GUIDELINES FOR

ENGLISH LANGUAGE SOCIETY

TABLE OF CONTENTS
PAGE

Table of Contents

List of Appendixes

1.

INTRODUCTION

2.

ACTION SONG

3.

STORYTELLING

12

4.

CHORAL SPEAKING

19

5.

PUBLIC SPEAKING

25

6.

DRAMA IN ENGLISH

32

7.

PARLIAMENTARY DEBATE

40

8.

ENGLISH-IN-CAMP

52

8.1 WARMERS

52

8.2 LANGUAGE SKILLS ACTIVITIES

57

8.3 NEWSPAPER IN EDUCATION ACTIVITIES

65

8.4 OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES

68

APPENDIXES

75

9.

LIST OF APPENDIXES
No.

Appendix

Activity / Material

Page

AS L1-i

Scoresheet (Action Song)

76

AS L2-ii

Tongue Twisters

77

ST L1-i(a)

Scoresheet (Storytelling)

79

ST L1-i(b)

Storytelling

80

ST L1-iii

The Old Lady Who Lived In A Bottle

84

CS L1-iii

The Grasshopper and the Ants

85

CS L2-ii

Examples of Tongue Twisters

87

CS L2-v

Steps in Teaching Jazz Chant

88

CS L3-ii(a)

Choral Speaking in the Elementary Classroom

94

10

CS L3-ii(b)

Elements of Choral Speaking

104

11

CS L3-iii

Onomatopoeia

107

12

CS L3-v

Scoresheet (Choral Speaking)

116

13

PS L2-i

Just A Minute

117

14

PS L2-ii

Board Game

118

15

PS L2-iv

Sample Questions to Be Copied onto Cards

119

16

DR L2-iii

Poison Box

122

17

DR L3-iii

Suggested Situations for the Role-Play

123

18

PD L1-iii

15 Facts and 15 Opinions

124

19

PD L1-iv(a)

Cause and Effect Treasure Hunt

125

20

PD L1-iv(b)

Treasure Work Worksheet

129

21

PD L1-v

Debate Poison Box

131

22

PD L2-iii(a)

Mission Possible to Mars

132

23

PD L2-iii(b)

Relevant Social Conventions

134

24

PD L2-v

A Man Called Future Husband

136

25

PD L3-i

Pros and Cons Relay

138

26

PD L3-ii(a)

W.A.R (We Argue and Refute!!!)

139

27

PD L3-ii(b)

Sample Mahjong Paper for W.A.R!!!

140

28

PD L3-iv

Lets Walk in Different Shoes

141

29

NIE-A

Scavenger Hunt

142

30

NIE-B

NIE Relay

143

31

OUTDOOR A

Running Dictation

144

32

OUTDOOR B

Treasure Hunt

145

33

OUTDOOR C

Blind Man

146

34

OUTDOOR D

Survey & Report

147

GUIDELINES FOR
ENGLISH LANGUAGE SOCIETY

1.

INTRODUCTION

Being able to communicate effectively and confidently in the English language will enable students to function
and contribute successfully in local as well as international situations, for instance forums, meetings,
transactions and negotiations. To develop confidence and promote interactions in the English language is of
utmost importance. As such, this guide book advocates fun yet educational activities that help build confidence
in students to learn and speak the language.
This five-year scheme of work has been designed as a guideline for teacher advisers of the English Language
Society in schools. The activities outlined are based on the major activities subsumed under the English
Language Motivation and Support Programme organized by the Ministry of Education, for instance Action Song,
Storytelling, Choral Speaking, Public Speaking, Debate, Drama in English and English-in-Camp. The activities
include warmers, puzzles, language games, NIE activities and competitions which students can enjoy and learn
in a non-stressful manner.
The activities designed in this book can be described as light relief in comparison to serious teaching and will
be a delightful way of reinforcing what is taught in the classroom. Besides using and adapting the suggested
activities outlined in this book, it is hoped that teachers will also initiate other English Language Programmes or
activities that would meet the needs of the students in their schools.
The activities subsumed under the English Language Motivation and Support Programme are divided into 3
levels Level 1 for beginners, Level 2 for intermediate learners and Level 3 for advanced learners. There are 5
activities proposed for each level. As there are 140 activities offered in this book, a coding system to identify
activities and appendices is designed for easy reference. The coding system used for activities is as follows:

Code
AS
ST
CS
PS
DR
PD

Reference
Action Song
Storytelling
Choral Speaking
Public Speaking
Drama in English
Parliamentary Debate

Each activity is further coded according to its level of difficulties and sequence of activities. For example, an
activity with the code of DR L1-iv refers to the fourth activity in Level 1 for Drama in English. On the other hand,
AS L3-i should refer to the first activity in Level 3 for Action Song. As for the appendixes, their coding system is
almost similar with the coding for activities. For easy reference, Appendix DR L1-iv refers to the appendix for
the fourth activity in Level 1 for Drama in English.

OBJECTIVES
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

To enable students to learn the English language in an interesting, authentic and a creative manner
To encourage students to communicate confidently and effectively in the English language
To enable students to develop critical and creative thinking skills
To enable students to develop leadership qualities
To engage students in activities that enable them to build confidence and awareness of self
To promote integration and inculcate positive values

2. ACTION SONG
Programme
Action Song
Level 1

Activity

Procedure

Remarks

1. Introduction to
Action Song
[AS L1-i]

a. Teacher introduces Action Song to

students and explains the key information
found in the scoresheet.
b. Students listen to a few suitable songs
and discuss the key features that are
found in the songs.

Appendix AS L1-i
Scoresheet.

2. VCD-watching
[AS L1-ii]

a. Students and teachers watch a recorded

action song presentation / competition.
b. Students discuss in groups the action
songs presented in the VCD.
- tempo
- actions
- singing
c. Each group presents their views during
the group discussion.

Teachers to get the

Action Song
Competition VCD
from the State
Resource Centre.

3. Humming a
Song
[AS L1-iii]

a. Students choose a suitable song.

e.g. Here We Go Round the Mulberry
Bush
b. Teacher asks students to learn the
melody of the song.

Examples of melody:
- hum hum
- la..la..la..
- shshsh
- ppp
- d.dd
- thth..th

4. Sing Along 1
[AS L1-iv]

a. Teacher plays any suitable childrens

song. e.g. If Youre Happy, The More We
Get Together, Hokey Pokey.
b. Teacher asks students to sing along.

5. Music and
Actions (no
singing )
[AS L1-v]

a. Teacher plays a suitable action song.

b. Students are divided into groups.
c. Students discuss appropriate actions that
can be acted out for the song.
d. Each group presents their actions.

Examples of actions:
Static
- Hands /Legs
movement
- Head movement
- Body movement
Slow Movement
- Swaying
In Motion
- walking forward /
backward
- leaping, skipping
- clapping hands
- nodding heads

Action Song
Level 2

1. Sing Along 2
[AS L2-i]

a. Teacher chooses an action song.

b. Students sing along with emphasis on
diction and intonation.

2. Tongue Twisters
[AS L2-ii]

3. Elephant
Dance
[AS L2-iii]

4. Creative
Movements /
Choreography
[AS L2-iv]

a. Teacher chooses a tongue twister text.

Refer to Appendix
b. Students read the text as fast as possible AS L2-ii
(individually, in pairs or in groups).

a. Students are divided into several groups.

b. A leader must be appointed in every
group.
c. A song is played and the leader has to
lead other group members walking about
in the classroom. While walking, the
leader has to make some movements /
actions.
d. Group members must follow every
movement / action made by the group
leader as they are walking behind him or
her.

a. Students are divided into several groups.

b. Each group chooses a song on their own.
c. Students plan creative yet meaningful
actions to be acted out for their songs.
d. Group presentation

Options:
This activity may also
be carried out in a
big circle.
Other group
members should also
be given a chance to
be the leader.

Teacher should
ensure the
choreography suits
the theme of the
song.

5. Performances
during Special
Occasion
[AS L2-v]

Action Song
Level 3

1. Moods
[AS L3-i]

a. Students have to have a schedule for

practice. (Teacher to facilitate and guide
students)
b. Students brainstorm for better movements
to improvise on the steps / choreography.
c. Practices can be done in an open space or
on the school stage.
d. Teacher can come up with a special theme
for each action song performance.
Example :
- Occasion: Teachers Day
- Theme: To pursue ones interests
- Song: Que Sera Sera

a. Students are divided into several groups.

b. Each group must choose a song. (Teacher
may also decide the songs for all groups.)
c. Each group goes through the lyrics of the
song and identifies the mood(s) /
emotion(s) of the song. They should
discuss how the mood(s) / emotion(s) can
be portrayed in their presentation.
d. Each group is given 20 minutes to make
preparations for their group presentation.
e. Each group is only given 5 minutes to
present their action song.

Note: The moods /

emotions can be
delivered through
choreography and
facial expressions.
Prizes should be
offered to the winning
groups.

10

2. Highlighting
Theme
[AS L3-ii]

a. Students are divided into several groups.

b. Each group is given a theme such as
unity, racial harmony, Vision 2020,
patriotism, science and technology,
environment, love, etc.
c. Students have to discuss how each theme
can be presented through an action song.
d. Group presentation: Teacher and other
students should respond / give feedbacks
to the ideas presented.

Options:
Teacher may come
out with other
themes.
Teacher may also
choose only one
theme to be
discussed by all
students.

3. Jingles
[AS L3-iii]

a. Students listen to a few jingles (TV or

radio).
b. In groups, students are given an item and
they have to come up with suitable
jingles.

Examples of items :
soap, shampoo,
shoes, etc.

4. Inter-group
Action Song
Contest
[AS L3-iv]

a. During the initial meetings, students can

form groups for workshops, discussion
and presentation.
b. Students to have regular practices before
the inter-group action song contest.
c. Teacher may use the scoresheet
provided for judging.

Teacher may award

students with
certificates instead of
monetary prizes.

11

d. The best group can perform during the

weekly assembly or during English Week.

5. Lyric Writing
[AS L3-v]

a. Each group chooses a theme of their

choice for lyric writing.
b. Groups work on writing the lyrics
creatively.
- word rhyming
- current issues
- educational
- family and friends

12

2. STORYTELLING
Programme
Storytelling
Level 1

Activity
1 Introduction to
Storytelling
[ST L1-i]

2. VCD-watching
[ST L1- ii]

Procedure
a. Teacher introduces storytelling to
students and explains the key
information found in the scoresheet.
b. Students make facial expressions to
indicate different emotions.
c. Teacher gets students to read dialogues
in different moods, situations or voices.

Appendix ST L1-i(a):
Scoresheet
Appendix ST L1-i(b):
Storytelling

a.

Get the VCD from

the State Resource
Centre.

b.

c.

3. Listening to
Stories
[ST L1-iii]

Remarks

Students and teacher watch a

storytelling competition on VCD.
In groups, students give their opinions
on how the participants deliver their
stories.
Groups present their opinions.

a. Students listen to a story.

b. Students listen to it again and focus on
the following:
- voice clarity and variation of
intonation
- pronunciation
c. Encourage students to give feedback on
the story heard.

Examples of mood:
angry, sad, happy

Appendix ST L1-iii:
The Old Lady Who
Lived In A Bottle

13

Storytelling
Level 2

4. Play Judge
[ST L1-iv]

a. Students listen to two different

storytellers.
b. Teacher asks students to judge the two
storytellers and highlight the strengths
and weaknesses of both storytellers.

This activity enables

students to
conceptualize the
characteristics of a
good storyteller.

5. Let Me Share
With You
[ST L1-v]

a. Students choose a synopsis / a part of

any story which interests them.
b. Students share the synopsis / interesting
part in groups.

1. Chain Story
[ST L2-i]

Teacher must
a. A group of 4 to 5 students sit in a circle.
b. One student starts with the first sentence explain the concept
of the story or continues the sentence of storyline, plot, etc.
provided by the teacher.
c. The next student will add on to the first
sentence but the storyline must make
sense.
d. The third student will add on to the
second sentence.
e. The process will go on for a few rounds
within the time limit given.

14

2. I Fell in Love
[ST L2-ii]

3. Interrupted
Storytelling
[ST L2-iii]

a. Teacher asks students to choose a story

that they really like or have fallen in love
with.
b. The story can be taken from any source
(e.g. story books, movies, magazines,
internet, etc.).
c. Each student must get ready to tell the
story chosen in about 3 to 5 minutes in
front of the class.

Students should be
allowed to make
preparations at
home.

a. Teacher asks students to write a word on

a piece of paper and tells them not to
show to anyone. This word should be a
verb (or whatever you would like to
highlight).
b. Teacher starts telling a story, then stops
and chooses a student.
c. That student will continue the story and
must use his / her own words. The
student then chooses the next student to
continue the story.
d. The last student must end the story.
e. After the story is over, the students then
try to guess what words each student
has written on his / her paper.

This is an activity
that will make
students speak in
class and be
creative.

The story may be

told in smaller
groups first to
develop students
confidence.

15

f. The student who correctly guesses the

most words wins the game.

4. Object Story
[ST L2-iv]

a. Teacher gives 5 different objects to every

group of 5 students.
b. Each student takes one object such as a
stone, pencil, leaf, etc.
c. The first student will start telling the
beginning of a story using the object he /
she has.
d. For example, the first student having a
stone in his hand may start his story like
this - Two years ago, my neighbour went
jungle-trekking. He went jungle-trekking
in Cameron Highlands. As he and his
group were walking along a stream, he
saw a beautiful shiny stone.
e. The next person will continue the story
and he must make use of the object that
he / she has.
f. The game will continue until all the
students have finished telling their line in
the story making use the objects they
have.

Teacher must tell the

students that the
story must have a
story line i.e. the
beginning, climax
and ending.

16

5. An Imaginary
Journey
[ST L2-v]

Storytelling
Level 3

1. Pass the Picture

and Tell The
Story
[ST L3-i]

a. Teacher pairs up the students each

pair consists of a listener and a speaker.
b. Teacher tells the students that they are
standing outside of the speakers front
door.
c. The speaker verbally gives the attentive
listener an imaginary errand to do.
d. The speaker must carefully explain to his
or her listener how to go into the
speakers house, go to the bedroom,
and, once there, describe where to find a
special item somewhere in the room.
e. The speaker tells the listener a story
about why the item to be retrieved is
special and then the speaker verbally
explains how to get back to the front door
to bring the special item out to where the
speaker will be waiting.

This speech exercise

encourages
confidence in ones
ability to describe a
sequence of events.
The listener may
also retell the
journey that he or
she has taken.

a. Teacher stands in a circle with the

students.
b. Then, teacher holds up a picture and
briefly tells the part of the story which
goes with it.

Students are
encouraged to
imitate the
intonation, stress
and rhythm of the
teacher when telling
the story.

17

c. Teacher gives the picture to the students

on the left, who must repeat the
sentence(s) said.
d. The student then passes it to his or her
neighbour, who does the same thing.
e. When the class is confident, several
pictures can be moved at the same time.

2. Throw the Ball

and Continue
Telling the Story
[ST L3-ii]

3. Miming the Story

[ST L3-iii]

a. A student begins telling a story and then

throws a ball or any soft objects to
another person.
b. He or she must continue the story.

a. The students act out or mime the story

which is being told by the teacher / a
student.
b. Divide the story, with the students help,
into different scenes.
c. Discuss what you need and allocate
roles. Objects in the classroom or the
children themselves can represent
objects in the story. For example, a
cupboard can represent a mountain, and
children can represent trees, doors, or
anything. This planning phase is a way of

The story could also

be a nonsensical
story.

The task of the story

teller can be done by
a student or a group
of them taking turns.
If the students are
good, they can tell
the story using their
own words without
reading the text.

18

checking their understanding of the story.

d. Some of the students act the story as the
teacher retells it.

4. Impromptu
Storytelling
[ST L3-iv]

5. Inter-Class
Storytelling
Competition
[ST L3-v]

a. Teacher writes one-word titles on small

pieces of papers, fold and put them in a box.
Examples: Love, Hobbies, Money, Food,
Family, Peace, Water, Friends, etc.
b. One student is called to take one paper in
the box and he / she is given 3 minutes to
prepare. After that, the student has to tell a
story (any story relevant to the title) in 2
minutes.
c. The game is continued by other students.

a. Teacher organizes an inter-class

storytelling competition.
b. More planning should be done by the
teacher advisers and ELS members.

19

4. CHORAL SPEAKING

Programme
Choral
Speaking
Level 1

Activity

Procedure

Remarks

1. Introduction to
Choral Speaking
[CS L1-i]

a. Teacher introduces Choral Speaking to

students.
b. Teacher provides students a sample script
each for the explanation.

2. VCD-watching
[CS L1-ii]

a. Students and teacher watch a recorded

choral speaking competition.
b. Students discuss in groups the choral
speaking presentation in terms of:
content
facial expression
pronunciation
overall performance, etc.
c. Each group presents their opinions /
feedbacks.

Get the VCD on

choral speaking
competition from the
State Resource
Centre.

3. Choral Reading
[CS L1-iii]

a. Teacher gets a sample of a choral speaking

script.
b. Teacher asks students to read in groups.
c. Group presentation of choral reading.

Refer to Appendix
CS L1-iii.

