Summary:
5.1 Introduction
5.2 Planning a Programme of Work
5.3 Example of a Workplan
5.4 Suggestions for an Integrated Approach
5.1 Introduction
As pointed out above it is not recommended that the three components of the syllabus be taught separately.
An integrated approach across the three components o f the syllabus can be implemented by basing a scheme o f work on a number o f themes/activities where obvious links can be established. One such possibility, for example, involves the following areas: Learning about language from target language material; (111,1)
Talking and writing about your experience of the target language; (11,4) and
Asking what language you speak/stating what languages you speak (1,1).
In such an approach learners could be encouraged to use various performance targets to abstract the main points flora a spoken or written target language text (11,2) and learn about aspects o f language as a social, regional on educational issue (11,1) in the target language community. In this way they would become aware ofwhere the target language is spoken, ofother languages spoken in the target language community, and o f the importance o f language for cultural identity etc. In the course o f this input phase, mainly involving listening and reading, learners could build up their vocabulary and expressions related to the theme o f language. The next phase would be a productive phase involving learners talking and writing about their experience o f the target language.
Other themes that could facilitate an integrated approach across all three components are work, school, leisure activities, goods and services, travel and transport etc.
5.2 Planning a Programme of Work
A well-ordered and adaptable scheme ofwork should be based on precise objectives both within and between lessons. It is important that learners are clear about what they may expect to learn during the year and what the purpose o f the current lesson is.
Before beginning the year's work, it is advisable to study the complete syllabus in order to get an idea o f the general content and then choose units which will allow pupils to sample aspects o f the entire range of content. Pupils could be invited to indicate their preference for particular performance targets to work on the various Activities/Themes.
5.3 Example of a Workplan
A General Activity/Theme could provide the basis for an integrated approach over a number oflessons with clearly projected outcomes in relation to all four skills. The following example relates to the topic ofschool and is designed on the basis o f three consecutive stages progressing gradually flora mainly receptive skills to speaking and writing skills. Stages one and ~vo involve activities that should be within the ability range of most senior cycle pupils, while stage three is more demanding and aimed at those pupils capable ofcoping with this topic at a more abstract level, using more difficult skills.
5.4 Suggestions for an Integrated Approach
The following is an example of an extended workplan based on an integrated approach in three stages.
Features
Integrated approach linking units from all three components of the syllabus i.e. cultural awareness, language awareness and basic communicative proflciency
- Short and long term objectives progression in relation to skills (receptive --+ productive) and difficulty levels
- Gradual elaboration of theme/topic (concrete .~a,- abstract).
Sample framework of a workplan based on integration of various themes, activities in three stages.
Topic:
Studies/Work
Stage 1
Syllabus Area: Cultural Awareness
Main Skills: Reading, listening
General Theme/Activity: Learning in the target language about the present-day culture associated with the target language (111,1) Exploring meaning (11,2)
Stage 2
Syllabus Area: Basic Communicative Proficiency
Main Skill: Speaking
General Theme/Activity: Managing a Conversation (1,9) Meeting and getting to know people and maintaining social relations (1,1) Making plans and discussing future action
Stage 3
Syllabus Area: Cultural Awareness/Basic Communicative Proficiency
Main Skills: Speaking, writing
General Theme/Activity: Describing, discussing everyday life in a target language community (111,3) Engaging in discussion (1,10).
Implementing the workplan in manageable units:
(Numbers refer to example of activities)
Stage 1
General Theme/Activity:
Learning in the target language about the culture associated with the target language.
Exploring meaning.
Objectives:
Develop pupils' world, cultural knowledge in the domain i.e. studies/work
Develop learners' awareness of language related to this domain
Develop learners' listening, reading skills
Develop learners' strategies for coping with new vocabulary and structures.
Performance Targets
- Exploring (global) meaning- abstracting the main points from a spoken, written target language text
- Identifying attitudes (e.g. critical, supportive, approving, disapproving) on the basis of a speaker's, writer's use of language.
- Developing learners' knowledge ofvocabulary and grammar related to the topic
- Guessing intelligently at the meaning of target language forms on the basis of related forms in use and/or other languages
- Consulting reference materials related to the vocabulary and grammar of the target language
- Developing learners' awareness ofregister and appropriateness
Possible Activities
- Provide any necessary background information
- Provide/revise key vocabulary and expressions
- Listening to/reading simplified version of text
- Noting main information on the basis of guided questions
- Scanning, skimming techniques to decipher topic, purpose, location
- Transferring information to grids, charts True/False questions
- Matching exercises: main ideas/paragraph, spoken text/written text.
- Using contextual clues e.g. register, intonation, vocabulary, expressions
- Matching speech intentions/expressions
- Selective listening e.g. groupwork: each member has specific task.
