Seminar-cum-workshops on
Promoting the 3Cs and Quality Interaction
in the Primary English Classroom
Organised by English Language Education Section
Curriculum Development Institute
Education Bureau
Guest speakers from TELEC
Teachers of English Language Education Centre
The University of Hong Kong
March 2005
Aims of Seminar-cum-workshops
 To familiarize participants with the resource
package ‘Promoting Quality Interaction in the
Primary English Classroom’
 To introduce effective and flexible ways of using
the resource package for a series of schoolbased facilitator-led workshops
 To help participants gain a better understanding
of what interaction involves, and to enable them
to bring about quality interaction and the
development of 3Cs in their classrooms
2
Purpose of Package
To support the implementation of the English Language
Education Key Learning Area Curriculum Guide (P1-S3)
(CDC, 2002) and the English Language Curriculum Guide
(Primary 1-6) (CDC, 2004) by
 helping teachers of English to gain a better understanding
of what interaction involves in their classrooms*
 enabling teachers to bring about quality interaction in their
classrooms
 providing resource materials for promoting quality
interaction through school-based workshops and selfaccess learning
(*For “English for Classroom Interaction”, please refer to Appendix 4 pp.
A23 – A26 of the English Language Curriculum Guide (Primary 1-6) (CDC,
3
2004) )
Contents of Package
• 3 multimedia CD-ROMs containing
materials to help teachers generate quality
interaction in the English classroom
• A handbook for facilitators (facilitators’
guide and printable handouts for
participants)
4
Organisation of Sessions in the
CD-ROMs
 Session 1 – Developing good practices in
language teaching and learning
 Session 2 – Recognising and selecting appropriate
oral activities
 Session 3 – Generating interaction in the classroom:
the role of the teacher
 Session 4 – Analysing student interaction in the
classroom
 Session 5 – Improving the quality of classroom
interaction
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Components of Sessions
• Each session is divided into three
components: A, B & C.
• Component A is designed for facilitator-led
whole group sessions.
• Components B & C are designed for selfaccess use, for individuals or small groups
of teachers.
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Components, Options
and Time Required
Session 1
Option 1
[2.5 hours]
A
Option 2
[5 hours]
A+B
Option 3
[7.5 hours]
A+B+C
Session 2
A
A+B
A+B+C
Session 3
A
A+B
A+B+C
Session 4
A
A+B
A+B+C
Session 5
A
A+B
A+B+C
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Why focus on ‘interaction’?
 Language serves a social function for
interactive communication in everyday life.
(See p.142 of the English Language Curriculum Guide (Primary 1-6)
(CDC, 2004) )
 Students should be given the opportunity
to take risks, experiment with language
and develop their creativity.
 Language output is critical for language
development.
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Why do students need to
participate in interaction?
 When students are using language they are actively
involved in the negotiation of meaning. (See Tsui (1996))
 Using language enables learners to test hypotheses
which they have formed about language. (See Tsui (1996))
 Language learners need to have the opportunity to
take risks, be creative and experiment with language.
(See Rubin & Thompson (1983))
 Contributions by students help to create the content
of the lesson. (See Katz in Bailey and Nunan (1996))
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Interaction involves ...
 controlling one’s own language production
 making decisions and choices on the content of
their interaction and the way to express it
 using language in order to satisfy particular
demands
 using language under normal processing conditions
 having conditions that require participants to
reciprocate
 the participants in the management of interaction
 the negotiation of meaning
(Summary based on Bygate (1987))
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What is quality interaction?
 Using the target language to communicate
effectively with others in meaningful contexts
 Involving a two-way process with feedback
 Developing ability to clarify meanings during
interaction
 Communicating with each other for a purpose
 Developing language and skills that are useful
in real life
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How to promote quality interaction
Teachers should:
 provide activities which enable students to
develop the skills that will enable them to
participate in real-life situations; and
 provide a range of activities and task types to
help students develop the skills that enable
them to manage interaction in and beyond the
classroom.
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Promoting the 3Cs
Communication Skills
In learning to communicate effectively, learners
should learn to…
 identify purpose and context of communication
 convey a message in accordance with needs of
the audience
 organize accurate and relevant information for
the audience
 evaluate effectiveness of their communication
 identify areas of improvement for action
(See pp. 73-74 of the English Language Curriculum Guide (Primary 1-6)
(CDC, 2004) )
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Promoting the 3Cs
Creativity
To develop learners’ creativity, teachers need
to…
 ask them to go beyond given information
 allow them time to think
 strengthen and reward creative efforts
 encourage problem solving
 create a climate conducive to creativity
(See pp. 75-77 of the English Language Curriculum Guide (Primary 1-6)
(CDC, 2004) )
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Promoting the 3Cs
Critical Thinking Skills
In learning to think critically, learners should learn
to…
 draw meaning from given data and statements
 evaluate accuracy of given statements
 evaluate and generate arguments
 question and enquire in order to make
judgements
(See pp. 78-79 of the English Language Curriculum Guide (Primary 1-6)
(CDC, 2004) )
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Developing the 3Cs
Activity
Communication
Skills
Creativity
Critical
Thinking Skills
A Visit to the
Doctor
Have You Got
Any Apples?
My New
Festival
Visiting Hong
Kong
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Evaluating Activities
1. Do these activities help students develop
communication skills, creativity and
critical thinking skills? If yes, to what
extent?
2. What kind of demands do these activities
make on students’ speaking skills?
3. What problems do you think upper
primary students might have in carrying
out these activities?
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A Visit to the Doctor
 Teacher shows students a flash card of an
ailment and elicits responses by asking
‘What’s the matter?’.
 Teacher models the structure and
vocabulary, e.g. She’s got a cough.
 Students listen and repeat.
 Teacher asks a question and nominates
student to answer the question.
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Have you got any apples?
 Students work in groups of four.
 Each student has a shopping list with six food items.
 The group leader deals each player six cards with
pictures of food items.
 Each student must try and obtain the items on
his/her shopping list by asking other students in the
group ‘Have you got any …’ [i.e. the target language
item]
 If a student has the card, he/she must give it to the
student who asked the question.
 They continue playing the game until someone has
all the items on his/her shopping list.
19
My New Festival
 Students work in groups of four.
 They brainstorm ideas for a new festival
using headings as prompts for discussion.
 They organise their ideas as notes under
the headings.
 They then use their notes and work
collaboratively to write about their new
festival.
20
Visiting Hong Kong
 Students read an email from a cousin in
Canada who wants to visit Hong Kong. In
the email he wants to ‘visit beautiful places
and learn something about Hong Kong’.
 Students plan an itinerary for their cousin
using a map and some information about
things to do in Hong Kong.
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Developing the 3Cs
Activity
Communication
skills
Creativity
Critical
thinking skills
A visit to the
doctor
Have you got
any apples?
weak
My new
festival
strong
Visiting Hong
Kong
strong
strong
strong
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