Using the Learning Progression Framework to Enhance English Language

Learning, Teaching and Assessment at the Secondary Level

5 / 6 March 2013 (Tue / Wed)

09:30 – 17:00

(PM Session)

English Language Education Section

Curriculum Development Institute

Education Bureau

By the end of the afternoon session…

You will have learnt about:

the structure of the LPF for Writing and Speaking

how the LPF can help in

– analysing task requirements

– setting appropriate assessment criteria for Writing and Speaking performance

– facilitating assessment for learning, particularly providing quality feedback

for Writing and Speaking

Using the LPFto Enhance the Learning and Teaching

ofthe Productive Skills (I)

The Components of the LPF for Writing

JS SS

Purposes

Descriptive

Imaginative

(information about oneself, friends, favourites, school)

Purposes

Descriptive

Problem-solving

Argumentative

Discussion

Persuasive

Text Types

Personal letters

Formal letters

Recounts

Stories

Text Types

Letters

Articles

Essays

With reference to the design and organisation of the following writing programme in a secondary school, discuss in groups:

Activity 12

• the rationale underlying the design; and • how similar the design and organisation is to that of the

writing programme in your school.

The LPF for Writing - Content

• provide opportunities to produce a good range of content (i.e. information, ideas, personal experiences and opinions) as specified in the Learning Outcomes; and

• cover a variety of writing purposes (as stated in the IS, KS and ES) and text types as specified in the Pointers.

To develop students’ writing skills, it is better for both the JS and SS writing programmes to:

Use of the LPF – Analysing Task Requirements for Writing

Domains Details

Content • Clear topic and purpose

• Relevance of ideas

• Use of original ideas

• Elaboration of ideas

Language & Style • Range of vocabulary

• Range of sentence patterns

• Appropriate tone and register

• Appropriate stylistic features for the text type

Organisation • Appropriate paragraphing

• Use of an organisational framework

• Clear focus within paragraphs using cohesive devices

• Clear focus across paragraphs using a range of devices

What should we do to help our students make the most of the writing

programme?

What are the teaching strategies

we could use?

What are the strategies that our

students could learn to approach writing

tasks?

Teachers’ Concerns

Procedures Leading to the Development of the First Draft

4. Developing the First Draft through Shared Writing or Independently

Task

RequirementsProcedures

Content • Clear topic & purpose

• Relevance of ideas

1. Highlighting Keywords

2. Drawing a Mind Map

3. Structuring the Text

Language & Style

• Appropriate tone & register

• Appropriate stylistic features

Organisation • Appropriate paragraphing• Use of an organisational framework

1. Highlighting Keywords

Your teacher has asked you to write an article about weekend activities for the school magazine. Suggest ways your schoolmates can make good use of their time and give reasons for your suggestions.

Text type?

Source: Territory-wide System Assessment, 2011 (Secondary 3, English Language, Writing 9EW2)

What about?

Audience?

Why?

You may use some of the ideas from the following mind map and/or your own ideas in your writing. Write about 150 words for the article.

2. Drawing a mind map

3. Structuring the Text

examples?

What? Why? - purpose

Conclusion

A article

• Introduction

Body Paragraph

Body Paragraph

Body Paragraph

reasons?

• Closing

Activities?

Activity 13

1. Do both drafts meet the task requirements? Provide a piece of evidence from the drafts to justify your evaluation.

2. How could both drafts be improved? Suggest improvements which could be made to one of the drafts.

3.

You have received two drafts of the article written by two students. With reference to the task requirements derived from the LPF for writing, discuss the following:

3. How could teachers bring about improvements to both drafts?

Student A’s First Draft

Source: Territory-wide System Assessment, 2011: Report on the Basic Competencies of Students in Chinese Language, English Language and Mathematics, Key Stages 1-3 (HKEAA, 2011: p.266)

Student B’s First Draft

Source: Territory-wide System Assessment, 2011: Report on the Basic Competencies of Students in Chinese Language, English Language and Mathematics, Key Stages 1-3 (HKEAA, 2011: p.277)

Source: Territory-wide System Assessment, 2011: Report on the Basic Competencies of learners in Chinese Language, English Language and Mathematics, Key Stages 1-3 (HKEAA, 2011: p.266)

Using the LPF for Writing to Provide Constructive Feedback

Writing about weekend activities

Most learners have met the basic

requirements of the writing task. How should I help them

progress?