20

Choral
Speaking
Level 2

4. Phonetics / Word a. Teacher provides a pronunciation chart with

Attack
the symbols of vowel and consonant
[CS L1-iv]
sounds.
b. Students practise the vowel and consonants
sounds.
c. Students practise using a list of words.

Refer to the IPA

Chart in the
established
dictionaries.

5. Sound System
[CS L1-v]

a. Students practise the sound system.

b. Students read the script, with emphasis on
the sounds produced.
c. Teacher records students voices during the
choral speaking activity. Teacher allows
students to listen to their own voices
(recorded) and students improve on them.

Refer to the HSP for

sound system e.g.
ph as in pharmacy

1. Basic Phonetics
and Phonology
[CS L2-i]

a. Teacher divides students into groups.

b. Teacher shows the IPA chart.
c. Teacher provides students with a list of
words.
d. Students look up for the correct
pronunciation in a dictionary with the help
from the phonetic transcription.

Refer to the IPA

Chart in the
established
dictionaries.

Select suitable words

with vowels and
consonants.

21

2. Tongue Twisters
[CS L2-ii]

a. Teacher provides students with sample

texts for tongue twisters.
b. Students read the tongue twisters.
c. Teacher organizes a tongue twister intergroup competition.

Refer to Appendix
CS L2-ii.

3. Reading
Emotionally
[CS L2-iii]

a.
b.

Examples of
sentences:
I like you, Please
help me, etc.

c.
d.

4. Echo
[CS L2-iv]

Teacher provides sentences.

Students read the sentences in different
emotions.
Students read the sentences in pairs using
different emotions.
Teacher should also encourage students to
write dialogues and read them in different
emotions.

a. Students are asked to line up in two rows.

Row 1 and Row 2
b. Teacher gets a suitable choral speaking text or may lead the reading
any suitable text.
alternately.
c. Students in Row 1 read out the lines of the text
and students in Row 2 have to repeat after
them.
d. The text is read till the end.

22

5. Jazz Chant
[CS L2-v]

Choral
Speaking
Level 3

1. Q&A
[CS L3-i]

a. Teacher introduces the lyric of a jazz chant.

b. Teacher reads the chant to the class.
c. Teacher reads one line at a time and asks
students to repeat the line until they can say
most of the words.
d. Teacher adds the rhythm (clapping,
marching, or pounding a table or beating a
drum).
e. Let the class do the rhythm and say it at the
same time.
f. Let soloist says it while everyone else
claps.

Refer to Appendix
CS L2-v for other
procedures to teach
jazz chants.

a. Teacher provides Q&A lines to students.

e.g. Good morning
How are you?
I am fine. Where are you going?
I am going to town. Why do you look
sad? ..(and son on).
b. This activity is conducted in two groups or
pairs.
c. Each group / pair takes turn asking
questions and answering the questions.

Suggested topics:
Social expressions,
General knowledge,
Getting to know you.

Copy of the jazz

chant CD would be
available at the State
Education
Department (English
Language Officer)

23

2. Colourful Voices
[CS L3-ii]

3. Onomatopoeia
[CS L3-iii]

a. Teacher explains the functions of different

voices.
b. Divide students into groups of different
voices.
c. Students practise choral speaking using
different types of voices.

Refer to Appendix
CS L3-ii(a) and
Appendix L3-ii(b)

a. Teacher provides content and information

on onomatopoeia to students.
b. Students read and connect the samples of
onomatopoeia.
c. Students practise the text that contains
onomatopoeia. Students produce sounds
while reading.
d. Teacher may want to use soft instrumental
music as the background while students are
producing the sounds.
e. In groups, teacher asks students to
sequence the 6 lines of different
onomatopoeia and come up with a short
story. Sequencing may vary. Allow
creativity.

Refer to Appendix
CS L3-iii.

Boys: dark voices

Girls: light voices

24

4. Script
Adaptation
[CS L3-iv]

a. Teacher divides students into groups.

b. Each group chooses a theme, a topic or a
story.
c. In groups, adapt the story to suit a choral
speaking text or create a choral speaking
script.

Suggested topics :
Good manners
Healthy eating
Happy Living
Nature

5. Inter-group
Competition
[CS L3-v]

a. Teacher divides students into groups.

b. Each group works on the breathing
exercises or warm ups.
c. Students choose a leader from each group
who will conduct or direct the presentation.
(The leader is like a choir master).
d. Students present their choral speaking.
e. Teacher acts as judges.

Refer to Appendix
CS L3-v for the
choral speaking
score sheet.

25

5. PUBLIC SPEAKING
Programme
Public
Speaking
Level 1

Activity

Procedure

Remarks

1. Introduction to
Public
Speaking
[PS L1-i]

a. Teacher explains what public speaking is.

b. Students discuss in groups the
advantages of being a good public speaker.
c. Students make a list of qualities to be a
good public speaker.
d. Teacher introduces public speaking
competitions to the students and explain to
them the key information about
public speaking competition such as criteria
for judging.

Refer to the handout

on Public Speaking
distributed by The
Ministry Of
Education to
schools.

2. VCD Watching
[PS L1-ii]

a. Students and teachers watch a public

speaking competition together.
b. Teacher may ask students to judge or
comment to enhance their understanding
about public speaking competition and
how to be a good public speaker.
c. Teacher highlights good qualities of public
speakers e.g. body language, voice
projection, intonation, enunciation, eye
contact, etc.
d. The activity ends with a Q&A session to
clear students doubts about the public
speaking competition.

Get the VCD on

public speaking
competition from the
State Resource
Centre.

26

3. Memorized
Circle
[PS L1-iii]

a. Teacher asks students to sit in a few circles

(A group of 5 - 10).
b. The first person will introduce him/herself
and state what he/she likes using the first
letter in his/her name. e.g. My name is
Sulaiman and I like swimming.
c. The next person in the circle will then
introduce the first person first, then only
him/ herself and what he/she likes doing.
E.g. His name is Sulaiman and he likes
swimming. My name is Anita and I like
apples.
d. The activity will go on until all the students
in the circle have a chance to speak.

The students might

think that the last
person will have a
hard time but
actually the last
person will gain more
for speaking longer.

4. Introducing
Others
[PS L1-iv]

a. Teacher divides the class into pairs.

b. Each person talks about him/herself to the
other, sometimes with specific instructions
to share a certain piece of information. For
example, "The one thing I am particularly
proud of is..."
d. After five minutes, the participants
introduce the other person to another
person, a group of students or to the whole
class.

The information to be
shared could vary
from simpler to more
challenging topics.
e.g. My family or
The happiest day in
my life depending
on the students
ability.

27

Public
Speaking
Level 2

5. News Reading
[PS L1-v]

a. Teacher asks students to choose a

newspaper article.
b. Individually/ In pairs, students deliver
the news.

1. Just a Minute!
[PS L2-i]

a. Teacher introduces a board game to

the students and read the rules and
regulations of the game.
b. Teacher groups the students in a group
of four.
c. At the end of the game, teacher
explains the objective of the game is for
fluency.

Refer to Appendix
PS L2-i.
This board game is
an adaptation of the
snake and ladder
game.

2. Board game.
[PS L2-ii]

a. Teacher introduces a board game to

the students and read the rules and
regulations of the game.
b. Any one can start in order to play the
game by throwing the dice.
c. Students are to talk about the topic or
picture found in the square that they
land on.

Materials needed are

dice or spinner,
counters, timer and
the game board.
Refer to
Appendix PS L2-ii.

28

d. Students must keep on talking for about

2 minutes and other students in the
group are encouraged to ask questions.
e. This is to sustain the talking time of
their friends.

Teacher can set

his/her own rules in
organizing the game
such as the number
of players per group,
talking time and the
subject or topic for
the students to talk
about.

3. Sales Promoter
[PS L2-iii]

a. Teacher groups the students in a group

of four or five.
b. Each group is assigned to design a
futuristic stationery on a mahjong
paper.
c. Students will then discuss the strategies
to promote their product.
d. Teacher organizes a parallel session so
that all students will have the chance to
promote their product.

Promoting the
product could be
done in front of a
small group or to the
whole class.

4. Answer Me!
[PS L2-iv]

a. Teacher distributes question cards

among the students.
b. The students will take turn to answer
the question on the card. The student is
awarded 4 points for a complete
answer, 3 points for a reasonable

Materials required:
Question cards
for suggested
questions refer to
Appendix PS L2-iv.

29

answer, 2 points for an incomplete

answer, and 1 point for any answer at
all. If your class is up to it, you can get
them to award the points.

5. Two-minute
Talk on
Random Topic
[PS L2-v]

Public
Speaking Level
3

1. Five-minute Talk
[PS L3-i]

The objectives of this

activity are to
get the students
used to answering
general questions at
a level that
resembles normal
speech and to give
the students
conversational
confidence.

a. Divide the students in a group of three.

b. For every talk, there are three positions:
speaker, topic maker, and timer.
c. These positions rotate as different
people do their talks. For each talk, the
topic maker picks a random topic, the
speaker talks about it, and the timer
makes sure the talk lasts for two
minutes.

Doing this in small

groups is probably
less intimidating than
having the whole
class watching each
student. The topic
should also be
suitable to students
ability.

a. Students stand or sit in a big circle.

b. Teacher plays music while passing
around a ball. Once the music is
stopped, the student with the ball has to

Teacher may also

pass around 3 balls
for more student
participation.

30

present a short speech on the given

topic such as Money.
c. The student who has given a speech
does not have to present again if he or
she gets the ball for the second or third
time.

2. Speakers
Corner
[PS L3-ii]

a. Teacher decides where and when the

activity should be held. Most probably
at a school canteen during recess as
there will be many students there.
b. Teacher selects some potential
students to speak at the chosen corner
in public.

This activity can be

done weekly.

3. Wonderful
Product
[PS L3-iii]

a. Teacher divides students into groups.

b. Each group has to create a unique and
wonderful product. For examples, a pair
of bionic shoes and a magic
calculator which have multi-purpose,
extraordinary and sophisticated
functions.

Students should be
encouraged to be
creative. They may
use colourful
markers to draw their
wonderful products.

31

c. Students have to draw and label their

products on mahjong papers.
d. Students must also discuss the details
of their products name, price,
features, specialties, etc.
e. Each group presents the product in 5
10 minutes inclusive of a question and
answer session with the teacher as well
as students from other groups.

4. If I were
[PS L3-iv]

a. Teacher writes on small pieces of

papers personalities / individuals such
as Prime Minister, Principal, Dato Siti
Nurhaliza, Beyonce Knowles, Tiger
Wood, Education Minister, Dr. Sheikh
Muzaffar Mustapha, Mahatma Gandhi,
etc.
b. The papers are folded and put into a
box.
c. Every student is given a paper /
personality and they have 10 minutes to
think about 3 things that they would do
if they were that particular personality.
d. Students must support their statements
with appropriate reasons.
e. Teacher calls students to make
presentation one by one.

Teacher may ask

students to give
other / more names
to be written on the
papers.

32

5. Inter-Class
Public Speaking
Competition
[PS L3-v]

a. Teacher organizes a school level Public

Speaking Competition.
b. More planning should be done by the
teacher advisers and ELS members.

6. DRAMA
Programme
Drama in
English
Level 1

Activity
1. Introduction to
Drama in English
[DR L1-i]

2. Drama-VCD
Watching
[DR L1-ii]

Procedure

Remarks

a. Teacher asks students to share their

understanding of drama and drama in
English.
b. Teacher sums up students
understanding of the terms above and
explains what drama and Drama in
English mean.
c. Teacher highlights some important
information about drama based on the
handout produced by the School
Division, Ministry of Education.

a. Students and teachers watch a video /

VCD on a Drama in English competition.
e.g. District / State / Zone / National
level
b. Students are given a task/ tasks during
the session such as identifying and

Obtain the video /

VCD from the State
Resource Centre.
Teacher may also
ask students to watch

33

3. Adverbial
Charades
[DR L1-iii]

describing characters, messages,

values, plot, setting or others.
c. Students discuss their tasks after the
session.
d. Teacher highlights certain key aspects
of drama as discussed in DR L1-i.

the drama carefully

and later conduct a
quiz based on it.
Small prizes can be
offered.

a. Each student is given a card with a

familiar adverb on it. e.g. gracefully,
slowly, quickly, angrily, loudly, happily.

Some students may

get cards with similar
adverb.

b. Each student is called to the front of the

class one by one.

They may tell the

student to do things
in pantomime, like
drinking a bowl of
soup, or really do it in
class, like opening a
door or taking a book
from the teacher.

c. Then the student acts out something so

that the other students can guess the
adverb on the card.
.

4. Facial
Expression
Marathon
[DR L1- iv]

a. Ask the students to stand / sit in a circle.

Ask the first student in the circle to make
a funny face or assumes a funny
posture.
b. The next student mimics the gesture,
passing it on quickly to the next person,
and so on around the circle.
c. When the funny face has completed the

This activity is
intended to enhance
students facial
expression while
acting in a drama.

34

circuit, another student begins, until all

or as many students as possible have
had a chance to initiate the face-making.

Drama in
English
Level 2

5. Mirror, Mirror
on
the Wall
[DR L1-v]

a. Pair everyone up with a partner and

have them take turns mirroring, or
copying the verbal and nonverbal
behaviour of the other.
b. This can be varied to have them copy
only facial expressions, or to have them
try to do it in groups, with groups trying
to copy each other.

1. Acting Out
[DR L2-i]

a. Students are placed in groups of three

or four.
b. Each group is to choose a song that
they like.
c. Based on the lyric of the song, each
group will act out using the lyric as their
line.
d. The other students will guess the title of
the song or what the song is generally

They can also guess

the singer(s) of the
song.

35

about.

2. Comic Alive!
[DR L2-ii]

a. Students are placed in groups of four or

five.
b. Each group is given a cartoon strip.
c. Students are to act the dialogue in the
strip.

Students should be
encouraged to add a
few lines of their
own. Narration is
also
allowed
to
enhance
the
understanding of the
cartoon strips.

3. Poison Box
[DR L2-iii]

a. Students are asked to stand in a big

circle.
b. Music should be played when three
small balls are being passed around.
c. Once the music is stopped there must
be three students holding the balls and
one of them has to take a piece of
paper in a box on behalf of the others.
d. The paper taken should tell what all
three of them have to do. Refer to
Appendix DR L2-iii for some suggested

Teacher may also

provide more than
three balls. The balls
can be replaced by
other objects which
are safe and easy to
be passed around.
(Before starting) The
distance among each
ball
should
be

36

tasks.
spaced out.
e. Teacher decides whether they should
perform the task one by one or
simultaneously.
f. All the other students have to judge
which one of the three students
performs the task given the best.

4. Stressed,
Unstressed,
[DR L2-iv]

5. Expressing
Feelings with
Objects
[DR L2-v]

a. Teacher asks students to form a circle.

b. He then gives one sentence to the
students. e.g. This is my book.
c. All the students will take turn to say the
sentence in different intonations, stress
and rhythm showing different emotions.
(e.g. happily, sadly, angrily, etc.)

Some other
sentences that can
be used are:
-May I know your
name?
-I love you!
-Those are my story
books
-She loves the cat.
-When can I see
you?

a. Teacher explains that students will be

given an item and they have to
communicate with the item. For
instance, they can be given a wristwatch, a handkerchief, a calculator, a
mobile phone, a batik sarong, a bottle
of Vitamin C, etc.
b. Students have to imagine that the item
is alive have feelings and can

Teacher can also ask

students to bring an
item each from
home.
Teacher should
encourage students
to show appropriate
facial expressions

37

Drama in
English
Level 3

1. A Day in the Life

of ...
[DR L3-i]

respond to conversation using a

special language.
c. Students are asked to create dialogues
to communicate with the item in about
2 5 minutes. They have to imagine
that they are the only persons who can
understand the special language used
by the item.
d. Students prepare the dialogues in 10
20 minutes.
e. Students present individually.

when they
communicate with
the item.

a. Students are paired.

b. Each pair is required to choose a
renowned person (dead or alive) such
as the late Tan Sri P. Ramlee, Michael
Jackson, Nicol David, Tiger Wood, etc.
c. Student A has to be a reporter of a
television programme named A Day in
the Life of and Student B has to
play the role of the chosen renowned
personality.
d. Students have to create dialogues
between the reporter and the
personality.
e. Teacher tells the students that they are
going to witness the recording of A
Day in the Life of at a local
television station.
f. All pairs present the dialogues one by
one.

This activity is done

together with the
Commercial Break
activity - DR L3-ii.
Teacher may appoint
some students to
hold cards that
indicate audience to
clap, laugh, sigh and
be silent.
A director should
also be appointed
to say 1,2,3 Action!
and Cut!
accordingly.

38

2. Commercial
Break
[DR L3-ii]

3.

Role-play
[DR L3-iii]

a. Students are divided into several

groups.
b. Each group has to come out with an
advertisement for commercial breaks
during the television programme above
DR L3-i.
c. Each group has to promote a product
or service (e.g. soap, bank, perfume,
snacks, etc.) creatively and
convincingly. However, they may adopt
and adapt ideas from the
advertisements on television.
d. Teacher decides when the group
should present their advertisements
during the commercial breaks.

