Abstract

Access to technology has inundated this generation's children with overwhelming amounts of information, and they need to know how to evaluate critically the overwhelming mass of information available, so as to sift out what is valuable and trustworthy.

By modelling the asking of higher-order questions, and teaching students how to ask such questions on their own, teachers can equip students with the critical thinking and reading skills needed in their current and future contexts. Beyond the questions themselves, how and when questions are used in class also make a great difference to their effectiveness.

What kinds of questions help us get at the heart of understanding a text? How can the questioning process be made explicit and systematic so that our students can effectively analyse and evaluate a text independently? How can we teach students to ask higher-order questions of themselves and of one another, thus raising the quality of self and peer evaluation? In this master class, we will explore ways in which teachers can guide students to analyse expository texts critically through higher-order questioning, with a focus on Socratic questioning underpinned by pedagogical theory.

Speakers' Biodata

Ms Wong Fung Sing is a Senior Specialist at the Gifted Education Branch who regularly conducts sessions for teachers in topics related to English literature and language, as well as in curriculum design, assessment, creative thinking and interdisciplinary learning. She has a Masters in Arts in Education from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

Ms Huang Si Jian is an English Language and Literature teacher at Hwa Chong Institution who is passionate about the teaching and assessment of high-ability students. She has been invited to present at the Gifted Education Annual Conference.

Abstract

Our students are learning in a time of rapid change and their learning styles have evolved in line with technological advances. How then, can teachers of English and literature harness the strength offered by the digital world and connect our students to the world of poetry, prose, Shakespeare and global issues - a world which is important in their development but increasingly foreign to them? How do we help them to express themselves through technology?

This workshop aims to show that English language and literature can thrive in the world of Netlingo and emoticons, and that ICT can be a powerful ally in helping educators to interact with students, and showing students that their opinions are worthy of consideration.

Participants will develop further awareness of powerful learning activities to get their students talking.

Speaker's Biodata

Rachel Poh has been teaching for almost seven years. Having taught in a primary school for four years, she finally decided to pursue her dream of teaching Literature by joining Ngee Ann Secondary School as an EL and Literature teacher. She hopes to raise the awareness of standard English use amongst her students and help them see the relevance of Literature in their lives today. She received the Inspiring Teacher of English Award in 2010.

Abstract

Theatrical expression is a privilege and a power, and is even a world of language on its own. As teachers, we can lead our students through playmaking processes that empower them with a means of communicating to an audience through the power of verbal and non-verbal communication, and various production elements. Theatre can be a voice for them to release their imagination, share their perspectives and hone their vocabulary and communication skills. It is a fertile ground for mentoring language users.

This workshop will look at playmaking as an opportunity for students to engage with language creatively and meaningfully, as shared by SOTA Theatre Faculty who have extensive experience in creating theatre with the young, in a rich and dynamic way. Participants will be given insights on how holistic theatre-making projects are approached with SOTA students.

Through the use of games, exercises and activities, participants will explore pedagogical tools for the creation of rich and meaningful theatre with their students, mentoring them as effective language users. Students will be sensitised to the rich possibilities of theatre as a context for language use.

Speaker's Biodata

Sean Tobin heads the Theatre Faculty at SOTA and has 17 years of experience in teaching and theatre-making with young people. His personal interest and expertise lies especially in the area of improvising and devising theatre with young people as well as professional artists. His Theatre Faculty will join him in facilitating this workshop.

Abstract

The English language has a tremendous number of borrowed words, and many of them retain the pronunciation characteristics of the original language. While many of these words have passed into everyday usage or carry connotations of class, their correct pronunciation remain elusive for many.

This workshop seeks to clarify how such loan words should be pronounced and hence empower participants with the confidence to articulate them in various social situations such as dining (e.g. hors d'oeuvres) shopping (e.g. Gucci, Prada and Fendi) and travel (e.g. Prague).

By the end of the workshop, participants will have an intimate knowledge of the origins of the loan words used in the workshop and their correct pronunciation.

Speakers' Biodata

A former national debater, Chitra Jenardhanan was voted Best Speaker in the World in 1995 at the World Universities Debating Championships. Her areas of interest are in debating and public speaking. Currently, she is a Head of Department in River Valley High School.

Yim Ai Lin is a highly experienced General Paper teacher in River Valley High School where she strives to imbue in students (and colleagues) the awareness of what constitutes good writing and speaking.

Abstract

Numerous scholarly papers have been written about Singlish and its relation to both Standard Singapore English and Standard British English. This workshop will seek to work towards understanding the linguistic features of Singlish with a view to the improvement of teaching practices.

This workshop will explore teachers' and students' attitudes towards the use of Singlish in the classroom, as well as general societal attitudes towards Singlish in Singapore. The workshop will also highlight key linguistic features of Singlish so as to help teachers be more reflective in their language use in the classroom.