A sample writing task of an average S3 learner (L4-5)

LPF: Content

LPF:

Organisation

Teacher’s comments:

To enrich the content, you can add some supporting details to the weekend activities, e.g. voluntary work (How? When? Where? Why?)

Refer to the LPF for Writing to review own expectation of learner performance Use the LPF as a common language to describe learners’ performance and progress

LPF: Language & Style

Make informed decision on feedback focus

“Write a range of simple texts to describe, recount, record, explain and propose with some supporting details.”

My feedback for the average learners

should focus more on expanding the content.

LPF for Writing - Content L5

sign up as a member of different charity bodies

weekends, during school holidays

homes for the elderly, schools, beaches, parks

an opportunity to give and share, increase exposure

helping the minority primary students with their school work, visiting homes for the elderly, walking the homeless dogs…

Enhancing elaboration of ideas

How could teachers bring about improvements to both drafts?

Activity 13: Teaching writing skills: Developing elaborating skills

Student A’s First Draft

How?

When?

Where?

Why?

Examples?

How could teachers bring about improvements to both drafts?

Activity 14b: Teaching writing skills: Using awareness raising activity

- read the text provided and think about how the sentences/ideas relate to each other; and

- choose the best answer from the options for each numbered sentence. The first one has been done for you as an example.

In groups,

‘have you ever thought of…?’introducing alternatives

‘First’, ‘Second’Sequencing suggestions

‘like’ introducing examples

‘also’enhancing reinforcement of ideas

Enhancing coherence, e.g.Student B’s First Draft

How could teachers bring about improvements to both drafts?

Activity 14: Teaching writing skills

Using the LPF for Writing to Provide Constructive Feedback

How can I provide more challenges for the more able learners to progress?

LPF: Content

LPF:

Organisation

by staying indoor or going outdoor

Writing about weekend activities

A sample writing task of a more able S3 learner (L5-6)

Teacher’s comments:

To enhance organisation of ideas, summarise the different kinds of activities such as outdoor (para 3-4) and indoor activities (para 5-6) and state them in separate para.

Read the LPF for the overall learning progression for writing skills

Source: Territory-wide System Assessment, 2011: Report on the Basic Competencies of Students in Chinese Language, English Language and Mathematics, Key Stages 1-3 (HKEAA, 2011: p.277)

LPF: Language & Style

Give specific feedback to cater to learner diversity

LPF for Writing - Organisation L6“Arrange ideas within and across paragraphs using different means (e.g. summarising…) to show a generally clear focus”

I can guide this student to organise ideas using different means.

Activity 15: Providing Feedback

How could teachers bring about improvements to both drafts?

- Refer to Student B’s draft and the two feedback sheets. Compare the generic and task-specific feedback sheets. Which feedback sheet is more useful in providing feedback on Student B’s performance?

- What would you do to maximise students’ participation in the review process?

Features of Quality Feedback

Focused –Linked to Learning

Objectives

Focused –Linked to Learning

Objectives

Diagnostic Diagnostic

Clear andEasy to

Understand

Clear andEasy to

Understand

ConstructiveConstructive

QualityFeedback

QualityFeedback

Assessment for Learning Strategies

• Using a process approach to the learning and teaching of writing skills and building in review time for timely feedback and reflection

• Identifying students’ needs and varying the teaching strategies

• Focusing on the instructional rather than correctional aspects of feedback

Mark Less and Achieve More

Steps in Using the LPF to Enhance Students’ Writing Skills

1. Provide opportunities to engage Ss in a range of tasks that cover a variety of purposes and text types in the school’s writing programme.

2. Identify the requirements for each task in terms of the three domains in the LPF.

3. Develop a task-specific feedback sheet and set assessment criteria based on the task requirements.

4. Help Ss develop strategies to approach the writing tasks, e.g. highlighting keywords, drawing a mind map, structuring the text.

5. Ask Ss to complete the first draft independently. OR

Help Ss develop the first draft through appropriate teaching strategies, e.g. shared writing.

