Curriculum Induction Training 2019

Day 1 Handouts (Secondary)

Secondary

Handout D1.S1.H1

CEFR levels and global scales (for your information)

Can understand with ease virtually everything heard or read. Can

summarise information from different spoken and written sources,
Proficient user

C2 reconstructing arguments and accounts in a coherent presentation. Can

express him/herself spontaneously, very fluently and precisely,
differentiating finer shades of meaning even in more complex situations.

Can understand a wide range of demanding, longer texts, and recognise

implicit meaning. Can express him/herself fluently and spontaneously
without much obvious searching for expressions. Can use language flexibly
C1 and effectively for social, academic and professional purposes. Can
produce clear, well-structured, detailed text on complex subjects, showing
controlled use of organisational patterns, connectors and cohesive devices.
Can understand the main ideas of complex text on both concrete and
abstract topics, including technical discussions in his/her field of
specialisation. Can interact with a degree of fluency and spontaneity that
Independent user

makes regular interaction with native speakers quite possible without strain
B2 for either party. Can produce clear, detailed text on a wide range of subjects
and explain a viewpoint on a topical issue giving the advantages and
disadvantages of various options.

Can understand the main points of clear standard input on familiar matters
regularly encountered in work, school, leisure, etc. Can deal with most
situations likely to arise whilst travelling in an area where the language is
B1 spoken. Can produce simple connected text on topics, which are familiar, or
of personal interest. Can describe experiences and events, dreams, hopes
& ambitions and briefly give reasons and explanations for opinions and
plans.
Can understand sentences and frequently used expressions related to
areas of most immediate relevance (e.g. very basic personal and family
information, shopping, local geography, employment). Can communicate in
A2 simple and routine tasks requiring a simple and direct exchange of
Basic user

information on familiar and routine matters. Can describe in simple terms

aspects of his/her background, immediate environment and matters in
areas of immediate need.
Can understand and use familiar everyday expressions and very basic
phrases aimed at the satisfaction of needs of a concrete type. Can
introduce him/herself and others and can ask and answer questions about
A1 personal details such as where he/she lives, people he/she knows and
things he/she has. Can interact in a simple way provided the other person
talks slowly and clearly and is prepared to help.
*There is also a pre-A1 level to describe language ability below A1 level.
For more information about the CEFR skill-specific descriptors, see the latest descriptors:

https://rm.coe.int/cefr-companion-volume-with-new-descriptors-2018/1680787989

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Secondary

Handout D1.S1.H2: Link between the CEFR and the

Learning Standards

Below is an example to demonstrate the link between the CEFR and the Learning
Standards:

This example is taken from a CEFR descriptor (a Can Do statement) for A1 level from the
Speaking descriptors:

Can make an introduction and use basic greeting and leave-taking expressions

This CEFR descriptor helped develop one of the Learning Standards for Speaking skills in
the new KSSM/KSSR curriculum – in this case for Year 2 Primary:

2.3.1 Introduce self and others to an audience using fixed phrases

See below the link between the CEFR descriptor and the Learning Standard:

Can make an introduction and use basic greeting and leave-taking expressions

Introduce self and others to an audience using fixed phrases

Thinking time!

Here are a few examples from the CEFR skills-specific descriptors:

Listening: Can understand the main points of clear standard speech on familiar matters
regularly encountered in work, school, leisure etc., including short narratives.

Speaking: Can exploit a basic repertoire of language and strategies to help keep a
conversation or discussion going.

Reading: Can understand short, simple texts containing the highest frequency vocabulary,
including a proportion of shared international vocabulary items.

Writing: Can produce approximate translations from (Language A) into (Language B) of

information contained in short, factual texts written in uncomplicated, standard language.

Why can’t we use the exact wording of the CEFR descriptors in the curriculum?
Think of at least three reasons.

1.

2.

3.

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Secondary

Handout D1.S2.H1

Read the following questions before watching the video.

1. Why is the English language curriculum changing?

2. Why does the new KSSM/KSSR curriculum adopt the CEFR?

3. Where can you find the staged targets for learning English?

4. What kind of Malaysian pupils are we preparing for the future?

5. What are the Learning Standards?

6. Why can’t we use the exact wording of the CEFR descriptors in the curriculum?

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Secondary

Handout D1.S2.H2: Curriculum Framework definitions

What’s inside the new KSSM/KSSR curriculum?

The Content Standards are the

Staged targets (based on the CEFR)
broad area of focus within
increase in difficulty and allow
each skill (L/S/R/W + Literature
progression.
in Action).