Remember that there

should not be too
many groups doing
the advertisements
as other students
have to carry out the
television interview
above DR L3-i.

a. Teacher divides students into several

groups.
b. Each group is given a task to come out
with a role play based on the situation
given. Students make preparation for
the role play.
c. Group presentations.

Refer to Appendix
DR L3-iii for the
situations.

39

4. Inter-class Sketch
Competition
[DR L3-iv]

a. The ELS should organize an inter-class

sketch competition.
b. More planning should be done by the
teacher advisers and ELS members.

5. Special
Performance
[DR L3-v]

a. Teacher encourages students to

perform at a special function in school
such as Speech Day, Teachers Day,
Co-curriculum Day, etc.
b. The performance may be in the form of
a sketch or role-play.

40

7. PARLIAMENTARY DEBATE
Programme

Parliamentary
Debate
Level 1

Activity

1. Introduction to
Parliamentary
Debate
[PD L1-i]

2. VCD-Watching
[PD L1-ii]

Procedure

Remarks

a. Students discuss in groups the

advantages of being a debater or
having debating skills.
b. Each group presents and discusses the
advantages.
c. Teacher sums up the great benefits of
involving oneself in a debate team.
d. Teacher introduces parliamentary
debate to the students and explains its
key information such as format, roles of
each speaker and criteria for judging.

Refer to the Tan Sri

Datuk Wira Abdul
Rahman Arshad
Challenge Trophys
handout.

a. Students and teachers watch a

recorded debate competition together.
b. Teacher highlights certain key features
(e.g. Point of Information, rebuttal, reply
speech, presenting a case stand, etc.)
of parliamentary debate as explained
before.
c. Teacher may ask students to judge or
comment to enhance their
understanding about the debate style.
d. The activity ends with a Q&A session to

Get the debate VCD

from the State
Resource Centre.

Some materials /
pages may be
printed for students.

41

clear students doubts about

parliamentary debate.

3. F&O Corners
[PD L1-iii]

a. Teacher prepares 30 strips of manila

cards (last longer) containing 15 facts
and 15 opinions. Refer to Appendix PD
L1-iii.
b. Two corners of the classroom must be
labeled as FACT CORNER and
OPINION CORNER.
c. Each student is given one strip of card
and he / she has to decide whether it is
a fact or an opinion and gather at the
respective corner with the others.
d. Students from each corner take turn to
step forward, read aloud the card and
quack (3X) if it is a fact but
Moooooooooo if it is an opinion.
Teacher and all students listen carefully
for verification. If the student tells
wrongly, he or she has to make another
animal sound of his / her choice.
e. When all students have finished telling
about their facts / opinions, teacher
explains the significance of
differentiating both and using them to
support arguments / statements in a
debate.

Pair some students if

there are more than
30 students.

The animal sounds

are included merely
for injecting fun and
joy in the activity.
Option: Teacher may
suggest other sound
effects.

42

4. Cause and Effect

Treasure Hunt
[PD L1-iv]

a. This activity can be done individually, in

pairs or groups.
b. Teacher places the cause and effect
clues at various strategic locations
within the school compound before the
treasure hunt starts. Every student /pair
/group is given a worksheet to be
completed during the treasure hunt.
Refer to Appendix PD L1-iv(b).
c. Students are given 20 30 minutes (it
depends on the number of clues /
questions placed) to complete the
treasure hunt.
d. The worksheets have to be submitted to
the teacher.
e. All students gather in a class and
teacher asks students to evaluate their
friends responses / answers.
Exchanging worksheets promotes more
discussion of the responses given in the
worksheets.
f. Teacher and students discuss the
acceptable and logical causes and
effects.
g. Teacher ends by stressing that thinking
about the causes and effects of certain
issues will make students become
better decision makers as well as it can
help them to support their arguments

For safety purposes

as well as to promote
peer interaction, it
should not be done
individually.
Refer to Appendix
PD L1-iv(a) for the
suggestions on the
clues and flow of
students movements
from location to
location within the
school compound.
Some office bearers
of the ELS should
assist the teacher.
Make sure students
do not evaluate their
own worksheets.

Marks / Points can

be awarded
accordingly.

43

better in a debate.
5. Debate Poison
Box
[PD L1-v]

Parliamentary
Debate
Level 2

1. Debate Scrapbook
[PD L2-i]

a. Students sit in a big circle.

b. Teacher passes around the circle four
small balls as a song is being played.
Two balls are labeled A (advantages)
and two more balls are labeled D
(disadvantages).
c. The song is paused several times. Each
time this is done, the students with the
balls have to stand up and one of them
picks up a paper/topic from the Poison
Box. Refer to Appendix PD L1-v for the
list of topics in the box.
d. For instance, if this topic is picked up
from the box Advantages and
disadvantages of internet, then, both
students with ball A are required to
give one advantage of the internet.
Conversely, one disadvantage of the
internet must be given by each student
with the ball D.
e. The game goes on after several topics
are covered.

a. Teacher divides students into several

groups. There should be not more than
four members in each group.
b. Teacher presents a list of general topics
for the scrapbook for the groups to
choose.

The friends sitting

close to the students
with the balls may
assist them with
ideas, if necessary.

Teacher may also

ask students to
suggest their own
topics.

44

2. Two-minute Case
[PD L2-ii]

c. Each group has to come out with a

scrapbook containing as much
information as possible about the topic
chosen/suggested. The information can
be gathered from any printed/written
materials such as newspapers,
magazines, brochures, posters,
classroom essays, downloaded
materials from the internet, interview
excerpts, personal notes and others.
d. The scrapbooks should be circulated
among the society members. If copies
cannot be made, create a system that
records students who borrow and read
them.
e. This activity should be carried out a few
times in a year so that by the end of the
year, the students should have explored
many argumentative topics / issues.

Teacher should
decide on the
number of pages and
duration to complete
the scrapbook.

a. Teacher asks students to create a

positive or negative trait of a person.
For instances, he or she is a good /
lousy cook, patient / bad tempered,
diligent / indolent, extrovert / introvert,
computer savvy / illiterate, brave /
coward, etc.

Teacher / students
should list down the
traits in two columns
on blackboard.

Prizes may be
offered to the best
three scrapbooks.

The society may also

establish its own
collection of
reference materials
for future debates.

45

b. Teacher asks every student to think of

one statement (negative or positive) to
describe their trait. For example, I am a
good cook.
c. Teacher asks some students to share
their traits.
d. Students are given 5 10 minutes to
prepare reasons / explanations or a
case to support their statement.
e. The case will be presented in 2 minutes.
f. Snowballing presentations:
- students rehearse their case
individually in 3 minutes
- all students walk about in the
classroom (as music is played)
and stop when they are told to do
so. They must take turn to
present their case to 1 2
persons nearest to them.

Students should
make a few stops
and share their case
with more students if
they are less
confident to present
individually later.

g. All students are seated and teacher

calls for volunteers / selects some
students to present their case
individually in 2 minutes in front of the
class. Teacher and students should
pose at least a question (to promote
POI) to the presenters during / after
their presentation.

3. Mission Possible

a. Teacher asks the students to imagine

Teacher should

46

To Mars
[PD L2-iii]

that they are in a committee to select

the first group of human beings to
conduct an intensive research and
establish a settlement on the Mars.
Teacher presents a list of final
candidates and their backgrounds.
Refer to Appendix PD L2-iii(a).
In groups, students are given 20 30
minutes to choose only 5 persons from
the list and provide convincing reasons
why some are chosen and vice versa.
Each group presents their chosen
candidates and reasons. Students are
strongly encouraged to debate during
group presentations.
If possible, students should
unanimously decide the top 5
candidates at the end of their
presentations / debate.

provide a list of
relevant social
conventions to be
used in the
discussion / debate.
Refer to Appendix
PD L2-iii(b).

a. Students are asked to imagine that

each of them receives a fortune of RM1
million from a billionaire like Tan Sri
Syed Mokhtar Al Bukhary or Bill Gates.
b. While holding the RM1 million note (if
there is none, just imagine), students
must think of three ways how to spend
the money to help a society.

Teacher may design

a RM1 million note
for each student
using A4 papers.

b.

c.

d.

e.

4. If I Were a
Millionaire .
[PD L2-iv]

c. Students are grouped and they are

supposed to reveal their plans of

47

spending the money to all group

members.
d. Each group has to come to a consensus
by choosing only 3 ways of spending
the money. They must also discuss
reasons and explanations for each plan.
e. Each group presents their plans. Other
groups are encouraged to question their
planning and the presenting group has
to defend their plans as best as
possible.

5. A Man Called
Future
Husband
[PD L2-v]

a. Students are divided into three groups

and are required to imagine that they
are a 67-year-old father (Group 1), a
65-year old mother (Group 2) and a 37year-old unmarried daughter (Group 3).
b. The mother, father and daughter
always have disagreements regarding
the traits of their future son-in-law /
husband because each of them has his
/ her own candidate. Students sit in
three groups known as Perfectionist
Father, Fussy Mother and Stubborn
Daughter.

Refer to Appendix
PD L2-v for the list of
candidates and their
different traits.

c. Each group has to develop their

arguments with relevant and logical
supporting details.

48

d. The three groups sit in a big circle and

discuss.

Parliamentary
Debate
Level 3

1. Pros and Cons

Relay
[PD L3-i]

a. Students are divided into 3 4 groups.

They have to line up in front of the
class.
b. Each group is given a piece of mahjong
paper and a marker and they are placed
at the back of the class on a desk. The
mahjong paper is divided into two
columns pros and cons (advantages
and disadvantages).
c. All groups are given one similar debate
topic simultaneously. Teacher writes the
topic on the blackboard.
d. Each group has 5 minutes to discuss
the pros and cons of the topic.
e. Each group is given 5 7 minutes to
run (do not rush safety first) to the
back of the class to write on the
mahjong paper the pros and cons
appropriately. At one time, only one
group member is allowed to run and
then write on the mahjong paper.

Refer to Appendix
PD L3-i for the list of
topics.

A marker pen can be

used as a baton to
be passed to the next
group member to
complete the task.
Teacher may blow a
whistle to start and
end the relay or start
and stop playing
music accordingly.

f. When the time is up, all students are

seated and teacher puts up the
mahjong papers on the board. The pros
and cons of the topic are presented by

49

each group.
g. Students should be encouraged to
argue with each other during the
presentations.
h. Teacher should conclude by highlighting
the three most significant and prominent
pros and cons.
i. If time permits, the students should
have one or two more rounds of similar
relay. They may also be regrouped.

2. W.A.R.!!!
(We Argue and
Refute!)
[PD L3-ii]

a. Students are divided into 5 groups.

b. Phase 1: Each group is given a piece of
mahjong paper to write about 3
arguments (in complete sentences)
based on the topic given.
c. Phase 2: The mahjong papers are
exchanged using the following system:
- Group 1 exchanges with Group 5
- Group 2 exchanges with Group 3
- Group 3 exchanges with Group 4
- Group 4 exchanges with Group 5

Refer to Appendix
PD L3-ii(a) for the list
of topics.

d. Phase 3: Each group is given another

piece of mahjong paper to be attached
to the one received from another group.
They are supposed to refute / rebut the
three arguments written on the first

Drawing an arrow to
indicate the link
between the
argument and
refutation is helpful.

Use masking tape to

attach the two papers
together.

50

3. Mum, Dad, please

.
[PD L3-iii]

mahjong paper. Each refutation /

rebuttal should be written on the second
mahjong paper parallel to the argument
refuted.
e. Phase 4: The mahjong papers are
returned to the original group for them
to rebut the refutations. Therefore, each
group is given another piece of mahjong
paper to be taped beside the
refutations. Group members have to
think of possible counter-refutations and
write them down accordingly.
f. Phase 5: Each group presents their
arguments, refutations for their
arguments and their rebuttals to defend
their arguments.

Again, drawing
arrows is helpful to
link each refutation /
rebuttal. Refer to
Appendix PD L3-ii(b)
for a sample
mahjong paper.

a. Students are asked to imagine that they

are having a two-month school holiday.
They are very interested to take up a
part-time job but their parents urge them
to attend a two-month Spoken English
Course.

The two options can

always be changed
with other choices
such as:
Computer Course
Summer Camp
Cooking class

b. Students are divided into two groups

The Teenagers and The Parents.
c. Each group discusses valid reasons to
support their choices.
d. Some group members from each group
have to present their reasons to

POIs are encouraged

during the
presentations.

Driving lesson

51

4. Lets Walk in
Different Shoes
[PD L3-iv]

persuade and influence the others to

agree with their suggestion.
e. Teacher should encourage students to
question each others reasoning or
arguments.
f. Teacher ends the activity by deciding
the most convincing group and
highlighting the strengths of their
arguments.

Options: Students
can also debate on
hobbies, favourite
television
programmes, top
artistes, etc.

a. Teacher divides the students into three

groups and labels them as
TEENAGERS, PARENTS and
GOVERNMENT. The students in each
group have to present viewpoints /
arguments from the perspectives of
teenagers, parents and government
respectively.
b. Teacher gives a debate topic one at a
time. Based on each topic, students are
given some time to make their stand
clearly and support it convincingly.

Make portable and

standing labels using
manila cards. Put
each label
accordingly in front of
the group.

c. Every group presents its stand and

arguments. All group members must
cooperate to defend their arguments or
clarify any doubts raised by others.
d. Teacher must change the labels for
every new debate topic (students
remain seated) so that every group of

Teacher determines
the duration for the
inter-group debate.

Refer to Appendix
PD L3-iv for the
suggested debate
topics.

Teacher may think of

other ways of
regrouping the

52

students has a chance to walk in

different shoes when presenting their
arguments.

5. Inter-group Debate
Competition
[PD L3-v]

students according to
their shoes.

a. Teacher should form 4 groups of

potential debaters among the ELS
members. There should be 3 debaters
in each group.
b. Two topics are given the first topic is
for the first round and the second topic
is for the final round. Teacher may use
past debate motions used at district,
state or national level.
c. All groups are given sufficient time to
prepare themselves (could even be 1
2 weeks).
d. Teacher should be the Chief Adjudicator
and may be assisted by some ELS
members.

More debating
groups should be
encouraged.
Other ELS members
who are not debaters
can make
contributions as:
- researchers
- advisors
- trainers
- timekeepers
- speaker
- co-adjudicators

8. ENGLISH IN CAMP
8.1 WARMERS
Activity

1. Gloves And
Sweets

Procedure

a. Divide students into two teams.

b. Students line up in two rows.

Remarks

Materials: Wrapped sweets, 2

paper bags and two pairs of men's

53

Relay

c. The first in line of each team is given a paper bag filled with
wrapped sweets and a pair of men's thick gloves.
d. Each student, in turn, has to take the gloves out of the bag,
put them on, choose a sweet, unwrap it, and put it in their
mouth.
e. They then have to take off the gloves, return them to the bag,
and pass it to next student in the team.
f. The first team to finish the task is the winner.

2. Dont
Answer
No.

a. Teacher asks questions and if the students answer "Yes",

they must get up from their chairs and move one seat to their
left.
b. If the students answer No, they will remain seated. They
may end up sitting on someone's lap or two laps.
c. Here are the questions which teachers can vary: Do you have
black shoes on? Did you walk here? Do you have three or
more siblings? Are you wearing earrings? Do you have blue
jeans on? Is it your birthday this month? Are you wearing
something red?
d. The first person to get back to her original seat is the winner.

3. Alphabet
Circle

a. Arrange everyone in a circle.

b. Someone says the name of any country, city, river, ocean or
mountain that could be found in an atlas.
c. The person next to him must then say another name that
begins with the last letter of the word that has been given.
Example: First person: Indonesia
Second person: Austria
Third person: Australia
d. Each person has a definite time limit (e.g. 3 seconds) and no

large thick gloves

Teachers can also choose the

category for the students to name.
If a student fails to give a word,
others can help him / her.

54

name can be repeated.

4. Feed Me
Please!

a. Teacher pairs up the students and tie their left wrist together.
b. Give each pair a banana to hold in their left hand.
c. When teacher says "Go", they peel the banana with only their
right hand and try to push it in their partner's face/mouth.
d. Teacher may want to blindfold the students to add excitement.

5. Crack Me
Not

a. Students are paired up.

b. Teacher gives each student a peanut.
c. They should try to crack their partner's peanuts by pushing
their peanuts against one another.
d. Those with cracked peanuts are out.
e. Do this in rounds until only one or a few peanuts are left not
cracked.

6. Money,
Money,
Money

a. Teacher pairs everyone up and forms a big circle.

b. Each pair is given two coins.
c. One person in each pair tilts his head back and places a coin
on each eyelid with eyes closed (no peeping!).
d. Put a big container in the centre (e.g. a garbage can).
e. The object is for each person to dump their coins into the
container, following the verbal directions of their partner.
f. No physical guiding by the partner is allowed.
g. If any coin dropped, the person should pick it up and start all
over again.

55

h. The fun comes when all the pairs go at once, crowding around
the container, blinded by money, trying to hear their partner's
direction.

7. Eat And
Blow

8. Eyes
Please!

a. Start the game by getting each student to blow up a balloon

and eat a biscuit at the same time.
b. The student who has a fully blown balloon and has eaten
their biscuit wins a prize.
c. They have to take a bite - blow the balloon, take a bite, blow
the balloon and so on.

a. The teacher places a large drawing of a face on the floor

and each students in turn attempts to drop a pair of bright
buttons to form the eyes of the face.
b. The student who places the buttons / eyes accurately wins
the game.