6. Guide Ss to improve the first draft through shared writing, using a feedback sheet or conducting a discussion.

Using the LPFto Enhance the Learning and Teaching

ofthe Productive Skills (II)

The Components of the LPF for Speaking

Speaking

Writing

Reading

Listening

Content, organisation & communication strategies

Language

Pronunciation, stress, rhythm & intonation

Underlying principles

Students atthis level can, for example,• …………• …………• …………• …………

Learning OutcomesOrganised into CategoriesSkills

Pointers

Levels

Progression of Learning Outcomes for Speaking

Level 7Organising, presenting and exchanging information, ideas, personal experiences and opinions on familiar and less familiar topics with elaboration clearly, and using a range of communication strategies

Level 2Providing and exchanging some simple information, ideas and personal experiences on familiar topics quite clearly, relying at times on non-verbal expressions

Level 4Organising, presenting and exchanging simple information, ideas, personal experiences and opinions on familiar topics quite clearly, and using formulaic expressions to facilitate communication

Content, organisation and communication strategies

The outcome statements show the progression in terms of :

• Complexity of information and ideas

• Familiarity of topics

• Organisation of information and ideas

• Range of communication strategies

The LPF for Speaking – Content, Organisation and Communication Strategies

The Content, Organisation and Communication Strategies domain suggests

that the progressive development of students’ speaking skills can be ensured

by:

• providing opportunities to produce a good range of content (i.e.

information, ideas, personal experiences and opinions) as specified

in the Learning Outcomes;

• covering a variety of speaking purposes (as stated in the IS, KS and

ES) and text types as specified in the Pointers;

•raising the awareness of the relationships between text organisation and speaking purposes; and

•emphasising the importance of both verbal and non-verbal communication strategies.

Progression of Learning Outcomes for Speaking

Level 7Using a range of language forms and functions generally appropriately and accurately

Level 2

Using some simple language forms and functions quite appropriately

Level 4Using simple language forms and functions quite appropriately and accurately

Language

The outcome statements show the progression in terms of :

• Language forms and functions used at different levels of speaking Vocabulary Grammar structures etc.

Progression of Learning Outcomes for Speaking

Level 7Speaking English accurately and fluently, and with generally appropriate stress, rhythm and intonation

Level 2

Pronouncing most simple words and imitating appropriate stress, rhythm and intonation quite accurately

Level 4Speaking simple English quite accurately, and showing an awareness of stress, rhythm and intonation

Pronunciation, stress, rhythm and intonation

The outcome statements show the progression in terms of :

Accuracy in pronunciation Appropriate use of stress, rhythm & intonation

Activity 16

In groups, with reference to the Content, Organisation and Communication Strategies domain of the LPF for Speaking, brainstorm a list of speaking activities that can be conducted to provide Ss with the opportunities to produce a good range of content and to cover a range of speaking purposes. Write your list in the box below.

Discuss how to incorporate these speaking activities into your school-based English Language curriculum.

Use of the LPF – Analysing Task Requirements for Speaking

Domains Details

Content, Organisation and Communication Strategies

• Clear topic and purpose

• Relevance of ideas

• Elaboration of ideas Use of examples Adding details Use of original ideas (based on personal experiences, opinions)

• Organisation of ideas (e.g. using an organisational framework, following chronological sequence of events)

• Use of communication strategies Verbal (e.g. signalling ideas, repeating, rephrasing,

paraphrasing key points or content) Non-verbal (e.g. showing interest, using appropriate volume,

using eye contact, gestures, facial expressions)

Language • Range of language forms and functions

• Range of vocabulary

Pronunciation, Stress, Rhythm and Intonation

• Accurate pronunciation

• Appropriate stress, rhythm and intonation

• Fluency (e.g. reading aloud, spontaneous short/long utterances with/without pauses)

Activity 16

Task: You are going to give a two-minute talk about your favourite film / TV programme in front of your classmates. You can use ideas from the mind map provided or your own ideas. You do not have to include all the points in the mind map.

1. Discuss what you want your students to learn from the task. Then decide on the assessment criteria for it.

2. Watch a video clip of a student’s oral presentation. Assess the students’ performance with reference to the assessment criteria.

3. Select one or two domain(s) where improvement is necessary.

4.. Discuss the teaching / feedback procedures to bring about improvement in the selected domains.

Analysing the Speaking Task Instruction

You are going to give a two-minute talk about your favourite film / TV programme in front of your classmates. You can use ideas from the mind map provided or your own ideas. You do not have to include all the points in the mind map.

Why?What?

Text Type –Organisation &

Oral Communication Strategies

Mind Map for the Presentation Task

My favourite film/ TV programme

Other aspects

people making the film

storyline

what happensending

?

director actors/actresses

special effects

music

costumes

?