Content Learning Learning Learning Learning Learning

Focus
Standard Standard Standard Standard Standard Standard

Revise A2 A2 High B1 Low B1 Mid B1 High

1.1 1.1.6 1.1.6 1.1.6 1.1.6 1.1.6

Understand Understand Understand with Understand with Understand Understand Understand
meaning in a narratives on support longer little or no independently independently independently
variety of familiar topics simple narratives support longer longer simple longer simple longer more
familiar on a wide range simple narratives narratives on a narratives on a complex
contexts of familiar topics on a wide range range of familiar wide range of narratives on a
of familiar topics topics familiar topics wide range of
familiar topics
and some
unfamiliar topics

The Learning Standards are the

more detailed and observable skills
within the area defined by each
Content Standard.
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Secondary

Handout D1.S2.H3: Sample page from Form 3 SoW

SCHEME OF WORK: TEXTBOOK BASED LESSON (Unit 2)

LESSON 17 (Speaking 4) MAIN SKILL FOCUS: Speaking THEME: People and Culture
WEEK:

TOPIC: Food, Food, Food! CROSS-CURRICULAR ELEMENT: Global LANGUAGE/GRAMMAR FOCUS: Using adjectives
Sustainability

CONTENT LEARNING MATERIALS / DIFFERENTIATION

LEARNING OUTLINE
STANDARD STANDARD REFERENCES STRATEGIES
Pre-lesson Student’s Book, Organise talk partners
Main Skill Main Skill
Play a game to review adjectives (pupils have learned about adjectives, including comparatives p.23 or grouping so that a
and superlatives, in Form 2). Alternatively, choose another appropriate pre-lesson activity that more proficient pupil
Speaking 2.1 Speaking 2.1.4 Teacher’s Book,
better suits pupils’ needs/interests and that will review language and/or vocabulary and prepare can help and support a
Communicate Explain own point p.22-23
the pupils for the lesson. less proficient pupil.
information, ideas, of view
opinions and Lesson delivery Support can be given to
feelings intelligibly This lesson focuses on Activities C and D. See Teacher’s Book for detailed guidance. Note less proficient pupils
on familiar topics that in Activity D pupils are provided with some useful expressions. As a follow-on activity to during the post-lesson
Activity D, pose the following question to the class: Do you think it’s important to know where activity, depending on
Complementary Complementary our food comes from? Why? / Why not? Ask pupils to discuss in groups. Monitor discussions their needs.
Skill Skill and provide support for any problems with form or pronunciation. Provide comments and
feedback to the whole class on points that came up in the discussions. For additional
Speaking 2.3 Speaking 2.3.1 Explain how this topic can be linked with the cross-curricular element (global sustainability). differentiation
Use appropriate Keep interaction strategies, please refer
Activities C and D focus on developing the main and complementary skills. to the provided list of
communication going in longer
strategies exchanges by Post-lesson differentiation
asking a speaker Choose an appropriate post-lesson activity that suits pupils’ needs/interests and that will review strategies and select
to slow down, learning in the lesson. appropriate strategy/
speak up or to strategies based on the
repeat what they needs of the pupils.
have said

The above is a sample page from FORM 3 SoW. Do NOT use for teaching in FORM 4.

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Secondary

Handout D1.S2.H4: Diamond 9

Use this Diamond 9 board to rank the benefits (see over the page) of a pupil-centred
teaching approach.

Least Important

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 Secondary

Benefits of a pupil-centred teaching approach

Pupils learn to
manage their
own learning.

 Pupils learn Pupils build

communicative their self-
skills through esteem.
group work.

Pupils enjoy Pupils are more Pupils’ social

lessons and willing to skills are
experience the participate in the developed.
learning as fun. lesson.

Pupils are Pupils are

encouraged to supported to
ask questions. learn about how
they learn.

Pupils are able

to learn from
each other.

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Secondary

Handout D1.S2.H5: Formative assessment – key

concepts

Work in your group to match each teaching strategy to the most relevant key question for
formative assessment (A, B or C). One is done as an example.
Where are we going? A
Where is each pupil now? B
How do we get there? C