9. Rhythmic
Jumping

a. Have the entire group get in a circle.

b. Everyone puts their arms over the shoulders of the persons
on their left and right. On the word GO, everyone must jump
(feet off the ground) at the same instant.
c. The ones who do not do so (too fast or too slow), will be
disqualified.
d. Repeat until only a few are left. These are the winners.

10. Confess

a. Get a small rubber ball.

Materials: Balloons and large

biscuit to each student.

Materials: Large drawing of a face,

2 buttons to each student.

56

Please

b. Arrange the students in a circle.

c. Throw the ball to one person and ask the individual to disclose
something unusual about himself.
d. He can then throw the ball to anyone he chooses and repeats
the process.

11. Getting to
Know You

a. Each student writes his/her name on a piece of paper.

The students can also talk about
b. Collect the papers and redistribute them so that everyone gets other topics. e.g. One thing that
the name of a person he/she does not know.
they like about themselves.
c. Students walk around the room to find the person whose
name he/she is holding.
d. When everyone has found his/her partner, they should get to
know each other. He/she introduces him/her to the whole
group.
e. Teacher asks for volunteers to introduce their friends.

12. Happy
Family

a. Each student is given a card bearing a family member.

e.g. Grandfather Pluto, Grandmother Pluto, Mother Pluto.
Grandfather Mars, Grandmother Mars, Father Mars
b. Student locates family members.
c. As each member is found, they move around looking for the
remaining members.
d. Grandfather introduces the family to the other families.

This activity can also be used to

divide students into groups.

13.
Personality

a. Each student receives half a name of a personality.

This activity can also be used to

pair up the students.

57

Matching

WILLIAM

SHAKESPEARE

MAHATHIR

MOHAMED

ISAAC

NEWTON

b. Each student has to find the other student holding the other
half of the name.
c. In pairs, they then describe their personality for others to
guess.

14. Blow
Wind
Blow

a. Students sit in a circle with one of them standing in the centre

of the circle.
b. He/she starts by saying blow wind blow.
c. The other students reply blow to where?.
d. He/she replies, for examples blow to those wearing
spectacles/ blue shirts/whose name starts with the letter
Netc.
e. Students wearing spectacles/blue shirts/whose names starts
with the letter N.etc. must get up and find a new seat within
the circle.
f. The student without a seat has to stand in the centre of the
circle and continues doing the same activity.

8.2 LANGUAGE SKILLS ACTIVITIES

58

Activity

1. Bingo

Procedure

Remarks

a. Students to work in pairs.

b.. Give each pair an envelope that contains :
A card with 9 words on it (e.g. words in past participle)

Leader has the master word list in

which he crosses out the words he
calls out.

Card 1
gone
sewn
combed

taken
put
given

swum
done
eaten

Cards prepared may contain more

than nine words depending on the
students level of proficiency.

Card 2
given
promised
taken
lied
cut
bought
done
spoken
combed
Nine blank cards for covering the words

c. Leader calls out the root word (e.g. Go) and the pairs look for the
past participle of the word and cover it with a blank card. The pair
that successfully covers 3 words in a horizontal, vertical or
diagonal line is the winner.

2. Spelling
Bee

a. Appoint a leader in every group.

b. Leader starts by spelling and saying a word, for example,
B-A-T (spell)
bat (say)
c. The next student spells and says a word that starts with the

Teacher may carry out the game

in a few rounds.
e.g. Round 1 involving only 3
letter words

59

last letter.
e.g. T-A-R (spell)
tar (say)
d. The game continues. If a student is not able to continue, he is
dropped out of the game. The next student starts again with a
new word.

3. Words
Scrambling

a. In pairs, students form as many words as they can using the

letters provided in the card.
For example:
A
U
R
T

M
E
S
S

N
I
O
L

Round 2 involving 4 letter

words
Round 3 involving 5 letter
words

Suggested scoring :
1-letter-word 1 point
2-letter-word 2 points, etc.
Bonus 20 points

b. The pair that uses every letter given to form a word gets bonus
points.
c. The pair that scores the highest point is the winner.
4.
Advertisement
Jingles

a. Teacher divides students into groups of 4-6.

b. Each group is to prepare an advertisement to promote the
sale of a product. Jingles must be included in the
advertisement.
c. Each group presents the advertisement and jingles.

5. Deserted
Island

a. Teacher reads the situation and sets the task.

Example of a situation:
You are stranded on an island. There is food and water on the
island but nothing else. From the list below, choose 5 most

60

useful items that you wish you had with you and give reasons
for your choice.
An axe
A box of matches
A bottle of water
An atlas
A nylon tent
A blanket
Ointment

A saucepan
A knife and a fork
A 20-metre of nylon rope
A compass
A towel
A pencil and a piece paper
A transistor radio with batteries

b. Students work in groups of three or four.

c. Students present their solutions and defend their choices
against the others arguments.

6. Give Us a
Clue

a. Teacher prepares idioms and proverbs on cards.

e.g. green eyed monster
an apple a day keeps the doctor away
b Divide the students into groups of 4-6.
c. Teacher/student facilitator shows a card to a student in the
group who is to mime the words in front of the others. The
student cannot mouth or say any word or he will be
disqualified.
d. The others guess the idiom or proverb. Each time a word
is guessed correctly, the teacher/facilitator writes it on the
board.
e. A student can pass his role to another member of the

A time limit should be set for

guessing the idioms/proverbs.
(usually 90 seconds)

61

group to continue the mime using a new card.

7. True or
False

a. To begin with, each student should think of a factual

statement and a fictitious statement about themselves to
relate to the rest of the class, who have to guess which is
which.
b. The teacher could start by announcing his or her own
statements to the class. Building on this, each student then
thinks of one true story and one false story to tell to the
rest of the class.
c. Again the class attempts to discriminate. This continues
until everyone has had a turn at telling their stories.

To encourage story-telling
technique. This is good for
confidence building and helpful for
story-writing.

8. Secret
Messages

a. The students are paired and each pair is asked to write out
the letters of the alphabet, A-Z, and the numbers 1-26
underneath. Each pair thinks of a simple message, written
in the number code, to send to another pair.
b. Teacher organizes an exchange, and then each pair
cracks the code using the number coding.
c. One of each pair is in prison and writes a letter to their
associate outside with a coded message in it. The partner
must try to crack the code and decipher the message, then
reply using the code.

Many different codes can be

developed and used in games
based on espionage, police, radio
hams, etc.

9. Just the Job

a. Each student in the class thinks of a job.

Teacher should give some sample

62

b. Each student is questioned by the rest of the class about

what the job is.
c. The person questioned can only answer Yes or No.
Eventually, if the class cannot guess the job, the person
has to mime it.

10 Coffee-pot

11. Aunt
Sitis Cat

questions to the students.

a. Ask a pair of volunteers to leave the classroom to choose a

noun, and then ask them back to have a conversation about it
in front of the class.
b. Example: The pair has chosen the word dustbin.
The conversation might go as follows:
My coffee-pot is black and made of plastic.
My coffee-pot is grey but it smells awful.
When anyone thinks he/she knows what the coffee-pot
is, he/she may guess. If he/she is correct, another pair is
sent out.
a. This is an old party game usually played by children and
adults together.
b. The teacher usually says whether the word chosen is
possible or not.
c. The name can be varied: My uncles parrot. The grocers
horse. Bill Lees bulldog. My grandmothers monkey, etc.
The first player begins with a, perhaps My Aunt Sitis cat
is an alarming cat. The second has to use an adjective
beginning with b, e.g. My Aunt Sitis cat is a bad cat. The
third may continue. My Aunt Siti s cat is a careful cat.
And so on through the alphabet.

63

12. What Can

You Do
With It?

a. Write a list of the objects on the board or display pictures of

the objects if you have them.
b. For each object, ask the class What can you do with it? or
How can you use it?
c. Asking the same question in different versions repeatedly
encourages the students to be creative with their suggestions.
Example:
A: How can you use a paper bag?
B: You can put things in it.
A: Yes, what else can you do with a paper bag
C: You can light a fire with it.
A: I suppose so. Anything else?
D: You can blow in it and make a bang.

13. Chain
Spelling

a. Have the students stand in a large circle around the

classroom.
b. Explain that the goals of the game are speed and accuracy of
spelling.
c. Ask one student to say any word. The student to her left must
say a word that begins with the last letter of the word given,
and so on clockwise around the circle.
d. After several times round the class, stop the game. Tell
students that they must now spell as well as say the word they
think of.
e. If a student takes too long (more than 5 seconds) to think of a
word, begins with the wrong letter or spells it incorrectly, she
must return to her seat.
f. The student who is the last to stand wins the game.
Example: A: band. B-A-N-D

Prepare to ask questions on

about 5 or 6 common objects.
You might like to stimulate a.
discussion by using pictures or
the objects themselves.

Alternatively, add the rule that

the words must all fall within a
given category- e.g. names of
countries or sports.
If students are very good at the
game and no one looks like
winning, reduce the time limit
for answering.

64

B: dog. D-O-G
C: goal. G-O-A-L

14. Hybrid

a. Students are divided into groups of 4 and 5 and are

challenged
to create names for imaginary hybrid animals.
b. Examples:
Suppose a lobster mated with a termite. What would you call
the baby? How about a lobsTERmite?
How about the offspring from a kangaroo and a rooster? A
kangaROOster?

Here are some possibilities (keep

them to yourself until the students
have finished):
mooSErpent
goriLLama
hippopotaMUskrat
elephANTelope
birDonkey
Students can also be asked to
draw the hybrid animals.

15. Getting the

Full Story

a. One member of the group or class says Ive been reading a

very interesting story, but gives no detail except in response
to questions, e.g. Who are the characters? Where do they
live? What are their names? How does the story begin? etc.
b. Teacher needs not know what the story is and can join in
questioning, but the teachers main role is to encourage
varieties in the questions.

16. Dictionary

a. Teacher finds a suitable word in the dictionary, names the part Provide a dictionary that suits the
of speech (noun, verb, etc.) and the first letter, and reads the
proficiency of your students.
definitions (and the sentences using the word in context, if
necessary).
b. Students try to guess the word being defined. The first student
who guesses the word correctly will choose the next word and
read its definitions.

65

Example: My word is a verb and it begins with the letter t. It

means:
1. produce thoughts; form in the mind. I often _____ of home.
2. reason; consider. He is _____ about the problem.

8.3 NEWSPAPER IN EDUCATION ACTIVITIES

Activity

1. The Gifts

Procedure

a. Students are asked to imagine they come from a big family

which consists of the following members mother, father,
granduncle, eldest brother, younger sister, youngest brother,
cousin and foster sister.
b. Each student is required to prepare a gift for each of the
family members above. Students must provide a reason for
the choice made.
c. They have to cut pictures from the newspapers to show the
gifts.
d. The pictures are pasted on a mahjong paper and should be
labeled.
e. Teacher asks every student to make an oral presentation
about the gifts chosen and the reasons for choosing them.

Remarks

Students should share

newspapers.
This activity can also be carried
out in groups.
Examples of gifts: a holiday
package, ring, car, mobile phones,
etc. Students have to find suitable
pictures and label them properly.
(what the gift is and its recipient)

66

2. Scavenger
Hunt

a. Teacher divides students into several groups.

b. Each group is given some newspapers. (More newspapers
are needed if students have to complete more tasks)
c. Every group is given a list of items for students to cut and
paste on a piece of mahjong paper. Refer to Appendix NIE-A
for some suggested tasks.
d. The first or fastest group to complete the task is to be
declared as the winner.

A number of different lists can be

given to each group and the task
can be done in a few rounds. If this
is done, the winning group is
decided based on the least time
taken to complete all the tasks.

3. NIE Relay

a. Teacher divides students into several groups.

b. Group members line up in a row at the back of the class.
c. Each group has to complete 20 tasks. (The tasks are almost
similar to the ones given in the Scavenger Hunt)
d. Teacher puts a box that contains 20 tasks (each task is
printed on a small piece of paper) in front of each group. Refer
to Appendix NIE-B for some suggested tasks.
e. The first group member in the row has to take out one piece of
paper (one task).
f. He / she has to run / walk to the front of the class and use the
newspapers on the desks to complete the task.
g. After cutting the newspaper based on the task given, he / she
gets back to the group and the second student in the row
should continue the activity (e, f and g). The activity goes on
until all the tasks are completed.

Several newspapers are put on the

desks in front of the classroom.

a. This activity can be done individually, in pairs or groups.

Teacher may limit the number of

4. My Story

The winning group is chosen

based on the fastest time taken to
complete all tasks as well as the
accuracy of the answers.

67

b. Students are asked to cut pictures from newspapers. All

pictures are to be arranged on a piece of mahjong paper and
students have to create a story based on the pictures.
c. Once the story is finalized, the pictures can be pasted.
d. Students should be given some time to rehearse their stories.
e. Teacher calls for volunteers to present their stories.

5. Family
Tree

The arrangement should indicate a

proper sequence of events.

a. Students are divided into several groups. They have to

assume that they come from one family.
b. Each group has to create a family free and cut relevant photos
in the newspapers to represent their family members.
c. Other pictures / materials in the newspapers can also be cut
to reveal more about the family members (e.g. mansion to
indicate their wealth, hockey game to tell about their hobby,
etc.)
d. The family tree should be drawn and labeled on a piece of
mahjong paper. Pictures and other materials are to be pasted
there too.
e. Teacher calls every group to present their family trees.

6. My Dreams

pictures depending on the time

available.

a. Students are asked to imagine that they are millionaires.

b. They are given about 20 30 minutes to cut materials in
newspapers to tell how they would spend their money.
c. Those materials are pasted on mahjong papers.
d. Teacher asks students to find 2 4 persons with whom they
should take turn telling about how they would spend their
money.
e. Teacher may call some volunteers to present in front of the
class.

Markers should be used to draw

and label the family trees.

Some gifts may be given to the

volunteers.

68

7. My Future

a. Teacher asks students to think of their future lives (10 to 15

years from now).
b. Every student cuts materials (pictures, words, etc.) from
newspapers to convey information about his / her future life.
c. Students are encouraged to be creative in arranging all the
newspaper cuttings on mahjong papers.
d. Students present their future lives orally.

8. Mind Our
Own
Business

a. Students choose their own pairs.

b. Each pair is required to imagine that they have a business
company.
c. Students are supposed to cut materials in newspapers to tell
more about their companies such as its name, building, office,
employees, nature of business, etc.
d. All the newspaper cuttings are to be pasted on a piece of
mahjong paper.
e. Each pair presents their business company.

9. Top Secret

a. Each student is required to cut a picture of a famous

personality and imagine that he / she is very close with the
personality.
b. Students have to create a statement / secret about the
personality. The secret should not be something that is
sensitive such as about sex, religion, race, etc. Examples of
permissible secrets X puts on make-up before going to
sleep, X has six lizards as his / her pets, X loves to eat fried
banana with tomato sauce, etc. THE SECRET CANNOT BE

Teacher should encourage other

students to ask questions during
the presentation.

Teacher can also ask two pairs to

present at the same time. Both
pairs have to argue and convince
that their company is better than
the other.

Teacher may stop the activity after

69

WRITTEN, IT HAS TO BE CONVEYED ORALLY.

c. Teacher plays music and students walk about the classroom
while holding the picture of a personality.
d. Once the music is stopped, students have to form a group by
finding 3 students closest to him / her. The 3 students take
turn to reveal the secret.
e. The music is played and then stopped. Students form a group
of 3 again (with new members) and repeat the activity.

10. A Holiday
For My
English
Teacher

a. Students are divided into several groups.

b. Students are asked to imagine that they are successful and
wealthy businessmen. They would like to sponsor a five-star
holiday for their English Language teacher and his / her family.
c. Students have to cut materials in newspapers to tell more about
the five-star holiday package to be offered to the teacher.
d. The newspaper cuttings are pasted on a piece of mahjong paper
and they are encouraged to be creative in their presentation.
e. Each group makes a presentation.

some time.
Teacher should ask for some
volunteers to reveal the secrets
to all.

At the end of all presentations,

teacher should encourage
students to argue and suggest
which holiday package is the best
for their English teacher.

8.4 OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES

Activity

1. Running
Dictation

Procedure

a. Students are divided into several groups.

b. Students should line up at Spot A and a text should be placed
at Spot B.
c. Each group member has to take turn to run to Spot B to read

Remarks

The suggested distance between

Spot A and Spot B should only be
about 15 25 metres (not very far)

70

and memorize as much as possible about the text. Refer to

Appendix OUTDOOR-A for some sample texts.
d. The student runs back to Spot A and dictates what he / she
has read / memorized to a group member whose task is to
rewrite the text on a piece of paper.
e. Teacher should decide the time given for all groups to
complete their task based on the distance between Spot A
and Spot B as well as the length of the text.

There can only be one text for all

groups or one text for each group.

f. The winning group is determined based on the fastest time

taken to complete the task and the accuracy of their dictation.