There will also be a short sharing on River Valley High School's Whole School Approach to English language proficiency: the ACE Programme.

By the end of the workshop, participants will have a greater awareness of what Singlish really is. Participants will therefore be better able to identify and guide their students' language use so as to be comprehensible to the international community in both oral and written communication.

Speakers' Biodata

Kevin Hing is currently the Subject Head in River Valley High School, where he coordinates the teaching of English Language and Linguistics alongside Language Arts for Year 1 to 3. Kevin Hing holds an MA (Language Studies) from the National University of Singapore.

Tan Lok Huang is Senior Teacher (General Paper). She is currently teaching General Paper and English Language and Linguistics.

Abstract

An understanding of storytelling techniques can help both teachers and students develop into effective communicators as well as observant and empathetic listeners in a caring classroom. Apart from benefits such as language acquisition, stories can incorporate subject content from math, science, social studies, art and music in a manner that will engage children and play a positive role in general areas such as thinking skills, creativity, values education and presentation skills.

This interactive workshop will use stories that can be adapted for different subjects and cross-curricular work at different levels. It will demonstrate that the techniques of oral storytelling can excite the imagination, invite children to engage, empower them to think critically, develop empathy and provide the foundation for values education.

Participants will experiment with stories and gain experience in how these can be adapted for use in their classrooms and for cross-curricular work across the curriculum.

Speaker's Biodata

Rosemarie Somaiah, author, storyteller and arts educator, has worked extensively in Singapore schools at all levels and leads the Storytellers' Circle of the Society for Reading and Literacy. Stories she has written and edited have been used in local and international schools. She has been a featured presenter at the World Congress of the International Reading Association and in 2010 was on the panel of experts invited by SEAMEO-APCEIU to work on the use of folktales in the primary curriculum.

Abstract

The physical qualities of words and emotions can be embodied by dance. Through the experience of moving, kinaesthetic information is gathered to provide a heightened understanding and sensation of words and emotions. This heightened sensation thus becomes the wellspring for expression and communication - whether through written, verbal, or non-verbal media - to achieve vivid accounts and descriptions of what was seen and embodied.

This is a movement workshop (with little verbal communication) where participants will be led through simple movement sequences to embody the physical qualities of common words and emotions. Participants will then learn to analyse and observe as others perform, and attempt a written or verbal account.

Participants will be led through games, exercises and activities that they can take away as creative pedagogical tools for evoking vivid descriptions from their students. They will be sensitised to the rich possibilities of movement for language usage.

Note: Participants will be expected to move, thus light clothing (pants for ladies) allowing for freedom of movement is required.

Speakers' Biodata

Phua Sze Ping gained a Bachelor of Applied Science (Honours) in Biotechnology from the National University of Singapore but pursued her first love - dance - obtaining a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Dance Education from the Royal Academy of Dance UK / University of Surrey, UK. Phua Sze Ping supervises trainee teachers who undergo programmes offered by the Royal Academy of Dance, and teaches Classical Ballet technique, Anatomy and Kinesiology and Dance Analysis at SOTA Dance.

Heidi Nogoy is a former professional dancer with the Martha Graham Dance Company. She received her high school diploma from The Virginia School of the Arts, where she was awarded the Van Lewis Award for Excellence and the Coca-Cola Scholarship for Academic and Artistic Merit. Heidi Nogoy then studied under the direction of Benjamin Harkarvy at The Juilliard School, where she received her BFA in Dance with academic honours in 2001 and was awarded the Martha Hill Prize, the highest honour given to a dance graduate. In addition to her dance credentials, Heidi Nogoy holds an MA in Arts Administration from Columbia University in New York City, and a Certification in Mediation and Conflict Resolution.

Abstract

Many teachers recognise the importance of oracy and spend time in organising activities for pupils to practise their speaking and listening. While these activities provide pupils with meaningful contexts and valuable opportunities for oral interaction in class, pupils' speaking and listening may develop only in an incidental manner. The purpose of this workshop is to introduce the Teaching Speaking Cycle which provides a framework for organising learning activities and planning lessons aimed at developing fluency, accuracy and language complexity in a holistic manner. In the first part of the workshop, participants will be introduced to three types of speaking tasks and they will experience the Teaching Speaking Cycle from a learner's perspective. In the second part of the workshop, participants will adapt current materials to incorporate key elements of this cycle into their English lessons.

Note: All participants should bring along a set of materials they use for teaching speaking.

Speaker's Biodata

Christine Goh is Associate Professor of Linguistics and English Language Education at NIE. Her teaching and research interests are in the development and assessment of listening, speaking and pronunciation, the role of oracy in thinking and academic learning, metacognition in second language learning, and teacher cognition in EL teaching. She has authored many international peer-reviewed journal articles, books and book chapters on these topics.