Pre-lesson and post-lesson activities________

Every stage of learning needs pre-lesson activities that activate prior knowledge (get
pupils to see what they already know), as well as whole class question and discussion
post-class activities at the end. These check the progress of the learning.
Quick scans ________
Quick scans are all-pupil-response techniques that let the teacher quickly check
understanding and progress across a whole class. For example, ask pupils to use their
thumbs to show agreement (thumbs up) or disagreement (thumbs down) or not sure
(thumbs sideways) to a question about their learning.
Feedback ________
Pupils need to know: what they are aiming for (goals); where they are now in relation to
these goals; and how to close the gap between where they are now and the goals, i.e.,
how to reach their goal. Giving feedback should help at each stage of this process.
Deliberate practice ________
Pupils need their learning to be broken down into small steps with tasks that focus on
their individual needs, helping them to improve specific skills and knowledge. Practice
activities can help this.
Sharing learning objectives __A_____
Learning objectives describe the new learning that will be achieved by the end of a
lesson. Teachers should try to share them with pupils in a language that pupils can
understand.
Questioning ________
Questions from teachers to find out how much pupils understand, and encourage further
learning to deepen understanding.
Discussions ________
Giving pupils stimulating questions to think about and share with each other in a
discussion lets the teacher find out about pupils’ thinking. Monitoring discussions can
help to identify problems and gaps in understanding.
Exemplars ________
Examples of English language use given to pupils to help them see good language
models that they should aim to produce.
Self-assessment and peer assessment ________
Peer and self-assessment opportunities get pupils involved in the process of checking
their progress in their learning.

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 Secondary

Handout D1.S3.H1

Work in your group to match the teacher challenges with potential solutions.
Be ready to give reasons for your matches!

1. Use lollypop sticks with pupil names on, or name papers in

a box, for distributing your questions randomly across the
My pupils switch class. Avoid ‘hands up’!
back to their L1. 2. Use proximity control. Move around the room regularly, and
if necessary, stand close to pupils who need to get back on
task.
3. Create fast finisher or extension tasks that stretch a pupil’s
learning through higher-order thinking (avoid extension tasks
There isn’t enough that are ‘more of the same’, or are fun rewards for finishing
time to give all my quickly).
pupils individual 4. Move around the room and check pupils are on task. When
attention. listening to a small group or pair speaking, be sure to stand so
that you can still view the rest of the class.
5. Focus on giving small groups your attention, for example, by
I find it really difficult using ‘workstations’ where each group has a different task.
to check learning You can then go round and spend some time with each group.
across the whole 6. Give pupils a lot of encouragement and praise when they
class. DO use the target language.

7. Use one mini whiteboard per group of 3–4 pupils. Ask

I find that some of groups to hold up their answer to a question to get an idea of
the more able pupils their understanding.
often become 8. Put pupils into the same groups for the whole term. Each
disengaged. group member takes it in turn to be the ‘group manager’, who
makes sure everyone speaks English in Speaking tasks.
9. Use peer-assessment activities such as ‘two stars and a
wish’ to involve pupils in giving each other feedback on their
Pupils often learning.
misbehave in my
lessons. 10. During group work, give some pupils a monitoring role to
keep groups working in English.

It’s really difficult to
make sure all pupils
are speaking English
during speaking
tasks.
11. Provide challenge and greater motivation for pupils by
giving them choices about the process and/or the product of
their learning.
12. Set ground rules at the start of the year and involve all
pupils in this. Agree on clear consequences for breaking a
rule. Be prepared to revisit the rules again if needed.

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Secondary

Handout D1.S3.H2

More classroom management tips

Not all production needs teacher feedback
In large classes, it becomes very time-consuming to try and provide feedback to every
pupil on every aspect of their work. However, not all language work needs to be
supervised and corrected by the teacher. Encourage pupils to share and correct each
other’s work using success criteria. Peer assessment encourages pupils to take
ownership of and understand their own learning.
Decide where pupils sit
Decide on a seating plan before the lesson and tell pupils where they will sit. Use the plan
to decide who will be in the ‘action zone’ (the area closest to the teacher, where pupils
tend to participate the most and receive most attention) or who will sit next to whom for
group and/or pair work. Vary the pupils who are in the ‘action zone’ by getting pupils to
change their seats (e.g. in a classroom set-up with rows of tables, move the first row to the
back of the class and get the other rows to move forward).
Set up small group seating (café style) and make the most out of group work
Use café style seating to help maximise pupils’ small group and/or pair interaction. For
small group work, give roles to each group member: for example, group manager;
language monitor; time-keeper; scribe; envoy. Vary pair interactions by asking pupils to
change their talk partners. Move around the groups and make yourself available for pupils
sitting at the back of the class.
Vary the classroom dynamics
Move around the class regularly and think of ways to conduct whole class activities from
different locations in the classroom (front, back, middle etc.).
Plan your questions
Increase pupil engagement by planning your questions, as well thinking about how you
ask your questions. For example, begin with straightforward questions that all pupils
should be able to answer, then follow with more complex questions and allow more
thinking time (or wait time) with the opportunity for pupils to share ideas with a talk partner
before inviting whole class feedback.
Be sure that everyone has heard and understood your questions. You may even write
important questions – sometimes referred to as ‘big or ‘hinge’ questions – on the board.
Use all-pupil response techniques (such as ‘thumbs up / thumbs sideways / thumbs
down’) to check responses to a big question or check progress across the class.
Encourage pupils to use the target language (L2)
Encourage pupils to use the L2 in the following ways:
1. Remind pupils to use the target language.
2. Always use the target language yourself.
3. Ensure that you prepare pupils for an activity in terms of language, e.g. brainstorm
useful words or phrases they might need.
4. Don’t correct all mistakes: encourage fluency and exploration of ideas.
5. Use delayed feedback. Correct mistakes at the end of an activity (you can collect a
list as you go around the class listening).
6. Write mistakes made by individuals on cards and give the cards to them.
7. Give pupils thinking and/or planning time before they produce language.
8. Give pupils Speaking homework.
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 Secondary

