Direction of curriculum development and use of TSA

results to inform the learning and teaching of English

Language

February 2005

Learning Outcomes

(What pupils can do)

Curriculum and Basic Competency

Curriculum framework

(What pupils are expected to learn)

Basic competency

Assessments for basic competency

BCA

(HKEAA)

Assessment in Schools

Assessments for basic competency

BCA

(HKEAA)

Assessment for Learning

Curriculum and Assessment

Curriculum Framework

Curriculum framework

Basic competency

Areas of concern for

English Language based on the data from TSA

Reading• Do not drill the item types;

need to understand the item design and identify the testing points

• Teach pupils the reading skills explicitly

• Use effective questioning techniques to help pupils develop reading skills as well as critical thinking skills and creativity

Reading Using a small range of reading strategies to understand the meaning of short and simple texts with the help of cues

ReadingUsing a small range of reading strategies to understand the meaning of short and simple texts with the help of cues → identifying key words and main ideas

ReadingUsing a small range of reading strategies to understand the meaning of short and simple texts with the help of cues → identifying key words

ReadingUsing a small range of reading strategies to understand the meaning of short and simple texts with the help of cues → predicting the meaning of unfamiliar words by using picture cues and contextual clues

ReadingUsing a small range of reading strategies to understand the meaning of short and simple texts with the help of cues → understanding the connection between ideas by

identifying a small range of cohesive devices ( and / but / or / too / use of pronouns)

Applying a small range of simple reference skills → obtaining information about the reading materials from the book covers and table of contents

Reading

Applying a small range of simple reference skills → obtaining information about the reading materials from the book covers and table of contents

Reading

Writing• Ask open-ended questions

encourage pupils to express their personal experiences, ideas and feelings

help pupils develop critical thinking skills and creativity

• Use holistic marking encourage pupils to write more ideas identify the language focus of the writing tasks avoid counting grammatical or spelling mistakes

Sample of P3 Student’s Work

Sample of P3 Student’s Work

Marking criteria

A. Content (10 marks)

very good : 9-10

good : 7-8

average : 5-6

weak : 3-4

poor : 1-2

B. Language (10 marks)

Deduct 1 mark for each spelling, grammatical or punctuation mistake.

Content7-10 marks• Provide the story ending by giving sufficient

and relevant ideas with some supporting details.

• Communicate ideas clearly and coherently.4-6 marks• Provide a brief ending with reasonably clear

and relevant ideas to the story but lack supporting details.

• Communicate ideas quite clearly.1-3 marks• Attempt to provide an ending by giving very

limited ideas only.AND/OR• Provide unclear or disconnected ideas that

may confuse the reader.0 mark• Provide totally irrelevant ideas.OR• Practically make no attempt at all.Remarks:• Accept any sensible or logical ideas.

Language7-10 marks

• Use a small range of vocabulary, sentence patterns, cohesive devices and verb forms fairly appropriately with few/no grammatical mistakes.

4-6 marks

• Use a small range of vocabulary, sentence patterns, cohesive devices and verb forms fairly appropriately with some grammatical mistakes.

OR

• Use a small range of vocabulary and verb forms with few/no grammatical mistakes.

1-3 marks

• Use a very limited range of vocabulary and verb forms with many grammatical and spelling mistakes.

0 mark

• Provide totally irrelevant ideas.

OR

• Practically make no attempt at all.

Holistic Marking (Adapted from the P6 BCA marking criteria for writing)

Speaking

• Provide more practice on reading aloud

• Encourage pupils to give appropriate elaboration

• Provide more interactive activities for pupils to practise using the language for purposeful communication (not just answering teacher’s questions)

Picture description

• Encourage the pupil to talk about the pictures as much as he/she can using the pictures as a prompt

• Ask the pupil questions related to the pictures: 1. How many people are there at the party? 2. What can you see on the table? 3. How old is Tom? 4 When is his birthday? 5. What presents has he got? 6. How does he feel?

• Pronouncing simple and familiar words comprehensibly (KS)• Providing short answers to short and simple questions (IS, KS, ES)

Speaking

Personal experiences

Ask the pupil questions related to his/her personal experiences:

1. How old are you?

2. When is your birthday?

3. What presents do you want?

4. Who gives you presents?

5. What do you do on your birthday?

Providing short answers to short and simple questions (IS, KS, ES)

Speaking

Listening

• Help pupils to anticipate the content of the listening text and tune in

• Help pupils to develop their listening skills and simple note-taking skills

Identify and discriminate sounds, stress and intonation identify basic consonant sounds and

discriminate between a small range of initial and final sounds

identify basic vowel sounds and discriminate between different vowel sounds in words

recognize the difference in the use of intonation in simple questions, statements, commands and warnings

Listening Skills for Key Stage 1

English Language Curriculum Guide (P1-6), Chapter 2

Listen for explicit and implicit meaning identify key words in short utterances

by recognizing the stress identify the gist or main ideas in

simple spoken texts with the help of cues

recognize the connection between ideas supported by appropriate cohesive devices, including connectives (e.g. and, but, or) and pronouns (e.g. he, them, my)

Listening Skills for Key Stage 1

English Language Curriculum Guide (P1-6), Chapter 2

ListeningDiscriminating between common words with a small range of vowel and consonant sounds

Discriminating between common words with a small range of vowel and consonant sounds

Listening

Listening

Discriminating between common words with a small range of vowel and consonant sounds

→ stressed and unstressed sounds

Listening

Using a small range of strategies to understand the meaning of short and simple texts on familiar topics which are delivered slowly and clearly in familiar accents → identifying key words

After the picnic, one of the students, Kitty, goes home. She talks with her mother about a photo of the picnic.

Write the names in the correct boxes.

Tapescript:

Mum: There’re two girls in the back row.

They look the same. Who are they?

Kitty: Sue and Sandy. They’re twins. They both

have long straight hair but Sue wears

glasses.

Mr Lam Mr Tam Miss Chan Miss Wong Sandy

Sam Sue Tim Tom Mary

Jenny

Kitty

Listening Using a small range of strategies to understand the meaning of short and simple texts on familiar topics which are delivered slowly and clearly in familiar accents → understanding the connection between ideas by identifying a small range of cohesive devices ( and / but / or / too / use of pronouns )

Thank you