2. Treasure
Hunt

3. Blind Man

a. This activity should be done in pairs or groups.

b. Teacher gives a piece of answer sheet to every student.
c. Teacher tells all students to move to Check Point 1 (CP1) for
them to get their first question and also a clue about CP2.
Refer to Appendix OUTDOOR-B for suggested questions to
be placed at each check point.
d. Once all students have submitted their answer sheets,
teacher may select winners.
e. Answers should also be discussed.

Teacher should give emphasis on

students safety in determining the
check points or the route for the
activity.

a. Students are divided into two groups that consist of 7

members per group.
b. One group member in each group has to be blindfolded. Each
group decides who should be blindfolded.
c. The blindfolded students are temporarily separated from the
groups (go elsewhere so that they cannot hear teachers
explanation to the other group members).

Both groups should appoint one

student to be a spy and he / she
is sent to the other group to
ensure all tasks are completed by
the blindfolded student as
instructed by his / her group
members.

The questions in the appendix can

be changed, if necessary.

71

d. Teacher explains to the other group members (not

blindfolded) the tasks to be completed by the blindfolded
students at each station. Refer to Appendix OUTDOOR-C.
They may take notes as they listen to teachers explanation.
e. Each group decides which member will be at each station to
give verbal instructions to the blindfolded member.
f. The winning group is decided by the first blindfolded member
to reach the finishing line.
4. An Affair
with an Egg

5. The One

There must be some distance (2

4 metres) from one station to the
other.

a. Students are divided into groups.

b. Each group is given some materials such as an egg, a plastic
bag, 4 rubber bands, 5 pieces of A4 paper and 4 strings.
c. Students have to plan and strategize in making a parachute
to save the egg when it is dropped from a higher place (e.g.
first floor of a building) to the ground.
d. Once the time is up, all groups have to move to the spot
where the egg / parachute will be dropped to the ground.
e. The parachute is dropped one by one.
f. Teacher must check the egg to ensure it is not broken as the
winning group is the one that is able to save the egg from
being broken.

Other materials can be added, if

necessary.

a. Students and teacher sit in a big circle, preferably under the

shade of a tree.
b. Teacher asks students to imagine that there is a
philanthropist who wishes to give away RM1 million to one of
them.
c. Teacher explains that in order to decide who will get the
money, every student will be given a piece of paper for them
to vote or write down one name and one reason why the
person should be given the money. (They cannot write down

This activity resembles the final

episode of the famous reality
television programme, Survivor.

The suggested time to prepare the

parachute is 20 minutes.

Teacher may appoint volunteers to

read the names and reasons.

72

their own name).

d. Teacher appoints two students to record the votes which will
be read.
e. All votes are collected and teacher reads out the name and
reason on each paper one by one.
f. The student with the highest number of votes is the winner of
the RM1 million gift.
6. Survey &
Report

7. My Senses

a. Students are paired.

b. Teacher explains that they are going to carry out a survey
among the society members or / and other school students
based on the following topics:
i. Breakfast
ii. Television programmes
c. Each pair is given a questionnaire to be used in the survey.
Refer to Appendix OUTDOOR-D.
d. They are given about 20 30 minutes to carry out the survey.
e. Then, students are asked to combine all the data, analyse
them and record the findings.
f. Some students are selected to present the findings.

This activity should be done on a

day when there are many other
students within the school
compound.

a. Teacher reads and revises the Form 1 poem, The Dead

Crow, with the students. Teacher highlights the imagery in the
poem and relates them to mans senses and feelings.
b. Teacher explains the senses and gives some examples. For
example, if students were asked to imagine what they would
see, hear, taste and touch if they were to stand on a polluted
beach or walk in a virgin forest.
c. Students are asked to go to certain places within the school
compound and record what they see, hear, touch and taste
as well as what they feel.

More examples should be given, if

necessary.

Teacher should teach basic social

skills in asking others to cooperate in the survey.

Teacher decides where students

should go such as the field, rock
garden, canteen, recycling centre,
etc.
Weaker students may be asked to
carry out the task in groups, not

73

d. Students should write what they have sensed and their

feelings in complete sentences.
e. Once the task is completed, students are asked to compose a
poem to describe the places they visited earlier as well as
their feelings.

individually.
*Imagery may be defined as the
representation through language
of sense experience.

f. Students write their poems and teacher asks for some

volunteers to recite the poems.

8. Mural
Painting

a. All society members are involved in this charity /

beautification project.
b. Thorough planning has to be made by the teacher and
students regarding the location, duration, cost, wording,
design, volunteers, etc.
c. Some examples of wordings to be painted by the students:
- Never put off till tomorrow what you can do today
Lord Hesterfill
- Dont try to be perfect, just be an excellent example of
being human Anthony Robbins
- Man who waits for roast duck to fly into mouth must
wait for a very long time Chinese Proverb

9.
Personification

a. Teacher explains about and exemplifies personification.

b. Teacher discusses what would the following objects / places
say if they could express themselves:
i. flag pole
ii. clogged drain
iii. busy trunk road in front of the school
c. Students are asked to walk around the school compound and

Suggested objects (living or nonliving) and places: parking shade,

hibiscus, basketball court,
staircase, fire extinguisher, chalk,
herbs garden, recycling centre,
toilet, notice board, etc.

74

choose an object (living or non-living) or a place. In 20 30

*Personification is a figure of
minutes, they are required to write down possible expressions speech in which human attributes
by the object / place chosen.
are given to an animal, an object
or a concept.

d. When all students have completed the task, students are

required to present those expressions. Teacher should initiate
more discussion especially on the reasons behind those
expressions.

10. Language
Telematch

a. Teacher decides what games to be played for the telematch.

Common examples of games for telematch are carrying pingpong ball in spoon, running in gunny sacks, finding sweets in
flour and dressing models with old newspapers.
b. All games are done in groups and should involve relay
events.
c. Integrate the games with language-based activities during the
relay. For example, if Team Member 1 carries a ping pong
ball in a spoon, then Team Member 2 may have to solve a
simple puzzle (e.g. rearrange jumbled letters to form an
English word) before he or she can continue the relay.
d. The group with the fastest time to complete the relay and
language-based activities is the winner.

Other suggestions for languagebased activities to be integrated

with telematch giving an
adjective that begins with N,
finding the verb for beautiful,
answering a general knowledge
question in English, giving an
eleven-letter word, etc.

75

APPENDICES

76

Appendix AS L1-i
SCORE SHEET
ENGLISH LANGUAGE ACTION SONG COMPETITION
PRIMARY SCHOOLS (LEVEL 1)
NATIONAL LEVEL YEAR __________

TEAM

Lang.
Presentation
Proficiency
Delivery
(40 m)
(40 m)

Theme
(10 m)

Costume
Props
(10 m)

Penalty
max
(-10 m)

Total

Placing

Time

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

Name of Adjudicator :

Signature :

77

Date :

Appendix AS L2-ii
TONGUE TWISTERS

Cheryl's chilly cheap chip shop sells Cheryl's cheap chips.

Black bugs' blood.
The bleak breeze blights the bright blue blossom
Betty beat a bit of butter to make a better batter.

Tiny orangutan tongues!

Am I and Amy aiming anemic anemonies on my many enemies?
A skunk sat on a stump.
The skunk thunk the stump stunk,
And the stump thunk the skunk stunk

All I want is a proper cup of coffee

made in a proper copper coffee pot.
You can believe it or not,
but I just want a cup of coffee
In a proper coffee pot.
Tin coffee pots
or iron coffee pots
Are of no use to me.
If I can't have
a proper cup of coffee

78

in a proper copper coffee pot,

I'll have a cup of tea!

Lesser weather never weathered lesser wetter weather.

A purely rural duel truly plural is better

than a purely plural duel truly rural.

Is there a pleasant peasant present?

United States twin-screw steel cruisers.
Urgent detergent!
Do drop in at the Dewdrop Inn.
If one doctor doctors another doctor, does the doctor who doctors the
doctor doctor the doctor the way the doctor he is doctoring doctors? Or
does he doctor the doctor the way the doctor who doctors doctors?
The sun shines on shop signs

A tidy tiger tied a tie tighter to tidy her tiny tail

"Sheath thy sword," the surly sheriff said, "or surely shall a churlish

Robin Redbreast's bad breath

Diligence dismisseth despondency
She is a thistle sifter
and she has a sieve of sifted thistles,
and a sieve of unsifted thistles,
and the sieve of unsifted thistles
she sieves into the sieve of sifted thistles,
because she is a thistle sifter.
On two thousand acres, too tangled for
tilling,
Where thousands of thorn trees grew thrifty
and thrilling,

79

serf soon shatter thee."

Theophilus Twistle, less thrifty than some,

Thrust three thousand thistles through the
thick of his thumb!

Meet Sir Cecil Thistlethwaite, the celebrated theological statistician.

Appendix ST L1-i(a)

ENGLISH LANGUAGE STORYTELLING COMPETITION

NATIONAL LEVEL YEAR .
LEVEL 2
SECTION 1
(PREPARED)
Contestant
No.

Language
Proficiency
(35 marks)

Presentation
/ Delivery
(20 marks)

SECTION 2
(IMPROMPTU)
Theme /
Storyline
(10
marks)

Costume
(5 marks)

Language
Proficiency
(15 marks)

Presentation
Delivery (10
marks)

Theme
/Storyline
(5
marks)

Penalty (10 marks)

Total

Placing

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Judge's Name &

80

Signature

Appendix ST L-i (b)

Storytelling
Source: http://www.sasked.gov.sk.ca/docs/mla/listen.html
Storytelling is an oral sharing of a personal or traditional story, told using the essence of the tradition from which
it originates. As a shared experience between teller and listener, it offers natural language experiences for
students.
Storytelling can be an enjoyable activity for both tellers and listeners and should be engaged in at all grade
levels. The teacher should model storytelling before expecting students to tell stories. As well, students
should have opportunities to listen to Native Elders and other storytellers who can provide enjoyment and act as
role models for their own storytelling experiences.
Storytelling allows students to internalize important aspects of story beginnings and endings, settings,
characters, and plot lines. It provides practice in expressing ideas in thought units, using colourful and
descriptive language, developing ideas in sequence, and choosing effective action words.
The speech abilities needed for storytelling are essentially the same ones required for all speaking activities.
Storytelling encourages students to experiment with voice, tone, eye-contact, gestures, and facial expressions. It
also lets them practise techniques for holding audience attention. Storytelling encourages reading motivation
and aids listening comprehension. It can lead directly to story writing.

81

Before Storytelling
As an introduction to storytelling students might tell riddles, jokes, or personal anecdotes that have some story
elements. In each case, practice beforehand is required and close attention must be paid to the conclusion or
punch line.
To ease students into the practice of storytelling, the teacher might suggest that they make up different endings
to stories that are old favourites and tell them to one another. After a story is read aloud, an individual or group
could create an add-on story and tell it. Another introductory activity is having students recall one incident in a
story they have read, and telling about that incident as though they are one of the characters involved.
When students are comfortable with the idea of storytelling they can choose to tell tales that appeal to them.
Some of the best sources are collections of folk tales and fairytales from around the world. These tales have
been gathered from the oral tradition and are records of human survival throughout the ages, as well as unique
glimpses into cultures. Titles of suitable collections of tales for storytelling are listed in the bibliography that
accompanies this curriculum guide.
The following guidelines apply to storytellers in general (teacher and students):

choose a story that you like that enables you to use words you enjoy, and communicate enthusiasm to
your audience
look for a simple, direct story in which the plot unfolds crisply and the characters are few
choose a story that will not lose meaning when translated into your own words
memorize only refrains or phrases used for special effect
record yourself reading the story aloud and listen to the tape several times

82

divide the story into sections, constructing the divisions in a way that will make sense to the listeners
(e.g., use a storyboard, an outline, a diagram, or a story map)
visualize the settings and the characters (e.g., close your eyes and imagine each location; add details of
colour, shape, and light; make a mental picture of each character; picture facial expressions, hand
gestures, and mannerisms)
next, in your mind, silently run through the story's action from beginning to end (e.g., picture the scenes
happening in sequence and develop a sense for which ones happen slowly and which ones are fastpaced)
in your own words, tell the story aloud to yourself
continue with the visualization process as you speak, using your voice to tell about the action, describe
the settings, and speak the dialogue
tell the story over a few times referring to your story notes, if necessary
put your notes away and tell the story directly from your moving mental images (you will have internalized
the tale by now and will know it "by heart")
tell your story on audiotape while it is fresh in your mind and play back the recording to clarify the visual
story elements in your imagination
practise telling your story to a live audience (family, friends, pets) until it comes naturally.

Students may wish to tell stories from real experiences or from their imaginations, rather than retelling stories
they have read; or they may wish to retell a story they have heard. Topics for personal stories might include how
students got their names, favourite family possessions and the stories behind them, grandparent stories, family
pet stories, or pourquoi tales (e.g., where does lightning come from?).
If students like to develop their own stories, they might borrow traditional plots, themes, and story patterns; or
they may take several versions of the same story and combine them to achieve the results they want. A story
could be transposed from the past to the present or future, or a traditional tale could be transferred from one
time period or geographical setting to another. Some new stories are actually traditional ones, reconstructed with
a different perspective in mind.
While Storytelling

83

Listeners require a physical setting that allows them comfort during the storytelling, perhaps on a rug and
cushions in the reading corner. Listeners should be encouraged to relax and to concentrate on understanding
and enjoying the storytelling experience.
Storytellers should find a comfortable position, look directly at the audience, tell the story as they have practised
it, and let the tale do its work.
Storytellers may darken the room, play music, or do whatever helps to create an appropriate mood. They may
select visual aids or props (e.g., an article of clothing, illustrations, wordless film) to enhance the effectiveness of
their stories. These aids offer a number of advantages:

provide the shy speaker with a prop

guide students through a sequence
motivate student interest
combine visual and oral activities.

After Storytelling
Talking with students about their listening experience after the story has been told is an important way to
develop their "story sense". As well, discussing what they have heard allows students to reflect on the
interpretations each of them has of story and how their own unique life experiences and prior knowledge affect
those interpretations. Students need time to explore thoughts and feelings about story characters and events.
When a storyteller is ready to examine his or her storytelling style, the teacher might make arrangements to
have the storytelling process either audiotaped or videotaped. Students need to be reminded that the storytelling
process is what is important: the shaping of the story, its restructuring, and the discovery of what it was in the
story that mattered to them. Although students will strive for improvement, performing a story in a polished way
is not the primary purpose.
If an audio recording is used for self-assessment, storytellers might listen for the effectiveness of the use of
pauses, intonation, phrasing, certain sound effects, timing, repetition, or voice pitch and volume. They can chart
these on a checklist they have created for this purpose. If a video recording is used, they might wish to assess

84

posture, effectiveness of visual aids, hand gestures, body movements, and facial expressions. After viewing or
listening to the tape and completing the checklist, students could identify one or two areas for improvement.
Appendix ST L1-iii
The Old Lady Who Lived in a Bottle
Once upon a time, there was an old lady who lived in a bottle. All the while she was very happy living in
her home until one fine morning. That morning, she felt so sad after living in the bottle for so many years. She
felt bored. She cried the whole day. Then, suddenly out of nowhere came a fairy. The fairy asked her, Whats
the matter? Why are you crying?
The old lady then said, Im bored of living in this bottle. I want to live in a small house. Then the fairy said,
Stand up, close your eyes and turn around three times. So the old lady stood up, she closed her eyes and she
turned around three times. Then the fairy waved her magic wand and said Abra ka dabra.. Then the old lady
saw a small house in front of her very eyes. She was so happy.
A few weeks later, she was crying again. Then the fairy came and asked her, Whats the matter? I dont
want to live in this small house. I want to live in a big house, said the old lady. So the fairy said, Stand up, close
your eyes and turn around three times. Then the old lady stood up, she closed her eyes and she turned around
three times. Moments later the fairy said the magic word and waved the magic wand Abra ka dabra. Out of
the blue, a big house appeared. She was so happy.
Repeat the lines in the third paragraph with the new requests by the old lady listed below:
A castle
A palace
I want to live in heaven
So the fairy.
When she open her eyes and found that she did not have a small house.
She did not have her big house.
She did not have her castle.
She did not have her palace.

85

Neither did she have the heaven that she had asked for.
She had her old bottle back. She cried and cried and cried but the fairy never came back.
So, friends, the moral of this story is not to be greedy.
Appendix CS L1-iii
THE GRASSHOPPER AND THE ANTS

Choral Speaking Version by Lois Walker

This choral speaking version of THE GRASSHOPPER AND THE ANTS includes a variety of
speaker experiences. As in most choral speaking, CHORUS SPEAKERS speak in unison together.
But, in an effort to bring needed variety of sound and a composer's touch to the choral expression
of this piece, you may find that:
SOLO SPEAKERS speak special lines.
ALL BOYS and/or ALL GIRLS speak in unison together.
SPECIAL QUARTETS speak in unison together.
CHARACTER SPEAKERS (Grasshopper and Ants) speak character lines.
---------------------------------------------------------------------

86

THE GRASSHOPPER AND THE ANTS

1 CHORUS: There once was a
grasshopper

12 GIRL'S CHORUS: When winter

came she realized

2 SOLO SPEAKER 1: Who was in a

party mood

13 She'd made a big mistake

14 She hadn't saved a thing to eat

3 CHORUS: She sang away the

summer days
4 And ate up all her food!