Abstract

Pronunciation tends to be overlooked in many English classes, partly because of the pressure to get through the curriculum and enable pupils to read and write well and thereby pass their exams. Furthermore, many teachers feel they are unable to teach pronunciation because they are not confident in their knowledge of phonetics and they are not familiar with effective means of teaching it.

In the past, pronunciation teaching often involved tedious drilling, and these exercises had little effect in improving the pronunciation of pupils. However, it is possible to make pronunciation teaching fun, particularly by using a range of imaginative games and other activities.

This workshop will demonstrate some effective pronunciation-teaching games that school teachers can use. Their pupils will enjoy them and will learn at the same time. In addition, it will introduce some basic principles of phonics that can be deployed by primary school teachers to raise awareness about pronunciation.

At the end of the workshop, participants will have learned about a wide variety of activities that can be used to make the learning of English pronunciation fun.

Speaker's Biodata

David Deterding teaches linguistics, phonetics, and Chinese-English translation at the University of Brunei Darussalam. His research focuses on varieties of English in Singapore, Brunei, China, and Hong Kong, as well as acoustic phonetics, and the status and evolution of World Englishes.

Abstract

Nurturing spoken English is important, especially so when children are in their early years of language learning. Providing students with the opportunity to speak enables them to make connections between what they know and what they are learning. This workshop focuses on the place of drama within the Strategies for Teaching English Language and Reading (STELLAR) curriculum vis-à-vis its pedagogic framework.

Drama provides children with opportunities to learn about language through language use in very 'real' contexts and scenarios. It offers a means for self-expression which empowers children to discover their own voices as they present their own ideas, views and opinions.

Drama as an activity can enrich lessons and broaden the scope for discussion, debate and contextualised active engagement with knowledge, concepts and skills.

Participants will learn how drama can serve as an effective communicative approach for language acquisition. The workshop will examine how drama is employed as a tool for empowerment for pupils in Princess Elizabeth Primary School.

Speakers' Biodata

Dalvindar Kaur, the Head of Department for English at Princess Elizabeth Primary School, has been teaching English for the past 25 years. To help teachers in their professional development, she has conducted numerous workshops to guide them in adopting appropriate pedagogies in the teaching and learning of EL.

Chin Sau Lai is an experienced teacher at both lower and upper primary level. She engages her pupils effectively by keeping up to date with pedagogical developments in the teaching of the English Language.

Abstract

This workshop aims to equip participants with the knowledge and skills to embark confidently on a guided reading lesson suited to their learners.

This workshop aims to assist educators in helping their students to make the transition from teacher modelling to student independence through 'Guided Reading'. It will showcase the application of effective reading strategies to an unfamiliar text, within the students' instructional range. The strategies covered will include chunking, de-coding, pre-reading cues and prompts, word splash and discussion of ideas, which will be introduced during pre-reading, reading and post-reading of the selected text.

By the end of the workshop, participants will be familiar with the strategies covered and will have the confidence to apply the strategies acquired in their classrooms. They will also be encouraged to discuss how best the strategies covered can be utilised in a 'Guided Reading' session.

Speakers' Biodata

Sheila Rabot and Balwindar Singh are both Senior Teachers whose passion is the English language. They specialise in working with academically challenged pupils and have contributed much in the area of English.

Jessica Seetharaman, is the Strategies for Teaching English Language and Reading (STELLAR) coordinator and STELLAR Teacher Mentor, who constantly seeks to inject new life into the STELLAR programme at CHIJ (Katong) Primary. With many years of classroom experience behind them, the presenters have been instrumental in encouraging teachers to engage in new language experiences in the classroom.

Abstract

Many teachers are over-reliant on course books and stock materials, and by following them slavishly they are in danger of neglecting the affective and language needs of their students. No course book or stock material can effectively meet all the needs of all the students in every class without some adaptation. One size does not fit all. Course books and schemes of work should therefore be used as guides and resources which the teacher customises for each class. Teachers need to know how to SOAR - Supplement, Omit, Adapt and Replace material.

This workshop will show participants, via practical activities, how to analyse and evaluate texts and tasks from the point of view of language content, purpose, challenge and effectiveness. Participants will also have practice in adapting material in order to meet specific lesson objectives effectively.

By the end of the workshop, participants will:

1. understand the importance of adapting materials to meet students' needs
2. understand how to analyse and evaluate texts and tasks
3. be better able to SOAR

Speaker's Biodata

Peter Hamilton has over 35 years experience of teaching English language and literature to young learners (primary and secondary) and adults. He has taught in the UK, Indonesia, Egypt, Qatar and Oman. He has worked for the British Council for 18 years and has been with British Council Singapore since 2000. He writes and conducts courses and workshops for Ministry of Education (MOE), Singapore teachers at both primary and secondary level. He has a special interest in teaching EL through literature and drama.

