work in pairs/groups
-Write down and self-study at home
Vegetables, fruits
Grains Protein Fat
\\
Trang 9
3.2 Applying SS&SF in unit 1, Speaking/ skill (Page 11), English 11.
In Unit 1, English 11, Speaking skill (Page 11), SS & SF are designed after Act
2 (Further activity) to check students’ acquisition of phrases learnt which are
key words &phrases and ideas as well used to practise in Act 3
To illustrate the way applied the technique, I extract the Act implemented in the lesson plan
UNIT 1 – THE GENERATION GAP Lesson 4 – Speaking: “What are conflicts about?”
V Procedures:
Teacher’s activities Students’ activities
II While- speaking:
*Activity 2: (7 ms)
Aim: To focus on the ideas and useful
language that Sts can use in Act 3 when they
talk about their problems with parents.
- Introduce the task
- Ask Ss to read the list of things teenagers and
their parents complain about
- Ask sts to work individually to tick the
complain they hear in their family
- Encourage Ss to add some more complains if
they can
- Go around to observe and help sts with any
new language they may need to express their
ideas
- Ask some sts to talk about their ideas after the
model by the teacher (as parents) and two good
students (as children)
Model:
T: My children dress badly and have ugly
hairstyles
St 1: My parents don’t respect my privacy
St 2: my parents don’t listen to my opinions
- Listen and give feedback: answers can vary
- Listen to the T
- Read the list
- Tick the conflicts they have in their family
- Add some more if possible
- Listen to and talk about their ideas
Trang 10* Further activity: (4ms) Game playing
Aim: To give chance for sts to repeat conflicts
between parents and children happening
almost in families, also to help them engrave
useful language for confident practice
-Introduce the game
-Divide the class into 6 groups of 7
-Numerate the members in each group
(No 1, 3, 5, 7 are children No 2, 4, 6 are
parents Sts as parents sit near one another,
given Handouts (SS & SF) of uncompleted
sentences of complaining about their children,
so do Sts as children)
-Ask sts to close books, give out SS & SF
Handouts, and tell them what to do
-Check up what Sts have to do
Handouts: (Appendix 2)
Groups of parents
N2 My children ……….and have
ugly hairstyles
N4 My children spend………on their
………and computers
N6 My children don’t ………
Groups of chldren
N1 My parents don’t let me ………I
want
N3 My parents don’t respect………
N5 My parents want me to ………
N7 My parents keep……….with their
friends’ children
-Have sts to work in groups
-Go round & help
-Call on pairs (N1 with N2, and so on) to
represent before class
-Give feedback
-Ask Sts to exchange their SS & SF with the
other role, and give them time to get ideas
-* Activity 3: (10 ms)
introduction
-Get SS& SF Handouts -Respond
-Discuss and help one another
-work in pairs
-Listen to -Exchange handouts
Trang 11
- Introduce the task
- Get Ss to read the “Helpful expressions”
(Explain some phrases if necessary)
- Ask Ss to work in pairs practice talking about
the problems they have with their parents and
giving advice, using SS & SF Handouts given in
Act 2
- Go around to help sts if necessary
-Ask some pairs to role-play their conversation
- Listen and give feedback on their performance
- Listen to the teacher
- Read the expressions
- Work in pairs
- Do the role-play
-4 Results of applying SS & SF in teaching unit 2, English 10, and unit 1, English 11.
The fact that New English textbooks 10 and 11 are only experimented in some classes narrows me from my assessing results However, application was carried out in two classes for each unit, 10B7 (2015-2016) with 10C7 (2016-2017), and 11A8 (2015-2016) with 11B7 (2016-2017) Undoubtedly, the SS&SF-applied classes produced better results compared with classes without this application
In order to assess the effectiveness of applying SS & SF to teaching unit 2, Listening skill (English 10), I conducted a thirty-minute test for paragraph-writing (Appendix 3), also for Unit 1, Speaking skill (English 11) with a fifteen-minute oral test (Appendix 4), and then I compared the scores, analyzed the data
by a table of score levels (Appendix 5)
Before using this technique, most of my students could traditionally complete all the taks in the text book, with the help of their teacher However, they easily forgot the vocabularies, the topic as well as the contents of the unit It seemed that after each lesson, students did not really understand the deeplysinked part in the unit
Clearly, when applying applying SS & SF to teaching in general and teaching two units in particular, my students enjoyed working together to create their groups’ outcomes, they seemed to be very eager for each unit because they remembered main ideas and useful language to communicate with friends and teacher in English with confidence
Here, I felt the sense that activities were done more easily with the support of vocabulary or repetition of useful languages they had chance to embed during their experience In detail, when students did the 15 minute test for listening skill, they gave their answers faster and more correctly Therefore, they could use foreign language to give advice for a better diet, basing on knowledge learnt
in the food pyramid Also, students presented their talking about conflicts with fewer mistakes but more confidence and activeness thanks to vocabulary and key phrases engraved