15 And how her tummy ached

16 GRASSHOPPER: I haven't saved
a thing to eat

5 GRASSHOPPER: Yo-hoo, that's

me!

17 And now my tummy aches!

6 It's true, it's true

18 CHORUS: Hey grasshopper Gal!

7 I ate up all my food!

19 Hate to burst your bubble

8 CHORUS: Hey grasshopper Gal!

20 There's a moral to this tale

9 Hate to burst your bubble

21 YOU'RE headed straight for

trouble!

10 There's a moral to this tale

11 YOU'RE headed straight for
trouble!

22 BOY'S CHORUS: The ants who

lived next door to her

87

23 Had planned ahead, in fact

shook their heads and said

24 Had worked throughout the

summer heat

35 ANT QUARTET: "You're going to

end up dead!!"

25 To store up food out back

36 CHORUS: Hey grasshopper Gal!

26 ANT QUARTET: Did you ever, did

you ever

37 Hate to burst your bubble

38 There's a moral to this tale

27 Meet a group of ants so clever?

28 CHORUS: Hey grasshopper Gal!
29 Hate to burst your bubble

39 YOU'RE headed straight for

trouble!
40 GRASSHOPPER: O.K., O.K., I've
heard enough!

30 There's a moral to this tale

31 YOU'RE headed straight for
trouble!
32 GIRL'S QUARTET: And when our
dear grasshopper
33 Came begging for some bread

41 So what's the moral? Tell me

please!
42 SOLO SPEAKER 2: I bet the moral's full
of DON'TS!
43 SOLO SPEAKER 3: Don't sing away the
summer?

34 BOY'S QUARTET: The ants just

88

Appendix CS L2-ii

Examples of tongue twisters

1.

Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.

Did Peter Piper pick a peck of pickled peppers?
If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers,
where's the peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked?

2.

Betty Botter had some butter,

"But," she said, "This butter's bitter.
If I bake this bitter butter,
it would make my batter bitter.
But a bit of better butter-that would make my batter better."
So she bought a bit of butter,
better than her bitter butter,
and she baked it in her batter,
and the batter was not bitter.
So 'twas better Betty Botter
bought a bit of better butter.

89

Appendix CS L2-v
1. Steps in Teaching Jazz Chant
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Be sure students know all the key vocabulary.

Write the chant on the board.
Read the entire chant to the class.
Read one line at a time and have students repeat the line until they can say most of the words.
Add the rhythm (clapping, marching, or pounding the table or a drum).
Let the class do the rhythm and say it at the same time.
6. Let "soloists" say it while everyone else claps.
2. Jazz Chant

Divide your class into two groups.

Let the second group chant the words in italics.
Exchange parts.
Let one person solo one part.
Let the entire class chant another part

1.I'm learning to find my way around

I'm learning to find my way around
Around the town
Around the town
I'm learning to find my way around
Around my town

Thats right, turn right at the next light

I'll turn right at the next light
Repeat chorus: I'm learning ...
If you are working on grammar and verbs, you can substitute:
Shes learning Hes learningWere learning

2. Go one block, turn right at the light

Turn right at the next light?

90

Jazz chants lyrics.

Pre-intermediate
My computer's crashed
Computer, computer,
I love my computer.
My printer, my keyboard, my mouse.
I never have problems,
I use it all day.
I never go out of the house!
Computer, computer,
I hate my computer.
My modem, my disk drive, my screen.
I always have problems,
Its driving me crazy.
Computers make me want to scream!

Starter
These are my blue jeans
Thats my shirt.
This red shirt. No, that brown shirt.
Those are my shoes.
These brown shoes ? No, those black shoes.
This is my jacket.
That green jacket? No, this blue jacket.
Thats my t-shirt.
This white t-shirt? No, that red t-shirt.
These are my jeans.
Those black jeans? No, these blue jeans.
Those are my shorts.
These green shorts? No, those white shorts.

Intermediate
May I switch off the light?
May I turn down the air conditioning?
Do you mind if I lower the blind?
Is it all right if I put away these files?
I dont mind! I dont mind! I dont mind!
Is it all right if I switch off the light?
Do you mind if I close the door?
May I switch on the fan?
Sure! Sure! Sure!

91

Im confident. Ive been studying really hard.

Intermediate
I twisted my ankle
Ow!
What happened?
I was lifting a heavy bag and I hurt my back!
Ow!
What happened?
I was changing a light bulb and I got an electric
shock!
Ow!
What happened?
I was slicing an onion and I cut my finger!
Ow!
What happened?
I was making some tea and I burned my hand!
Ow!
What happened?
I was climbing a ladder and I fell off and broke my
leg!
Intermediate

Im furious. Someones been using my car.

Im exhausted. Ive been running in the park for an
hour.
I excited. Ive been thinking about my vacation.
Im irritated. Hes been playing that music for hours.
Im confused. Ive been trying to read this book.
Im embarrassed. Ive been wearing my jacket inside
out.
Add some salt & pepper
Wash, wash, wash the lettuce.
Slice, slice, slice the cheese.
Put some butter on the bread.
Can I have my sandwich, please?
Fry, fry, fry the tomatoes.
Put them on a pizza base.
Add some cheese and bake it slowly.
Mmm. Can I have a taste?

I feel so embarrassed
Im frustrated! My computers been crashing all day.
Im heartbroken. Ive been fighting with my girlfriend
again.
Im lonely. Ive been living on my own for years.

92

And I have the flu!

Elementary
I have a headache
Head, head, I have a headache.
I have a headache,
And my eyes hurt!
Stomach, stomach, I have a stomachache.
I have a stomachache,
And I have the flu!
Ear, ear, I have an earache.
I have an earache,
And I have a fever!
Tooth, tooth, I have a toothache.
I have a toothache,
And a sore throat!
Back, back, I have a backache.
I have a backache,
And my knee hurts!
I have a headache, I have an earache,
A toothache, a backache,
And a sore throat.
My eyes hurt, my knee hurts, I have a stomach
ache.
I have a fever,

Oh, dear. Next, please!

Elementary
I'm babysitting on Thursday
Would you like to go out on Monday?
No, sorry, I can.t.
Why not?
Im babysitting on Monday.
Would you like to go out on Tuesday?
No, sorry, I can.t.
Why not?
Im doing my laundry on Tuesday.
Would you like to go out on Wednesday?
No, sorry, I can.t.
Why not?
Im working overtime on Wednesday.
Would you like to go out on Thursday?
No, sorry, I can.t.
Why not?
Im working out on Thursday.
Would you like to go out on Friday?
No, sorry, I can.t.
Why not?
Im visiting relatives on Friday.
Would you like to go out on weekend?
Well. maybe!

93

Elementary
I do karaoke on Wednesdays
Mondays, Mondays.
What do you do on Mondays?
On Mondays I usually listen to jazz music.
Tuesdays, Tuesdays.
What do you do on Tuesdays?
On Tuesdays I sometimes go for a drive.
Wednesdays, Wednesdays.

What do you do on Wednesdays?

On Wednesdays I always play the guitar.
Thursdays, Thursdays.
What do you do on Thursdays?
On Thursdays I often go to a rock concert.
Fridays, Fridays.
What do you do on Fridays?
On Fridays I always do karaoke.
Weekends, weekends.
What do you do on weekends?
On weekends I usually stay in bed!

94

Appendix CS L3 -ii (a)

CHORAL SPEAKING IN THE ELEMENTARY CLASSROOM
Source: http://www.loiswalker.com/choralsp.html

Here is a short poem you might wish to use as a choir "signature verse". It can be used as a part of the warm-up
during rehearsals, used to announce the start or finish of rehearsal, used just for fun, or used during a
performance to introduce a choral speaking piece:

1 ALL: Choral speaking is awesome, we know,

2 ALL: When a chorus of kids wants to put on a show!
3 GIRL'S CHORUS: We have light voices,
4 BOY'S CHORUS: dark voices,
5 QUARTET: high and low too,
6 ALL: And we all talk together,
7 QUARTET: Or talk - just a few.
8 ALL: Choral speaking is fun
9 ALL: Year-round through Decem-m-m-ber.

95

10 SOLO: But first find a verse

11 ALL: You'll be glad to remem-m-m-ber!
OR
9 ALL: Year-round through Decem-m-m-ber.
10 SOLO: So here is a verse
11 ALL: We hope you'll remem-m-m-ber!
(At this point the piece is introduced and performed)
TYPES OF CHORAL SPEAKING
1. REFRAIN is one of the most common forms of choral speaking. One person reads the narrative portion of the
text while the rest of the class joins in the refrain.
2. UNISON calls for the whole group to read the material together. Additional sound effects might be
incorporated.
3. ANTIPHON calls for the class to be divided into two or more groups, with each group being responsible for a
certain part of the selection.
4. CUMULATIVE choral reading or speaking refers to a method where groups of voices or individual voices are
added to or subtracted from the choral reading, depending on the message or the meaning communicated by the
selection.
5. SOLO LINES is a type of choral reading where individuals read specific lines in appropriate places throughout
the group activity.

96

6. LINE AROUND or CHILD-A-LINE is more solo work where each line is taken by a different person in the group.
SOME SUGGESTIONS FOR THE TEACHER
1. Select verse material with care. It should reflect student interest and preference as well as student vocabulary
level. Poetry is especially suitable for choral speaking, particularly poetry that contains some repetition (e.g.,
ballads, narrative poetry, adventure poetry).
2. Give advance thought to interpretation. Discuss meaning and the various ways of reading the material to bring
out the meaning.
3. Consider suggestions for improvements after practice readings, including suggestions for improving phrasing
and diction.
4. As the students become more experienced, they will offer suggestions as to which lines may be most
effectively delivered by the whole group, by part of the group, or by individuals.
5. The amount of time spent preparing a poem or other selection will vary, but it is more important to keep the
enthusiasm alive than to strive for perfection (unless you are preparing for competition or performance).
6. Students who will be listening to the choral readings should be prepared for the listening experience. They
should be willing to listen attentively, without distracting the speakers; they should also prepare to respond
regarding the effectiveness of the speaking activity (e.g., sound arrangement, choral patterns).

97

CHORAL SPEAKING FOR COMPETITIONS OR FESTIVALS:

Choral speaking requires a special technique of its own. A competitive speech-choir must not be "a lot of people
speaking at once", but a group of speakers who are as controlled, unified and harmonized as a choir of singers.
The most important of all requirements is unity, and both a unity of articulation and syllabification as well as a
unity of pitch and inflection are necessary.
UNITY OF ARTICULATION AND SYLLABIFICATION
All speakers must attach, move through, and finish their syllables at precisely the same moment. If the body of a
choral speech were cut short at any point during a performance, each individual voice should be at precisely the
same place in the syllable as every other voice.

UNITY OF PITCH AND INFLECTION

In spite of differing individual voice qualities, a speech choir of voices must blend harmoniously to a common
unified tone. This unified tone must move as a whole through changes in rhythm/tempo and changes in emotional
intensity so that the inflection-line linking them is also single and unified.
Note: The words of a verse give a poem form. A successful combination of the following choral speaking
elements give the poem life.

VOICE QUALITY
* The ability to combine successfully the light, medium, and dark voices in the choir (using these groups for their
natural basic sounds and/or combining them for special effects).
* The ability to communicate, through voice, reactions to thoughts or emotions.

98

NUMBER OF VOICES

* The ability to add or subtract whole sections, banks, smaller groups, or solo speakers to increase or diminish
the power or richness of the sound to better express the meaning.

BODILY MOVEMENT

* Ability to use gesture, choreography, or other movement to enhance communication and better express
meaning.

PITCH

* Pitch refers to the variations of the voice on the musical scale and is generally referred to as inflection. Children
generally have little problem with pitch because they use it naturally and freely.

POWER
* Ability to use volume, force, or loudness as emphasis in appropriate places to better express feeling and
meaning. A power build should be related to the elements of a sentence and/or growing emotion.

99

PHRASING AND RHYTHM

* Ability to use phrasing and rhythm as reinforcements for each other. Each must blend together to better express
the meaning of the verse.

TEMPO

* Tempo refers to the rate of speed at which a reading progresses. The ability to balance the rhythm of a piece
and the tempo of performance. Tempo should relate to the central "beat" of the poem. (Too fast? Too slow?)

STAGING

* The ability to successfully organize and position the choir on stage or risers for miximum performance effect.
The ability to stage entrances and exits which enhance the mood of the poem and performance. The ability to
"costume" speakers in a way which also enhances the performance as a whole.

NOTE FROM LOIS:

As of March, 1998, the entire Vancouver library system had only three books on choral speaking! The most useful
to educators and those interested in festival competition might be E. Kingsley Povenmire's "Choral Speaking and
the Verse Choir". This book was published by A.S. Barnes and Co., Inc. in 1975. I have included some of his
thoughts here:

100

SOME THOUGHTS ON THE VERSE CHOIR

Young Children
* As we learn more about individual differences, cultural backgrounds, disparity of earlier learning opportunities,
language facility, and motivational factors we see that children of any one chronological age cannot always be
fully served in a single grade level.
* Some schools find they can best serve their children by becoming ungraded, by combining several grades in
one group and by varying their organizations in other ways as they find workable factors for determining groups
with the greatest educational facility. A child may even be placed in classes of different age levels that match his
potential in various subjects.
* It is also good practice, in using the verse choir, to give an "older" poem to a younger group, or vice versa, to
stretch their abilities in the first case or to encourage them to find greater depth in the latter.
* From the very beginning of awareness of the sound of poetry, and on through the primary grades, children are
attracted by its 'jingle" quality. Very young children will respond to this element long before they can speak.
* The jingle quality is a combination of distinct meter, rhyme, and inflection patterns. Although we have minimized
these, as such, for other age groups they are important at this beginning stage and therefore you should make
the most of their intrinsic value--especially as they excite the imagination and lead into visualizing and catching
the spirit of the subject of the poem.
* This enticement will help children, as they begin to speak, in their natural desire to give generous vocal
expression as they become further involved in the story and characters of the poem, including the animals, trees,
wind, and abstract concepts that only a child can conjure up.
* You can encourage this by an animated presentation of the poem and the "living out" of each character in your
own way, extracting all the fun you can by generous facial expressions and strange and wonderful vocal
changes. They will love it, and you, for doing it; and it will establish a rapport that could ease if not dissolve some

101

stubborn problems. When the teacher "has fun" with the poem the floodgates are open for the spirit of the
children to follow; and, once under way, they can be directed to even greater heights than they thought possible.
This wave of fun can carry them well past the short attention span usually expected of this age.
* Beginning with pre-schoolers and progressing through grade three, these suggestions may be helpful:
1. The most likely subjects to begin with are animals they know and love, then move from these into new and
broader subjects.
2. They love nonsense words and sounds. Short words are best at the beginning, but the interest engendered by
group speaking will speed up their vocabulary growth.
3. The boy-girl organization will likely work best but this can be varied by smaller groups and child-a-line
arrangements.
4. Child-a-line arrangements will also strengthen individual recognition. This will help the transition from selfconcern to group-awareness as the children grow through this age span.
5. Verbal perfection is not as important at the beginning as enjoyment of the poem. So accept what the children
do and use their momentum for later improvement in language skills.
* When the children express a desire to, as they will say, "act out" the poem, they have an unusual opportunity to
do so through the verse choir for it allows each and every child to simultaneously live each character, animal, and
element as it appears in the poem. This leaves no one out, reinforces the expression of each individual, and
gives the whole group the growth value of the experience. The need of this age group for physical activity is also
met, to the degree each child has room to move in the group arrangement.
* Here we have another growth opportunity through a vocabulary change. Instead of the child's term "acting" or
"acting out," why not introduce the more meaningful one "living out"? "Acting out" carries an insipid suggestion of
artificiality and unwanted exaggeration, while "living out" keeps the experience closer to real-life values.

102

Springboards to Creative Dramatics:

The door is now open and the momentum is mounting to further enrich the children's experience by working out a
creative dramatics treatment of the poem.
With guidance the children could participate in choosing the cast of characters from those who proved
themselves to be "most like" the various characters in the verse choir experience. Several more "run-throughs" of
the poem may be necessary, but this is all to the good.
Another growth opportunity is presented in the term "most like," which emphasizes the imaginative portrayal of
the character, while the word "best" tends to evaluate the person. There usually is a "best" person who can
garner all the richer parts, whereas a submerged individual may be "most like" a certain character and get her/his
chance!
Simple scenery, properties, and other production elements will provide more creative opportunities and lead your
people into other areas of learning. Simple pieces of costume that merely suggest the character are often better
than fully developed outfits since they allow room for the imagination of the child to "fill it out." One boy was
disappointed when his teacher brought him a crown she had worked hard to make--because he liked the one he
imagined better.
Intermediate Children
* Intermediate children are in their active years, when the emerging identity is centered in physical prowess. It is
also a time when the mind is whetting its appetite. Some individuals in this span are mastering subjects and
concepts that earlier generations struggled with in high school--and some new ones belonging only to the
present. So how do we interest them in the verse choir?
* Three approaches are suggested: The first is to capitalize on their group loyalty and introduce the verse choir as
"the next thing we will do," assuming that they will all be interested. Those who aren't at first may sit in a
comatose condition that will become increasingly untenable as the enthusiasm of the others mounts.
* The second is to form an extra-curricular choir as an after-school activity or during a class period when all
volunteers can be present. This depends on some initial stimulation that could be provided by a record, tape, CD,
or video of a successful group, or hearing one do a live program.