Abstract

Newspapers are an invaluable resource in the English classroom. This workshop examines the notion of a 'Standard English', and presents examples of non-standardisms from the Singapore news media for discussion. Are these non-standardisms errors, or features of Standard Singapore English? This workshop will equip teachers with a better understanding of the nature of common non-standardisms, so that they may make better-informed decisions on what is appropriate for English grammar lessons.

This workshop will examine common non-standardisms in the English language news media in Singapore, discuss the notion of a 'Standard English', and consider whether there is a Standard Singapore English that sets its own usage norms, independent of (for example) British and American English. Participants will analyse and discuss many authentic examples of non-standardisms.

By the end of the workshop, participants will have a better understanding of grammatical analysis and the nature of non-standard usages.

Speaker's Biodata

Ludwig Tan is Head, English Programmes at UniSIM. He holds a PhD and an MPhil in Linguistics from Cambridge, and a BA (First-Class Honours) in English Language and Linguistics from Lancaster. His research interests include Singapore English, syntax, phonetics, New Englishes, and English usage. He is co-author of English Grammar FAQs: 100 Questions Teachers and Students Frequently Ask (McGraw-Hill, 2008) and a consultant to the Speak Good English Movement.

Abstract

Picasso once said that it took him a lifetime to learn to draw like a child. At the heart of such art lies imagination. Children often have very imaginative ideas, and poems offer a wonderful platform for their creative expression. In using technology, educators can hone the ideation process by encouraging them to participate in collaborative learning platforms. This helps to develop key 21st Century learning traits such as confidence, self-directed learning and active contribution. This workshop seeks to share creative teaching strategies for helping students craft their poems, refining them with their peers and eventually sharing them with the class.

Everyone enjoys learning through play. This workshop focuses on techniques involving elements of play that excite the senses and fire the imagination. Through collaborative learning strategies, it enables students to share and critique each other's work meaningfully. Participants will have the opportunity to use these techniques during a hands-on session and explore an online platform for meaningful collaboration.

By the end of the workshop, participants will have acquired a range of techniques to help students write creative poetry. They will also have explored ways in which students can use technological platforms to express their ideas and critique each other's work. The workshop will also provide an opportunity for participants to share and learn from other educators how to overcome certain challenges in teaching and learning poetry writing via an online platform.

Speakers' Biodata

Matthew Ong has been teaching for six years and enjoys exploring ways to make teaching and learning more meaningful and fun. He is currently serving at ETD.

Gina Ang has been in the education service for 12 years and is currently leading an online language learning platform project in ETD. She is passionate about using technology to make language learning more meaningful and exciting for teachers and students.

Abstract

Adopting a visualising narrative approach, the workshop introduces multimodal language learning resources by looking at the structure of film narratives in terms of scenes and camera shots, and examines relations to written narratives. It then exemplifies the relationship between equivalent film and written narrative features, such as 'establishing shots' and 'setting paragraphs', as a means by which students can understand the need to show rather than tell in their writing, drawing out language learning implications. The workshop will be complemented by teachers' insights, in the form of discussion and lesson study notes, generated by a school-based professional learning circle that worked with the presenter on implementing the approach.

Participants will work on exploiting the potential of various media for scaffolding writing by examining multimodal resources, teaching materials, worksheet templates and lesson plans. They will engage in creating or adapting materials and tasks, and evaluate those of other participants.

This workshop will enable participants to understand the value of using films, film novelisations/films-of-the-book, and graphic novels to support the development of students' ability to write more engaging and realistic narratives.

Speaker's Biodata

Paul Doyle is an Assistant Professor at NIE. He has lived and worked in Singapore since 1988, and joined NIE in 1999. He is an accomplished trainer who has worked in both the business and education sectors, and has helped many secondary EL teachers make a start in their chosen career. His research interests include lexicography and vocabulary learning, corpus-based language study, multimodal resources for enhancing skills-based language teaching and grammar learning.

Abstract

The teaching of writing is challenging because pupils find it difficult to think creatively and therefore write in formulaic ways.

This workshop aims to address these issues by using drama activities to encourage creative thinking and writing in a Primary 3 class. Such activities in class also contribute to building pupils' self-confidence. The workshop will show how Strategies for Teaching English Language and Reading (STELLAR) instructional materials can be used to develop these skills. Teachers will learn how to guide pupils in transforming an ordinary piece of prose into a dramatic text for choral recitation.

By the end of the workshop, participants will be equipped with a range of practical techniques to help pupils speak to become more creative thinkers and writers for the 21st century.

Speaker's Biodata

Lajwanti Melwani has been a primary EL teacher for 25 years. As Strategies for Effective Engagement and Development (SEED) Co-ordinator, she shares good practices with teachers on the SEEDBuzz, and received a Teachers' Network Partners Award in 2006 and 2009. She is a STELLAR Teacher Mentor and has also conducted talks to educate parents on the STELLAR approach. She also contributed to a lesson study project which was presented at the East Zone Learning Symposium.