- Vocabulary
- using cognates, near cognates,
- grammatical knowledge
- using contextual clues e.g. completing a gapped text; using dictionaries, synonyms/equivalents
- word categorisation exercises based on semantic associations
- matching exercises noun with verb
- Look up the rule(s)
- Identify examples ofrule(s)/structure(s) in the text
- Form hypotheses about the rule/structure etc.
- Test hypotheses - e.g. form a parallel phrase, check in reference grammar.
- Identifying conventions and features of text types.
Stage 2
General Theme/Activity:
Managing a conversation.
Meeting and getting to know people and maintaining social relations.
Making plans and discussing future action.
Objectives
Relate domain (studies/work) to learners' personal experience
Develop learners' speaking skills related to domain of studies/work
Provide opportunities for learners to use vocabulary and structures introduced in previous stage
Develop learners' strategies for managing a conversation.
Performance Targets
- Developing learners' strategies for managing a conversation
- Making learners aware ofdiscourse structure
- Asking for repetition and/or clarification
- Confirming that something has been understood
- Expressing incomprehension
- Ending a conversation
- Developing learners' sensitivity to appropriateness and register
- Enquiring about and describing studies involving different registers
- Asking about someone's plans for future studies and/or career possibilities
Possible Activities
- Work on verbal strategies
- Reorder jumbled dialogues
- Match functions and expressions
- Choose from range ofoptions to create dialogue.
- Practise Linguistic Skills, Structures andGrammar
- Choose expression to suit situation.
- Separate and order two jumbled dialogues
- 'Warm-up' activities e.g.
- matching exercises
- cv/jobs, adverts/ personal qualities/jobs
- Pupils compare each others C.V. and suggest jobs
- Look at adverts and choose job for selfor others
- Fill in chart fi'om C.V.
- Pupil mimes (a job) - others guess
- Pupils listen to and study short model dialogues
- Pupils practise dialogues in new contexts
- Pupils re-order jumbled dialogues
- Pupils complete dialogues i.e. complete openended dialogues, insert plausible/appropriate links in gapped dialogues
- Pupils make up their own dialogues.
- Roleplay based on exchanging/sharing information, different sccnarios, transactional and interactional tasks
Performance Targets
- Describing your own plans for fiature studies and/of career possibilities
- Describing any ways in which learning the target language has affected your future prospects (e.g. career possibilities)
Writing
- Enquiring about and describing studies, work
- Describing your own plans for future studies and/or career possibilities
Possible Activities
- Interview/Pairwork: learners exchange information about themselves in pairs or groups
- Groupwork: work on topic of future plans
- Filling in gaps in texts e.g.C.V., job application forms, letters of application
- Matchingjumbled sentences
- Re-ordering jumbled sentences
- Linking sentences to form a text
- Writing a text on the basis of a similar text
- Rewriting a text
- Editing texts Letter writing on basis of e.g.C.V, or other text
- Writing fetter ofapplication to job advertisement
- Writing personal letters
Stage 3
General Theme/Activity:
Describing, discussing everyday life in a target language community.
Engaging in discussion.
Objectives
Make learners aware of differences between the two communiti~s in relation to the domain of studies," work.
Develop pupils' ability to discuss in general terms issues concerning studies, work in relation to Ireland and a target language community
Performance Targets
- Discussing the relative advantages and disadvantages of the Irish way of life and that of a target language community in respect of this area of experience
- Developing learners' skitls for going beyond surface meaning
- Identifying meanings pr«>,+1~t but not overtly expressed
- Working out implicit rcffr«tlccs of statements made in a spokcn written language target text
- Making short pieces of meamngful and coherent target text out of jumbled or gapped target language sentences
Possible Activities
- Acquire background information by reading, listening to texts
- Revision of useful expressions and vocabulary
- Evaluating content
- match speech intentions and utterances
- correct contradictions
- finding evidence for making predictions on the basis of prior information
- completing unfinished sentences; completing a gapped text before listening, reading
- drawing conclusions
- confirm, revise predictions
Performance Targets
- Appreciating the 'tone' of a text
- Recognising the general tone of a spoken, written target language text on the basis of a speaker's/writer's use of language
- Expressing something as an opinion stating/ conflrming/insisting that something is true, untrue, denying, contradicting, taking sides in a discussion
- Negotiating a compromise
- Writing
Possible Activities
- Choosing options from multiple choice questions e.g. words underlined in text: (a) positive (b) negative (c) neutral; which words refer to , ,
- Practise Related Linguistic Skills, Structures andGrammar (on page of syllabus)
- Provide guideIines to structure the discussion
- Learners work in groups based on various opinions
- Learners practise linguistic conventions for this type of discourse e.g. interrupting, contradicting, disagreeing etc. in smal| groups
- Learners agree in groups on a compromise decision.
- Summarising a text
- Giving a personal reaction to a text
- Making comparisons between France and Ireland on the basis of a text
- Writing formal/informal letters.