Suggestions on Giving Feedback

• Questioning

Asking Ss open-ended questions about their learning, their understanding of the learning intentions, their strengths, weaknesses and challenges encountered

• Describing

Describing what happens in a non-judgmental way

• Advising

Giving advice or making suggestions

• Evaluating

Assessing Ss’ strengths and weaknesses and communicating the results with reference to the assessment criteria for further improvement

4. Discuss different ways of providing feedback to bring about improvement in the selected domains.

Assessment for Learning Strategies for Activity 16

• Maximising students’ participation in the review process by providing opportunities to discuss and deciding on the assessment criteria

• Providing students’ model to generate discussion and to deepen their understanding of the assessment criteria

• Using different means to provide feedback, e.g. feedback forms, discussion and/or ICT

Using the LPF for Speaking to Promote Self-directed Learning

Group discussion

Discuss the causes of teenagers’ overweight problems and suggest ways to solve them.

Yes, I’ve covered many of the causes,

but not the solutions!

Yes, I’ve covered many of the causes,

but not the solutions!

They’ve already given a lot of

opinions. How can I contribute

further?

They’ve already given a lot of

opinions. How can I contribute

further?

Good job! All have given your opinions on the weight problems. What did you do well? How can you improve your discussion skills further?

Good job! All have given your opinions on the weight problems. What did you do well? How can you improve your discussion skills further?

A sample speaking task for S5 students: Discussing teenagers’ overweight problems and solutions

Effective use of communication strategies is what they need!

I’ll let them practise responding to others’ opinions in a

discussion.

LPF: Pronunciation

LPF: Language & Style

LPF: Content, Organisation and

Communication Strategies

Refer to the LPF for Speaking to review teaching content Provide support for the development of strategies to promote learner independence

Seeking further information from others is one of the discussion strategies!

Jane, you could have said to John “You think most teenagers don’t like to

exercise. Can you give us some reasons?”

Seeking further information from others is one of the discussion strategies!

Jane, you could have said to John “You think most teenagers don’t like to

exercise. Can you give us some reasons?”

L6

LPF for Speaking – Content, Organisation and Communication Stratigies L6

“…contribute to discussions on familiar topics…

seeking further information, acknowledging and

encouraging others’ contributions as appropriate”

Using the LPF for Speaking to Promote Self-directed Learning

Group discussion

Discuss the causes of teenagers’ overweight problems and suggest ways to solve them.

Inform and equip students with the necessary skills through teacher’s demonstration and extra practice

A useful discussion strategy! Now I

know how to contribute further to

others’ ideas.

A useful discussion strategy! Now I

know how to contribute further to

others’ ideas.

LPF: Pronunciation

LPF: Language & Style

LPF: Content, Organisation and

Communication Strategies

Steps in Using the LPF to Enhance Students’ Speaking Skills

1. Provide a variety of speaking activities, e.g. interactive activities, readers’ theatres, reading aloud, drama

2. Conduct explicit teaching of oral communication strategies in context

3. Provide exposure to good speaking models

4. Identify the task requirements in terms of the three domains in the LPF

5. Develop the assessment criteria based on the task requirements and the learning intentions

6. Provide opportunities for peer feedback using different means

Assessment for Learning Strategies

Assessment for learning strategies:

• Sharing the learning intentions at the beginning of a lesson and revisiting them from time to time and/or at the end of the lesson to give students a clear focus of learning

• Breaking learning into stages (e.g. process writing, awareness raising activities, breaking a challenging task into manageable parts) to build in review time for timely feedback

• Teacher’s modelling/demonstration

Round-up

The use of the LPF

shifts the focus from the content to its outcomes, which places emphasis on learners

provides a common “language” and “tool” for teachers to use in the learning, teaching and assessment process

explains what is expected of students in terms of:- where are they now? (existing strengths and

weaknesses)- where are they going? (goals)- where to next? (“feed forward”)

School Assessment Practices

Assessment for Learning

(informs learning and teaching)

Practical Tips:

• Strengthening the development of the Language Skills

• Building in Assessment for Learning

Using the LPF as a reference tool to

• understand students’ learning progress

• plan and review the learning and teaching objectives

• help students progress along the learning continuum

LPFLPF

Using the LPF to Enhance Learning and Teaching