In 2010, she received the Inspiring Teacher of English Award.

Abstract

Comprehension has always been an area of concern for many pupils and teachers. Many teachers wonder about how to approach teaching comprehension and how to go about addressing the problems faced by pupils. This workshop aims to equip teachers with four comprehension strategies that can be taught to pupils.

This workshop will explain the need and benefits of explicit skill instruction in the teaching of comprehension strategies. Teachers will then be shown how to go about the delivery of the strategies and finally they will have passages to work on.

By the end of the workshop, participants will be able to apply the four strategies in classroom teaching. They will also have the opportunity to see how the combination of the strategies can be very useful in reaching out to the different learning styles of their pupils.

Speaker's Biodata

Cecilia Koh has 23 years of teaching experience. She was the Level Head of English from 2004 to 2006 and then Head of Department of English from 2006 to 2010 and in January 2011, she was appointed Lead Teacher. She started researching about the teaching of comprehension strategies in 2006 and has found so many to use. She then decided to test them out with her classes and finally, selected four for SJI Junior. The results in this area have shown improvement.

Abstract

Children who are immersed in a rich language environment are better able to acquire good literacy skills. Thus, it is crucial to continually expose them to a wide variety of literature. Guided reading is an effective strategy that engages children and stretches their literacy skills. Reading is also made more meaningful to them when purposeful follow-up activities are provided. There are two parts in this workshop:

Part 1: Guided reading - questioning techniques

Part 2: Reading responses - creating a wide variety of text-appropriate reading responses for pupils to support the writing process

By the end of the workshop, participants will be acquainted with the guided reading strategy, allowing them to work effectively with both individuals and small groups. They will then be better able to provide authentic reading, writing and creative experiences for their pupils.

Speaker's Biodata

Susan Neo is a Strategies for Teaching English Language and Reading (STELLAR) Teacher Mentor in Punggol Primary School. She supports and trains lower primary teachers in STELLAR through school-based workshops and sharing sessions. Recently, she went on a study trip to New Zealand with the Curriculum Planning and Development Division English Unit (Primary) to learn more about the teaching of reading and writing.

Valerie Low is featured in training videos for upper primary STELLAR workshops which have been a valuable resource in piloting core strategies for upper primary instruction. Her classroom practice has been enriched by creative reading strategies acquired from her study trip to New Zealand.

Abstract

Enabling pupils to meet the language demands of reading and writing in primary schools can be a challenging task. Beginning with reading, pupils need to be able to vocalise and show understanding of their texts. Then they are required to transcribe their ideas into written expression. This workshop aims to share learning points adapted from schools in New Zealand and is centred on helping pupils to read, understand and write.

This workshop will explain how teachers can modify and adapt the reading recovery approach to help non-readers, and to use guided reading strategies to enable understanding of texts. These methods are employed to assist pupils to read and to write. Pupils are encouraged to progress from simple books to illustrated stories.

By the end of the workshop, participants will be equipped with strategies to help non-readers. They will be introduced to adaptations of the reading recovery approach and guided reading strategy. Considerations on selection of text for guided reading for the upper primary will be presented. In addition, participants will benefit from ideas that will motivate their pupils to write.

Speaker's Biodata

Nur Hasanah Osman has been leading the Strategies for Teaching English Language and Reading (STELLAR) programme in her school for about five years. She has taken the pioneer group of pupils in the school through STELLAR and has seen to the modifications and extension of the programme to meet the needs of the pupils. Recently, she had the opportunity to visit the University of Auckland, New Zealand, to look into the reading recovery programme and the guided reading approach.

Siti Hawa Abdul Karim is Senior Teacher and the STELLAR Teacher Mentor for the school. She has been training teachers in the STELLAR programme and instrumental in the success of the programme in the school. Specialising in the teaching of EL at lower primary level, she has supported the development of the writing programme in the school.

Abstract

The teaching of literature at GCE 'O' level has become a rather academic activity. There has been a movement towards the drill-and-practice mode often adopted in a variety of other subjects. Touching the hearts of students, by getting them to connect with literature on an emotional level is likely to lead to a deeper understanding of the materials being taught. This in turn can also lead to greater academic success at the examinations.

This workshop will elaborate on how music, movies and other activities can be used to stimulate greater interest in literature. However, these activities will also build towards greater knowledge and understanding of literary techniques which can be applied during the examinations.

By the end of the workshop, participants will be acquainted with a range of practical classroom activities and techniques to raise awareness of literary techniques among secondary school students. Participants will also have the opportunity to discuss these activities and techniques, and to suggest when and how they could best be used in class.

Speaker's Biodata

Alan Johnson has been teaching Literature and EL for the past nine years at both Northbrooks Secondary and St Joseph's Institution. He received the Inspiring Teacher of English Award in 2009 for his efforts in promoting and improving literature teaching.