103

* A third way to introduce the choral speaking approach is to say "I know a poem that says this very thing" to a
class that has demonstrated a vital interest in a given subject or direction of thought. It can also work with a class
that needs to show a vital interest. There are poems on every subject going and in many directions, and if you do
not have time to read--read--read, why not form a reading committee of the stimulated youngsters who need
something more to do?

104

Appendix CS L3 ii (b)

Elements of choral speaking

What are the elements of choral speaking'? They are, in random order:
Number of voices: Choral speaking utilizes every voice in the group. Students can be given solo lines, divided
into sections or small groups, or the entire group can speak a line simultaneously. This ability allows you to
increase or decrease the sound or volume
as well as express the meaning of the text. "Playing" with the number of voices in this way is a large part of the
learning process
.Pitch: Pitch refers to the "highness" or "lowness" of a sound, or more technically to the variations of the voice on
a musical scale. This is often referred to as inflection as well.

Tempo: Tempo refers to speed. The rate at which a piece is recited has an impact on both the reader(s) and the
listener(s). The tempo, ideally, should relate to the overall rhythm of the piece.Dynamics: Dynamics refers to
volume or loudness. Altering this element allows for emphasis (either sentence, phrase, or word). This emphasis
conveys mood, emotion and meaning to the listener.

Tone: Tone refers to the quality of sound unique to each voice. Our ears perceive voices as "light', "medium", or
"heavy/dark'. Depending on the piece, you will combine students who have similar tones, grouping them together
for effect, or you will combine a variety of tones for special effects.

105

Movement: Choral speaking involves movement! Experiment with gesture, large physical actions, or even
choreography!

Rhythm: Rhythm reflects patterns of sound. Sounds can be short, medium or long, and they can be arranged in a
variety of forms. The rhythms in a piece are often more easily identified as phrases or combinations of rhythms.
Rhythm often involves repetition and
through this repetition a feeling of movement is evoked. These are the essential elements. If you choose to share
your work with other classes in the school, you may wish to consider staging: this involves organizing the
students either on stage or risers or mime boxes for the benefit of the audience. Practical concerns involve sightlines (i.e. can the students be seen by the audience) as well as other
logistical considerations such as: entrances; exits; and movement. Costumes too can be worn if desired! Use
simple "suggestions' of character such as hats, scarves, canes, etc., or dress in full character attire.

Are there different types of Choral Speaking?

Yes! Use one or all of these common forms below either individually or combine a few within a piece (length
permitting) to produce the effect you and your students collectively desire! The key is to experiment until you have
achieved your intention for the piece.
Unison: The entire groups read the material together. You may add sound effects if desired.

106

Antiphon: The class is divided into two or more groups, each responsible for a different portion of the piece
you've chosen. Refrain: A "narrator" reads the majority of the text; the refrain or "chorus" is spoken by the rest of
the group. Solo: Individual students are assigned lines within the piece.

Cumulative: Here individual voices or groups of voices are either added or subtracted, depending on the desired
effect. Teacher Tips: Be sure students have had ample opportunity to become familiar with the text before putting
it "on its feet". Focus on one or two elements at a time when rehearsing the piece, making sure to discuss the
effect each had for both the listener(s) and speaker(s). As students gain experience, allow them to suggest
possible changes such as the number of voices designated to individual lines or any other changes they feel
would enhance the piece. Have them work in groups to prepare new pieces on their own, using he elements of
choral speaking they have learned thus far. Think of the group as you would a choir of singers. They too are
broken into sections, have solos, etc. The key principle is unity. When groups of voices speak a line together they
must remain unified at all times. This means paying careful attention to articulation and inflection.
The benefits of choral speaking are many and the process of preparing pieces is enjoyable for students
(and teachers!). In addition to meeting overall and specific expectations for drama and dance, you will find growth
in the following areas: x diction/enunciation cooperative group skills/inter-personal skills vocabulary knowledge of
literature
Try choral speaking with your class, using poems or selecting material from the source book JAZZ CHANTS.
Keep in mind that there is no 'right" way to interpret the material; experiment and have fun

107

Appendix CS L3 iii
Onomatopoeia is the formation of words in imitation of sounds; a figure of speech in
which the sound of a word is imitative of the sound of the thing which the word
represents;
as, the buzz of bees; the hiss of a goose; the crackle of fire.
Onomatopoeia poetry samples from Division 8
http://www.sd35.bc.ca/lm/archive/div8poetonomatopoeia.htm
Lacey Boat

Delaney Act
Swoosh, swish

Flick, the lights go on,

paddling down a creek

Clap! Shout! The show must go on

splish, splash, whump

Screech, bump, the microphone's gone!

a fish jumps on me

Click, clack, goes the shoes

Swoosh, creak, the curtains open
Ding, dong, the bells ring
Ting, Tang, the triangles go,
"And they lived happily ever after."
Laughter, cheering, "encore" the show is done.

108

Becky
Drip, drip, drip

Steven

The faucet had a leak

The duck went

slop, drop, plop

Quack quack

It fell in a spot

The bottle went fizz, pop

slippery, sliding, slip

the chicken went cluck, cluck

Puddle underneath the sink

All in the kitchen.

Time to clean it up,

Talmage

What do you think?

Swish, swoosh the trees blow
Swish swoosh, the leaves fly

Riley

Crunch, the leaves crackle

Whoosh, the wind blows
Splash goes the puddles
Squawk cries the duck
Splash jump the fish.

109

Boot hit
goal! Yea!
The crowd cheers
Swish, Swoosh
Buzzzz!
Vroom, vroom
The engine starts
Beep beep
at the race track
Ruff ruff
bark bark
scratch scratch
the new dog
wants in.

110

David
Boom, snap, crackle

Moriah Snow Day

The thunder starts

Swish, swoosh, stretch
Bang, bump, boom,
I just put my snowpants on
It's all fine
Swoosh, squelch
Thud, thud, thud,
I just put my boots on
the rain begins to fall harder
Zip, on goes the jacket
Splash, sploosh, splash
Splash, swish
Strong men try to save the town.

Out I go into the snow

Swop
I got hit with a snowball.

111

Reno
Drip drip drop drop

Amber - Vancouver

It's raining today

Boom, bang

I'm so bored I want to play

The door slams

I want to play in the rain

Vroom, Vroom

I don't care if I get wet

The engine starts

But my Mom won't let me out

Squeak Screech

Ho hum

Go the windshield wipers

Splash splash, oops!

Flicker, flash

I slipped on the cement

We're in the city.

Splish, splat, crack

I'm really hurt
Whir Whir
Ambulance!

112

Sarah M
Jingle, jangle ping
I lost my money!
Kick! splat! crash!
I shove some people down
Cling! Clang! Ching!
It's back in my pocket again.

Rattle Snake!

My Cat

Kenny S.

By James D.

Rattle,rattle a snake goes through the

desert

My cat meows.

hiss,hiss,rattle,rattle.
He see's an egg
snatch,crunch,crunch,gulp.
Then he slithers down the hill of the
desert slither, slither.

At night my cat rustles in the bushes.

It wakes up everybody in the house with a
large hiss.
I think my cat is the loudest cat in the
neighborhood.

A Bad Day at School by Loryn S.

beep
there's my school bus
rool
I roll down my window

113

to continue

bow wow
a dog is chasing me
ahhhh
its owner got him , bang
...my back pack fell , rip
my pants ripped
my mom is going to kill me
ring ring ring that's the school bell
mummer
I'm almost there
yeah I'm there
oh I forgot
it's Saturday
Plop

Slurp!

By Tara

By Melissa

Plunge

Oh no!

goes the ice cream

I hear something

drip

crash ahhhhh

man

114

The Morning Clock Time

by Josh
Beep!
Yon wake up.
slap!
snap!
Come and get it Crash!
Ahh! Flip-flop

Tornadoes and Tomatoes

by Mohamed
There is a tornado
and there's a tomato
woosh!
splat!
splash!

Sizzle!

I'm bleeding but I'm cleaning the tomato

that's on me

Ring! Ring!

I forgot I'm not bleeding

Fizz tick tock.

Ding dong! cuckoo!
Mom!
You would not believe the dream I had.

115

Appendix CS L3 v
SCORE SHEET

ENGLISH LANGUAGE CHORAL SPEAKING COMPETITION

PRIMARY SCHOOLS
NATIONAL LEVEL

Team
No.

Sub. Matter
(10 m)

Pronunciation
(20 m )

Enunciation
(30 m)

Variety
(10 m)

Special Effects
(10 m)

Rhythm & Timing

(10 m)

General Demeanour
(10 m)

Penalty
(-10 m)

Total

Time

1.
2.
3.
Name of Judge :

Signature

Subject Matter :
Point of view of interest and audience appeal
2.
Pronunciation :
Accuracy in pronunciation
3.
Enunciation :
Articulation, Clarity and Expression
4.
Variety :
Variety of intonation, mood and tempo

5.

Date :

Sound Effects :
Sound imitation (vocalised)
6.
Rhythm and Timing
Orchestrated rhythm and timing
7.
Demeanour :
Stance and bearing
8.
Penalty :
A total of 10 marks to be deducted if : sensitive issues touched, attire
infringements, extra time, below minimum stipulated time, exclusions
included, excessive movements.

Maximum Marks

V. Poor

Poor

Fair

Good

Excellent

10
20
30

1, 2
1-4
16

3, 4
58
7 12

5, 6
9 12
13 18

7, 8
13 16
19 24

9, 10
17 20
25 - 30

116

Appendix PS L2-i

Just a Minute!
The Fast Talking Game
The Rules of the Game
1. Play the game in small groups.
2. You will need a dice or spinner, counters and a timer or stop watch.
To start the game you must throw a six. The first person to throw a six starts.
When you land on a square you must talk on that subject for one minute. You must not repeat yourself.
Failure to speak for one minute or moving away from the topic means you must forfeit a throw.

117

2
My pet

4
My family

13

12

11

10
My hobby

Start
14

6
My
favourite
food
9

20
My
favourite
subject
23

21

My father
15
A game I
like

16

17

18
My
mother

19

28

27
My best
friend

26

25

24
My
siblings

29
My Hero

30

31
My
ambition

32

33

34
My home

35

42

41
My
favourite
teacher
44
My self

40

39

38

37

45

46
My
country

47

48

36
My
favourite
singer
49
Finish

43

22

118

Appendix PS L2 ii

START

3.

A good
friend

A pet

What I like
doing

My home

My family

7
My daughter

14
Yesterday

13
My
favourite
singer

12

17

18
Dont like
eating

11
Dont like eating

10
My working
place

19.
Favourite TV
programme

20

21
My best day of
the week

8
My self

15
My best
Friend
16
The animal
that I hate
most

22
My country

23
My uncle
30
A place you
would like to
visit

29

28
My mother

27
My father

26
My favourite
sport

25

24

25
Last night
32
FINISH!

31

30
Yesterday
evening..

29

28
I love to ..

27

26
Two weeks ago

119

Appendix PS L2-iv
Sample questions to be copied on cards:
(what questions)
What did you have for dinner last night?
What did you have for lunch today?
What is your favourite sport? Why?
What did you do last night?
What type of music do you like? Why?
What is your favourite game? Why?
What does your mother do?
What does your father do?
What is your favourite lesson at school? Why?
What did you do last Sunday?
What is your favourite television programme? Why?
What would you do if you could do anything in the world?
What is the one thing you would change about yourself?
(mixed questions)
What is your address in English?
What time do you usually get up?
Where did you go for your last holiday?
Where were you born?
Why are you studying English?
Which do you prefer, rainy or dry season, and why?
Which magazines do you like to read?

120

How many hours do you usually sleep at night?

Do you like shopping? Why?
How often do you go to the cinema?
What was the last movie you saw?
Would you like to travel to other countries? Why?
How many friends have you got and who are they?
(if clause)
If you could have a pet what would it be? Why?
If you had a million dollars what would you spend it on?
If you could meet any person in the world who would it be and why?
If you could change something about your school what would it be?
If you had to live in another country which one would you choose?
If you could do anything in the world what would you do?
If you could speak three languages well, what would they be?
If you were rich, what would you do?
If you had to spend a day alone at home, what would you do?
If everyone in the world suddenly disappeared, what would you do?
If you could choose how old you were, how old would you be and why?
If you could choose any meal you wanted, what would it be?
If you found RM100,000 what would you do?

121

Appendix DR L2-iii

Poison Box
Suggested tasks for students to perform:
1. You really need to answer natures call. However, the teacher in class does not allow you to go out. You
cannot sit comfortably anymore. All you are thinking of is TOILET, TOILET and TOILET. Express your
emotions.
2. After 25 years you discover that you have a twin sibling. Express your disbelief and mixed feelings.
3. Your classmate takes your diary and threatens to read it loudly in class. Persuade and later warn him or
her to return your diary.
4. There is a present on your desk given for your success in examination. It is written on a small card,
Congratulations! You deserve to be the best student, From Your Secret Admirer, Love You. Express
your surprise, confusion and happiness as well.
5. You are alone in your bedroom. You feel someone has touched your shoulder from behind. However,
when you turn around, there is nobody around. It happens three times while you are doing your revision.
Express your fear and worry.

122

Appendix DR L3-iii
Suggested situations for the role-play:
1. There are two new Malaysian-born students in your class who come back from the United States
of America. They seem to be in need of help to adjust themselves to the new schooling
environment. Write a dialogue between the new students and the other classmates and present
them in a role-play.
2. You and your friends meet three foreign tourists at the bus stop near your school. They want to go
to some famous tourist spots in your state. Make suggestions about places that they should visit.
Write a dialogue between you and the tourists and present them in a role-play.
3. Your class is planning to have a class party. Half of the students prefer to organize the party at a
fast food outlet in town. On the other hand, another half of the class wants to have it at school.
Write a dialogue between the two groups of students and present them in a role-play.

123

Appendix PD L1-iii
15 facts and 15 opinions
Facts
1. The first pillar of Rukun Negara is belief in
God.
2. MAXIS is a telecommunication company.
3. Ulan Bator is the capital city of Mongolia.
4. 10 milimetre equals to 1 centimetre.
5. Kuala Lumpur is the biggest city in Malaysia.
6. The word EXAMINATION has four vowels.
7. The hero of a James Bond movie is a British.
8. Australia is bigger than India.
9. Nelson Mandela is a freedom fighter from
South Africa.
10. Too much stress for a long period of time can
be hazardous to health.
11. Universiti Industri Selangor is a private
university.
12. The World Cup is the biggest football event.
13. The word Beautification is a noun.
14. Malaysia is a multi-racial country.
15. Malaysia is gearing towards achieving the
Vision 2020.

Opinions
1. RM100 is a lot of money.
2. Cambridge dictionaries are the best.
3. Kentucky Fried Chicken is more favoured by
most of the teenagers.
4. Change is a very difficult process for anybody.
5. Malaysian hibiscus is more beautiful than the
imported tulip.
6. The Singaporeans are a group of people who
always work hard.
7. Love is blind.
8. Girls are smarter than boys in many aspects of
life.
9. Redang Island in Terengganu is a heaven for
holidaymakers.
10. Money has always been the root of all evils.
11. Television seriously causes children to become
more violent.
12. Driving a Mercedes Benz enhances a persons
driving skills.
13. Zodiac signs reveal the truth about our lives.
14. A person can have a more charming look with
plastic surgery.
15. Foreign universities are better than the local
universities.

124

Appendix PD L1-iv(a)
Cause and Effect Treasure Hunt
Notes:
1. Teacher must revise this proposal to suit ones actual school compound.
2. There must be a smooth flow of movement from location to location within the school compound.
Students should not be moving back and forth from location to location in a haywire flow.
3. Students safety must be given priority.
Suggested location / place / station
1

Location 1: School hall treasure hunt

starts and ends here
Inform students the first question can be
found somewhere in the school hall

Question (written on a manila card and pasted on a wall, pillar,

notice board, etc.)
Question 1
Cause: Two students are very lazy to do any revision before the
final examination.
Logical effect:
................................................
.
For the next question: Go to the ELS Society notice board at the
canteen.

Location 2:
ELS Notice Board

Question 2:
Logical cause:
..
.
Effect: Your father gets very angry with you.

125

For the next question: Go to the Pulau Mutiara gazebo (behind the
school canteen)
3

Location 3:
Pulau Mutiara Gazebo

Question 3:
Cause: Every citizen has total freedom of speech.
Logical effect:
......................................
..
For the next question: Go to the ground floor of Ibnu Sina Block.

Location 4: Ground floor of Ibnu Sina

Block

Question 4:
Logical cause:
...
...
Effect: More and more teenagers are involved in social ills.
For the next question: Go to the Herb Garden (opposite Ibnu Sina
Block.)

Location 5:
Herb Garden

Question 5:
Cause: A student learns ten new English words per day.
Logical effect: ...............
..

126

For the next question: Go to the Science Lab. 3 at Dato Wan Mat
Saman Block.
6

Location 6:
Science Lab. 3

Question 6:
Logical cause:
..
Effect: More foreign tourists visit our country, Malaysia.
For the next question: Go to the mural at Dato Wan Mat Saman
Block.