Handout D1.S3.H3

Use this to form to record the advice you give and the advice you receive about
classroom management in language lessons.
Advice I receive from a colleague

1. My challenge Their advice

2. My challenge Their advice

Advice I give to a colleague

1. Their challenge My advice

2. Their challenge My advice

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Secondary

Handout D1.S4.H1

Task-based approaches to Listening

Task 1: Make notes

Listen to the text read out by the trainer.
Use this table to make notes about the differences between a fixed and a growth
mindset. Write single words or phrases.

Fixed mindset Growth mindset

Intelligence

Challenge

Persistence

Effort

Criticism

Potential

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Secondary

Handout D1.S4.H2

Task-based approaches to Listening

Task 2: Shouting dictation

1. Formative assessment usually summarises information into marks,

scores and grades.

2. Formative assessment is continuous and two-way: it responds to a

pupil’s work and is in dialogue with them.

3. Formative assessment is usually detailed, specific, and descriptive

feedback.

4. Summative assessment is given at the end of the year or a unit to check

a pupil’s learning after instruction.

5. Formative assessment is usually focused on improvement, compared

with the pupil’s “previous best” and progress toward a learning goal.

6. Formative assessment does not need to involve the learner.

7. Summative assessment is designed for those not directly involved in

daily learning and teaching.

8. Formative assessment checks learning throughout instruction to

determine progress and decide next steps.

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Secondary

Handout D1.S4.H3

More ideas for Listening tasks

Live listening

Invite a colleague with some spare time to visit your lesson. Tell your colleague that the
two of you will be having a live conversation (make the topic of the conversation connect
with the current topic in the pupils’ textbook. E.g. talking about a recent holiday). Give your
pupils a clear task to do while listening (for example, Write three things (s)he took on
holiday; Did (s)he enjoy her/his holiday? Why?).

Guest star

Prepare notes for a short monologue as a famous celebrity or historical figure (for
example, the Queen, a local hero, someone from Malaysian history). Tell your pupils that
a famous person is attending the class but do not say who it is. Go out of the room and
then return in character. You could even use a prop if you can (e.g. a hat or something to
hold). Pupils must ask you questions and they need to guess who you are. Make sure
they do not shout out their guesses – ask them to write these down. When you are ready,
ask pupils to talk to their partner to share their guesses and to give a reason for their
guess. Finally, invite some pupils to tell the class their ideas.

‘I don’t believe it!’

In connection to the current topic in the textbook, talk briefly about yourself. Include a few
‘lies’ in what you say. These could be related to content or to language (e.g. using
negative instead of positive or past instead of future). Ask pupils to listen and try to hear at
least one lie. Give them a minute to note their answer in their notebooks. Then ask pupils
to compare their answer with a partner.
Pupils then listen a second time and raise their hand each time they hear a lie. Or you
could ask them to shout ‘Really?!’ or ‘I don’t believe it!’.

Jigsaw listening

Pupils work in small groups. Each group listens to small parts of a longer recording, so
that each group listens to different things. Groups are then rearranged so that the new
groups contain pupils from each of the groups that heard the different recordings. In these
new groups the pupils report to each other what they heard and compare their ideas. As a
group they must complete a task: for example, working out a sequence of events; finding
out where someone lost their purse; working out the cause of an accident).

Jigsaw listening requires access to multiple audio devices (e.g. CD players). Alternatively,
consider making your own recordings and placing these on the Internet (e.g. YouTube) for
pupils to access. Alternatively, you can ask the different groups to listen for different
information in the same single recording.

Ideas adapted from Jim Scrivener, Learning Teaching (Macmillan, 2005), pp.181- 184

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Secondary

Handout D1.S4.H4

Learning journal entry 1

Respond to no more than three of the following prompts for your reflection on your learning
in Day 1.

 Today I learned…
 I was surprised by…
 The most useful thing I will take from today is…
 I was particularly interested in…
 What I liked most from today was…

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