Abstract

One key component in Assessment for Learning (AfL) is the giving of feedback. In the teaching of English language, the challenge is in judging the amount of feedback needed. Another important consideration is getting students to make sense of the feedback given in order to improve. This workshop aims to offer strategies in giving effective feedback, and to encourage teachers to examine their own feedback practices.

Participants will first examine their current practice in giving feedback. The workshop will then focus on how feedback hinges on the use of rubrics and the explicit communication of standards and criteria for success. Finally, participants will explore how various feedback strategies can be used for teacher, peer or self assessment.

By the end of the workshop, participants will be able to reassess their feedback practices and be acquainted with a range of effective feedback strategies. Teachers will be able to give relevant and accurate feedback and help students to take responsibility for their own learning.

Speakers' Biodata

Kenneth Chong is the Head of Department for EL and Teaching for Understanding (TfU) in Victoria School. Previously the Research Activist for the Teach Less, Learn More (TLLM) initiative, he is well acquainted with research methodology, curriculum design and pedagogy. Based on his experience in the 2009 English Immersion Programme, he co-conducted a workshop on AfL at the English Language Teaching Seminar, ELTS 2010.

Ee Poh Lam Eugene has been Senior Teacher for nine years and has been teaching English in a secondary school for 22 years. He has shared at the zonal level on TfU and on AfL at the national level at the Academy of Teachers on mentoring and coaching.

Abstract

The teaching of English language writing has often been associated with laborious marking being undertaken by time-constrained teachers with few teachers' comments being acted upon and even less retained. This workshop presents an innovative and structured procedure which teachers can adopt to facilitate more effective learning, whilst ensuring that teacher time spent marking results in significant positive changes in student language cognition.

This workshop will show how teachers can re-structure their teaching and assessment procedures to accommodate differing students' paces and abilities. Various ways to arrange classrooms, plan lessons and teach students in order to best facilitate this procedure will be demonstrated. The procedure will be explained using videos of real lessons, interviews with students and marked scripts. There will be opportunities to ask questions.

By the end of the workshop, participants will be familiar with this procedure and will have the opportunity to discuss it in detail.

Speaker's Biodata

Adrian Bell has taught English and General Paper in Singapore since 1982 from GCE Normal through to 'O', 'A' and university levels. His Master's degree in Educational Research (Lancaster University, UK) and considerable teaching experience motivated him to conceptualise and present over 100 educational papers worldwide. Adrian Bell received the national Inspiring Teacher of English Award in 2009 and currently teaches at Anderson Junior College.

Abstract

The use of pair or group discussions in the EL classroom as an approach to encourage interaction and exchange of ideas among students is a common phenomenon, both at secondary and pre-university levels. However, assessing individuals' interaction competency is a relatively new area in the field. It is a complex and challenging task involving a number of contentious issues (Elder, Iwashita & McNamara, 2002; McNamara, 2007; Taylor & Wigglesworth, 2009). This workshop will first familiarise participants with a set of descriptors used to assess an individual's interaction competency in a group discussion in three areas: (a) discussion and expression of ideas, (b) management of discussion and support listening, and (c) nonverbal communication. This is followed by a hands-on session where participants will apply the descriptors through an evaluation and profiling of four students in a videotaped group discussion. Additionally, participants will have the opportunity to explore and discuss how the descriptors may be adapted or adopted in their respective classrooms.

Speaker's Biodata

K.C. Lee teaches at CELC. She is interested in research that helps to bridge theory and practice. One area that she has recently started exploring is assessment in spoken or oral communication. She has published papers in English Language Teaching (ELT)-related journals and co-authored a number of course books. She also participates in two grant projects that involve collaboration with English language teachers in Indonesia, Lao PDR, the Philippines, Singapore and Vietnam.

Abstract

Leaders in government, business and matters of faith recognise the power of storytelling in achieving their aims, but in schools storytelling is widely seen as an activity belonging to the primary years. This workshop aims to give participants the confidence to use storytelling as a strategy, and guide them in ways to use stories to further their teaching objectives.

This practical workshop will demonstrate the use of storytelling in four key areas for the teenage years:

1. developing narrative
2. communicating effectively
3. providing worthwhile content
4. sharing personal stories.

Participants will explore several practical classroom activities and techniques to harness the power of stories, and will practise their own skills by telling an age-appropriate story in an age-appropriate manner.

Speaker's Biodata

Roger Jenkins trained as a drama teacher in the UK before returning to Singapore in 1978. Since his first course for the Staff Training Branch in 1990, he has conducted popular programmes on using drama, poetry and storytelling as strategies in the EL classroom. His series The Drama Toolkit has been adopted by several schools for use in conjunction with Strategies for Teaching English Language and Reading.