Location 7:
The mural at Dato Wan Mat Saman
Block.

Question 7:
Cause: Only those 20 years and above are allowed to take driving
license.
Logical effect: ..............

For the next question: Go to Dataran Perpaduan.

Location 8:
Dataran Perpaduan

Question 8:
Logical cause: ..
.
Effect: Our flora and fauna are protected and preserved.
For the next question: Go to Terminal Wawasan.

127

Location 9:
Terminal Wawasan

Question 9:
Cause: Malaysians practise a healthy diet and lifestyle.
Logical effect: ..............
.
For the final question: Go back to the school hall.

10 Location 10:
School hall

Question 10: (To be put up some time after students left the hall to
go to the canteen for Question 2)
Logical cause:
.
Effect: My family and I are very proud of myself.

Notes:
1. Teacher may change the questions to suit students thinking ability and language proficiency.
2. More questions can be added for a longer treasure hunt. However, it is highly recommended that the treasure hunt
should only be carried out between 20 30 minutes. Remember, some time must be spent to evaluate and discuss
students varied and interesting answers / responses. Moreover, if the treasure hunt (running here and there) is
carried out for a longer period of time, students will be too tired to do a more important activity that is discussing
and evaluating their answers.

128

Appendix PD L1-iv(b)
Treasure Hunt Worksheet
Name(s): .
..
.
..
Instructions:
1. Follow the instructions given to move from location to location.
2. Do not rush when you are looking for questions. Take care of your safety.
3. Write a logical cause or effect in the space provided.

Question

Logical cause or effect

Effect:

Cause:

Effect:

Cause:

Effect:

129

Cause:

Effect:

Cause:

Effect:

10

Cause:

130

Appendix PD L1-v
Debate Poison Box
List of suggested topics for students to come out with advantages and disadvantages:
Suggested topics
1

Reading three romance novels

every month.

Suggested advantages (A) and disadvantages (D)

(only for teachers reference)
A: improve language, spend free time wisely
D: too much exposure to romance, may ignore other commitments

Having a large / an extended

family

A: the more the merrier, able to help each other

D: more expenditure, crowded house

Studying overseas

Working part-time

Having a wedding reception at a

five-star hotel

A: learn new culture, more chances to travel

D: higher cost, away from home homesickness
A: earn pocket money, gain some experience
D: may neglect studies, too tired feel sleepy in class
A: boost one image, grand and great atmosphere
D: cost a lot o money, may be in debt

Going to a concert

Allowing teenagers to own

motorcycles

Employing a maid at home

Having co curricular activities

every Saturday
10 Having an open-house during a
festival
9

A: get entertainment, release stress

D: too much noise, crowded, may get involved with a wrong company
A: much easier to go to school, save travel time
D: more road accidents, some may involve in illegal racing
A: lesser workload at home, can spend more time to relax
D: less privacy, may create problems / social ills
A: learn many things, can spend time with friends
D: miss tuition classes, have lesser free time
A: strengthen friendship, promote unity among residents
B: house gets overcrowded and dirty, have to entertain guests for several
long hours

131

Appendix PD L2-iii(a)
Mission Possible To Mars
CANDIDATES
Go through the list and discuss the strengths and weaknesses of every candidate. Finally, choose only 5
candidates to conduct intensive research and establish a settlement on the Mars.

Name: Muhammad Ezril b. Hasan

Age: 27
Status: Single
Occupation: Surgeon
Achievements: The youngest surgeon at a private
hospital. Earned his Phd at 26.
Others: Selfish and at times hypocrite. Aims to be the
best in everything he does no matter what it takes.

Name: Prof. Sharon Devi d/o Mohan Raaj

Age: 69
Status: Widow
Occupation: Professor of Astronomy
Achievements: Has been conducting research on
astronomy since 35 years ago. Published 8 books on
astronomy and space engineering.
Others: Able to communicate using sign language.
Very interested in UFO.

Name: Chia Kim Mei

Age: 22
Status: Single
Occupation: Engineering undergraduate
Achievements: Current CGPA: 3.98. Received 3 gold
awards in last years World Engineering Innovation
Contest held in Tokyo, Japan.
Others: Brave, energetic and happy-go-lucky young
woman.

Name: Jomuntin Lagadan

Age: 44
Status: Divorced
Occupation: Pilot with an airline
Achievements: Has 20 years of experience as a pilot.
Took part in MERCY Malaysias missions all over the
world.
Others: Good social skills, hot-tempered but very
hardworking.

132

Name: Stehanie anak Lambak

Age: 33
Status: Single mother with six young children
Occupation: Bank manager
Achievements: A graduate from the Oxford University.
Earned her MBA from Cambridge University.
Represented Malaysia to the World Economy Forum in
New York, London and Paris.
Others: A computer expert. A great leader.

Name: Jasmeen Kaur d/o Gill Singh

Age: 19
Status: Single
Occupation: College student
Achievements: Reigning Miss Malaysia as well as
Miss Universe.
Others: Adventurous, smart, humorous, visionary.
Dreams to be the first person in the world to get
married in space and start a family there.

Name: Tan Sri Safuan bin Dato Firdaus

Age: 58
Status: Married
Occupation: Chief Executive Officer
Achievements: A billionaire. Owns a business empire.
Awarded CEO of the Year for six times.
Others: Has heart problems. Loved and respected by all
his employees. Very generous and caring.

Name: Leong Ban Hin

Age: 17
Status: Single
Occupation: Form 5 student
Achievements: Not much. But has a very high IQ.
Others: Creates numerous problems in his studies. A
genius but not interested in staying in school. Dreams
to become an astronaut. Very cooperative. A risk
taker.

133

Appendix PD L2-iii(b)

Relevant social conventions to be used in a discussion / debate:

To express opinions:

To indicate a point:

Personally, I feel / think that

I believe / In my opinion,
As far as I can see,
I am positive that
If you ask me, I think

First, lets look at .

The most crucial factor is
The next factor we should look at is
We should also consider
It is important we take into account

To express agreement:

To express disagreement:

Exactly / Precisely / Certainly.

Thats very true / right.
I totally / absolutely agree
I couldnt agree with you more.
You are certainly right about that.

I dont think so.

I am sorry but I have to disagree with you.
From a different point of view,
Thats not acceptable / not reasonable.
Looking from a different point of view, ..

To express doubts:

To interrupt:

Thats true but

Yes, you could be right, but
I could see your point but
I see what you mean but
I agree with you to a point but

Excuse me,
Sorry to interrupt
Excuse me, may I say something?
Sorry for this interruption

134

To ask for others opinions:

To give suggestions:

What do you think?

Whats your opinion?
How do you feel about ?
What do you think about my suggestion?
Do you think we should ?

I suggest / propose that

It might be a good idea if we
Perhaps, we should
My suggestion is that
One suggestion that I could think of is

To initiate a discussion:

To end / conclude a discussion:

Lets begin with

Lets start our discussion by
To start our discussion, lets look at
The purpose of having this discussion is

In conclusion, / To sum up, / To recap

I would like to conclude by saying
From our discussion, it is clear that
I would like to stress / emphasize that

135

Appendix PD L2-v
A Man Called Future Husband
The list of candidates:
Choice of the Perfectionist Father
Name: Datuk Dr. Khalil bin Ibrahim
Age: 55
Status: Divorced
Occupation: Businessman
Background: Millionaire. Owns 11 companies, six are located overseas. Half of a year is
spent overseas. Has 4 children from the previous marriage. Hardworking, highly-disciplined.
Others: Has a Phd in Management. Loves golfing and car racing. An old friend of
Perfectionist Father.

Choice of the Fussy Mother

Name: Muhammad Zaki bin Daud
Age: 39
Status: Bachelor
Occupation: Clerk at Malaysian Embassy in Tokyo, Japan
Personalities: The eldest in the family still supporting his aging parents and 2 younger
siblings at local universities. Comes back to Malaysia once in two years. Loves foreign
countries has served at Malaysian embassies in New Delhi, Hanoi, Rome and Beijing.
Others: Very dedicated to his career. Caring. An excellent cook. Related to the family
cousin of Fussy Mother.

136

Choice of the Stubborn Daughter

Name: Dr. Shahrookh Khan Ali Khan
Age: 33
Status: Bachelor
Occupation: Doctor
Personalities: A Pakistani doctor who works at a local hospital on a five-year contract. Very
handsome looks like one of the Bollywood actors. Friendly, caring, helpful.
Others: Misses his country and family a lot. Has been working with the Stubborn Daughter,
Fiza, since two years ago. Attracted to Fiza too. Has gone out on a date with Fiza several
times.

137

Appendix PD L3-i
Pros and Cons Relay
Suggested topics:
1. There should be no limit and control to the access of the internet among teenagers.
2. Parents must be punished for their childrens crime.
3. Schools should not have canteens every student must bring his or her own food and drinks to school.
4. The government must reduce foreign entertainment programmes in television.
5. Every citizen has the absolute right to total freedom of speech.
6. Malaysians should be discouraged from holidaying overseas.
7. School uniforms should be abolished.
8. Motorists should not pay tolls at all highways.
9. There should be an equal number of male and female students at all local universities (currently, most
local universities have more female students).
10. Scholarships should only be given to those with an excellent CGPA (3.7 above).

138

Appendix PD L3-ii(a)
W.A.R.!!! (We Argue and Refute!)

Suggested topics:
1. The passing mark for all subjects in the public examinations should be at least 50%.
2. Wealth of a nation is mainly rooted in its education.
3. City life is better than country life.
4. Teenagers should be allowed to make their own decisions.
5. It is better to promote tourism than industrialization.
6. Overemphasis on academic excellence kills creativity.
7. The retirement age should be at 65 for the public and private sectors.
8. Development is a threat to environment.
9. More foreign workers should be employed in our country.
10. Students with serious disciplinary problems should be punished by doing charity work.

Note: Teachers may add their own topics or may even ask their students to suggest some other topics.

139

Appendix PD L3-ii(b)

Sample Mahjong Paper for W.A.R!!!

Topic: Teachers clerical workload should be reduced.
Argument
(by the Affirmative)
Argument 1:
Teachers core
business is to teach.

Argument 2:
Much clerical
workload makes
teachers stressful.

Argument 3:
Spending too much
time on clerical
workload affects
teaching quality.

Refutation / Rebuttal
(by the Negative)

Refutation / Rebuttal
(by the Affirmative)

When teachers are only

doing 30% of clerical
work, teaching is still their
core business.

30% is for a small group of teachers, but

majority of teachers are doing about 50% of
clerical workload.

Do not blame on the

clerical
workload
but
blame it on the teachers
themselves who do not
know how to manage
stress.

Yes, stress can be managed and teachers

know how to manage stress. The problem
is the clerical workload is done continuously
all year round. This is indeed stressful!

That is only a lame

excuse.
Zero
clerical
workload
does
not
guarantee
quality
teaching.

Zero clerical workload will surely guarantee

quality teaching as teachers can devote all
their free time to improve their teaching
strategies.

140

Appendix PD L3-iv
Lets Walk in Different Shoes
Suggested topics:
1. Besides Mathematics and Science, more subjects should be taught and learnt in English.
2. School holidays should be shortened.
3. There should be a night curfew for teenagers (Teenagers must be at home from 10.00 p.m. to 6.00 a.m.).
4. The duration of the National Service Programme should be extended to 5 months.
5. A single schooling session should be applied to all schools / School hours must be prolonged.
6. Only those who are 20 years and above are allowed to take driving license.
7. Police should be given the absolute right to conduct urine tests on anybody at any time to curb drug
abuse.
8. Parents should be held responsible for the crime committed by their children.
9. The number of public universities should be doubled to give more opportunities for tertiary education.
10. A wholesome individual is mainly shaped by the education system.

Note: Teachers may add their own topics or may even ask their students to suggest some other topics.

141

Appendix NIE-A
Scavenger Hunt
Items to be found
LIST A
1. Car advertisement
2. Malay leader / politician
3. An adjective that starts with M
4. A news report about business
5. A famous male personality
6. A word with 9 letters
7. A job advertisement for engineers
8. A picture of a game
9. A compound word
10. A useful item for children

Items to be found
LIST B
1. Mobile phone advertisement
2. Chinese leader / politician
3. A verb that starts with S
4. A news report about crime
5. A famous female personality
6. A word with 7 letters
7. A job advertisement for clerks
8. A cartoon strip
9. An adverb of manner
10. A useful item for women

Items to be found
LIST C
1. House advertisement
2. Indian leader / politician
3. A noun that starts with H
4. A news report about a road accident.
5. A smiling face.
6. A word with 12 letters
7. A job advertisement for accountants
8. A telephone number
9. A gerund
10. A useful item for elderly people

142

Appendix NIE-B

NIE Relay
Items to be found in newspaper

Items to be found in newspaper

1. A business company

11. A footballer

2. An amount of money

12. A word with N as the last letter

3. An adjective that starts with S

13. A logo

4. A news report about crime involving someone below 20 years old.

14. A weather forecast

5. A famous sports personality

15. A place to be visited

6. A word with 11 letters

16. An occupation

7. A fax number

17. A passive verb

8. A conjunction

18. A picture of a Malaysian minister

9. An e-mail address

19. A movie poster

10. A city in Europe

20. An uncountable noun

Several groups can be formed. All groups will be using the same list.

143

Appendix OUTDOOR-A
Running Dictation
Text 1
The Langkawi Underwater World features the islands rich trove of marine life. Located at the popular Cenang
Beach, this aquarium features more than 5,000 types of aquatic life, exhibited in more than 100 tanks of different
sizes. The highlight is a giant tank housing large marine species such as sharks, stingrays and green turtles with
a 15-metre tunnel for visitors to walk through. Witness these magnificent underwater creatures being fed for an
enjoyable visit.
Text 2
Putrajaya, the new Federal Government Administrative Centre, is a modern city which embraces the concept of
an intelligent garden city and showcases the best of Malaysian architectural design in an environmentallyfriendly setting of beautifully landscaped lakes and parks. The prime areas in Putrajaya City are divided into
precincts and consist of government offices, as well as commercial, residential and recreational areas.
Text 3
Some people insist that plastic bags are environmentally bad. They claim that plastic bags mar the beauty of
public parks as well as choke the rivers and block the drains in major cities, causing severe flooding. Moreover,
animals ensnared in bags also suffer terribly. On the contrary, another group of people argue that actually plastic
bags should not be blamed for the polluted environment. Instead, bags are made to help people with their daily
activities. They strongly feel that plastic bags must not be banned just because some other people choose to
dispose of them improperly.

144

Appendix OUTDOOR-B

TREASURE HUNT
Check
Point
1

4
5
6

Questions to be answered in the

answer sheet
What is the name of the schools Senior
Assistant of Students Affairs? Next, go to
.(CP2)
Sally, please keeps quiet! I trying to
study. What are the mistakes in the two
sentences above? Next, go to
(CP3)
What is the smallest state in Malaysia?
Next go to . (CP4)

Check
Point
9

What is the root word for government?

Next, go to . (CP5)
What is the antonym for hygienic? Next
go to . (CP6)
How many members are there in our
English Language Society? Next go to
. (CP7)
What is our schools motto? Next go to
. (CP8)

12

Who is the third principal of this school?

Next go to . (CP9)

16

10

11

13
14

15

Questions to be answered in the answer

sheet
Beauty is a noun; Beautiful is an adjective
what is the verb? Next go to .
(CP10)
He should be here soon. Which word in
the sentence is an adverb of time? Next go
to . (CP11)
Write down the full name of our Afternoon
Supervisor. Next go to .
(CP12)
What happened in Malacca in 1511? Next
go to . (CP13)
How many districts are there in our state?
Next go to . (CP14)
How many consonants are there in the
word EXAMINATION? Next go to
. (CP15)
You should came to my party yesterday.
What is wrong with the sentence above?
Next go to . (CP16)
Who is the author of The Pencil? Next go
to the starting point. The Treasure Hunt is
over.

145

Appendix OUTDOOR-C

Blind Man
Station

Suggested tasks to be completed by the blindfolded student at each station

Hop forward three times using your right leg while raising up your left hand.

Step (both feet) on a newspaper on the floor. Then walk around the newspaper three times.

Take a magazine on a chair. Sit down on the chair and pretend reading the magazine for 20
seconds. Then, put it under the chair.

Sing the school song. Then, do a catwalk to Station 5 while clapping hands.

(chair, desk, paper and pen provided) Sit down and write the full name of 3 group members
on a piece of paper using the pen on the desk.

Carry the chair provided at Station 5 and walk to the finishing line.

Notes:
1. The tasks can be modified accordingly either to simplify or make them more challenging.
2. The number of stations depends on the number of students taking part in the activity.
3. Form more groups if they are too many students taking part in this activity. Perhaps, more group members are
blindfolded.

146

Appendix OUTDOOR-D

SURVEY & REPORT

Survey topic: BREAKFAST
Respondent: .
Age

: . years

Race

: .

Class: .

Question
1

Do you take breakfast daily?

If no, why do you skip breakfast?

What do you normally take for breakfast?

Why?

What is your most favourite food for breakfast?

Why?

Response

147