Abstract

The 2006 JC curriculum places greater emphasis on critical thinking skills. In the application question (AQ) of the General Paper (GP) comprehension paper, students are required to give a critical response to the writer's views. The AQ is one of the most challenging tasks for students who find difficulty in evaluating the writer's arguments and often merely summarise his/her views instead of assessing them.

Based on teachers' understanding through courses, workshops and previous research using Alec Fisher's book on critical thinking, a structured Critical Thinking Programme comprising four units was developed with lessons dealing with Socratic Questioning, Evaluation of Arguments, Identifying Fallacies and Application of Skills.

Participants will gain insights into how a structured critical thinking programme can help GP students acquire the skills required for AQ more systematically and effectively.

Speakers' Biodata

Angela Quek is a very experienced Senior Teacher at Tampines Junior College. Besides being the author of a chapter in Teaching the General Paper - Strategies that Work (2005), she has presented at several conferences, including the 4th International Conference on Educational Technology 2006 and Asia-Pacific Educational Research Association Conference (APERA) 2008. She has held workshops for the Curriculum Planning and Development Division, Ministry of Education, Singapore, and served as the Research Activist for her College's Teach Less, Learn More (TLLM) Ignite3! Project in 2010-11. She also won the Inspiring Teacher of English Award in 2010.

Jose Paolo T. Boquiren is a teacher at Tampines Junior College. He is currently the Head of Project Work (Internal) and a member of the College's TLLM Ignite3! Team. He is also the ICT Mentor for the English Department.

Abstract

Reading is a fundamental language skill that impacts comprehension and meaning construction not just in our English language lessons, but also in the texts read across the curriculum.

Participants will learn what our struggling readers find difficult in reading, and what we can do to help these readers. They will learn of different resources to use in the reading classroom and beyond.

Speaker's Biodata

Ruth Wong is attached to the English Language and Literature Academic Group at NIE. She specialises in methodology courses on teaching English at the primary level. She is particularly interested in literacy issues, especially in the areas of learning how to read and write for non-native speakers of English. She believes in the power of reading, and indulges in the collection of children's books as a hobby.

Abstract

One of the skills that should be an essential component of comprehensive professional education is communication skills. In 2005, a course in communication skills for teachers was offered for the first time at NIE. The aim of the course is to develop student teachers' speaking and writing skills in the context of work. The course content and materials have developed over the years with helpful feedback from students and now in the Diploma programme the approach is to locate the learning of effective interpersonal communication in the context of realistic school-based scenarios. This paper will give an account of key aspects of the course and focus on the feedback and perceptions of student teachers on the course. The comments of returning teachers who have taken the course add further meaningful insight into teacher communication skills.

Speakers' Biodata

Christine Parimala Pelly was a lecturer in the English Language and Literature Academic Group at NIE. She coordinated and tutored a course on 'Communication Skills for Teachers' in the Diploma Programme. As coordinator, she was involved in planning the curriculum and developing materials for the course. She has also tutored in Grammar, Multicultural Studies and Curriculum Studies courses.

Ang-Tay May Yin is Programme Director, ELIS and Principal Master Teacher. Her experience includes teaching at the secondary and pre-university levels. She has been Assistant Director / English Language and Literature, and Assistant Director / Curriculum Policy and Pedagogy in the Curriculum Planning and Development Division (CPDD), Ministry of Education, Singapore. She has also been a Senior Lecturer at NIE. She has authored, co-authored and co-edited 14 publications, two of which have been published internationally.

Abstract

Content-based instruction (CBI) has been around for many years in countries where English is a second language. However, in recent years, it has become increasingly popular in countries where English is a foreign language such as China, and Korea. Content-based instruction refers to the use of English as the medium of instruction in teaching regular subjects: mathematics, history, science, technology and so on.

This paper will look at the benefits and challenges of CBI. It will also sketch out and evaluate a number of different curriculum models for implementing CBI.

Speaker's Biodata

David Nunan is Vice President for Academic Affairs at Anaheim University, California, Emeritus Professor at the University of Hong Kong, Professor in Education at the University of New South Wales, and Senior Academic Advisor to Global English Corporation in San Francisco. He has held substantive positions at Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, the South Australian College of Advanced Education (now the University of South Australia), the Regional Language Centre, Singapore, and Macquarie University in Sydney as well as visiting positions at many universities including the University of Stockholm, Sophia University in Tokyo and the Monterey Institute of International Studies in California. He has published over 100 scholarly books and articles on teacher education, curriculum development, classroom-based research and the teaching of grammar in the communicative classroom.

Abstract

This paper draws on a secondary EL virtual museum-based project motivated by the EL Syllabus 2010 in 'enriching the EL curriculum through infusion of authentic, rich texts' through the 'integration of information and media literacies'. The study involved the multimodal construction of a student-generated virtual museum mediated through virtual and augmented reality. Findings indicate students' emergent awareness of multimodal affordances and constraints, and encouraging signs of students' sensitivity to the nature, impact and value of textual, visual, audio, digital, 3D and spatial stimuli. Pedagogical implications for multimodal language learning are discussed.

This paper will show how the principles of the EL Syllabus 2010 pertaining to multimodal meaning-making can be concretised drawing on empirical evidence from student-generated artefacts and response tasks in peer multimodal critique and reflection.

By the end of the presentation, participants will have their awareness raised as to theoretical underpinnings pertaining to multimodal meaning-making, be informed as to the processes involved in a design research intervention within a language curriculum, learn about students' emergent awareness of multimodal affordances and constraints and sensitivity to multimodal stimuli, and pedagogical implications for multimodal language learning.

Speaker's Biodata

Caroline Ho has been involved in postgraduate secondary and pre-university pre-service and in-service programmes in EL and General Paper (GP) pedagogy, critical literacy and communication skills for teachers at the NIE. She was a GP teacher and Specialist Inspector, English Language and Literature with the Ministry of Education, Singapore prior to entering teacher education.

Abstract

This paper presents results of a sampling of EL student teachers in the IELTS test. It then draws from empirical data via audio files the pronunciation features of spoken standard Singapore English and what directions can be taken with regard to pronunciation teaching.

There is a concern that the level of English proficiency of Singaporeans can be improved. Moreover, tensions surround the existence of two established varieties of English in Singapore. Results of a cohort of student teachers at Singapore's NIE are presented and discussed in the light of how the implications of their performance reflects the reliability of such tests in predicting academic ability and whether the test results can help direct language policy.

By the end of the paper presentation, participants will have an idea of:

1. how a sample of teachers performed in IELTS
2. the main features of Spoken Standard Singapore English
3. suggestions about what is of focal importance in pronunciation teaching ahead.

Speaker's Biodata

Low Ee Ling received her PhD in Linguistics specialising in acoustic phonetics from the University of Cambridge. She is currently Associate Dean of Programme and Student Development at the Office of Teacher Education at NIE. She is also President of the Singapore Association for Applied Linguistics. She has published widely on English linguistics and acoustic phonetics, world varieties of English and also on Initial Teacher Education.

Abstract

Clementi Town Secondary School's (CTSS) Whole School Approach (WSA) aims to enhance the EL communication skills of teachers and students, and to build a culture of good EL usage in the school. The following considerations guided the design of CTSS's WSA: providing for teachers and students with differing levels of EL communication skills; creating a supportive environment for EL-learning among teachers and students; providing platforms for the use of good English; and aiming for noticeable improvements in EL communication skills for students and staff to enhance their academic achievement and pedagogical effectiveness respectively.

This paper will explain the school's WSA to enhancing the EL communication skills of both staff and students. The English Department has designed its own in-house training package to foster more effective oral communication and writing skills, as well as programmes enabling students to become more confident users of the language.

From this paper, participants will gain a fuller understanding of the objectives of the WSA to enhancing EL communication (WSAE) and derive greater awareness of programmes and activities to organise for staff and students.

Speakers' Biodata

Teresa Chua has taught English Language for 16 years. She is in charge of the WSAE in CTSS. The school has taken a two-pronged approach to implementing WSAE in CTSS: staff and students. Besides enhancing the English Language proficiency of the staff and students through the WSAE approach, another objective was to make learning of the language fun, relevant and authentic.

Having taught English Language in CTSS since 2005, Jessica Lee was given the opportunity to design a teaching package to enhance staff's EL proficiency in 2010. By customising the teaching package to the staff's profile and learning needs, and its emphasis on collaborative learning and learning through play, the pilot project was well-received, particularly in heightening the teachers' awareness of using good English. Currently, the WSAE in CTSS is in its second year and it has seen improvements made from the feedback given by its stakeholders.

Abstract

The evaluation of writing and speaking is affected by raters' severity levels and rating behaviour. Thus, evaluation influences teacher's methodology, and hence affects students' progress and achievements. Many studies have focused on examining raters' reliability and factors affecting raters' behaviour (Englehard, 1996; Lumley & McNamara, 1995). This study demonstrates the use of the Many-Facet Rasch Model [MFRM] (Linacre, 1989) for obtaining objective measurement in a writing test. The MFRM takes into account facets that could control an examinee's performance, and hence gives a fair measure of examinees' ability, reveals raters' rating behaviour and validates the scoring descriptors. The use of the computer software FACETS which implements the MFRM in an assessment of speaking will be demonstrated. It will be shown how the software can be employed to investigate test validity (Moere, 2006, Kim, 2006) and rater effects (Myford & Wolfe, 2004). It is suggested that FACETS can be a useful tool to aid teachers in managing variability issues in qualitative assessments.

Speakers' Biodata

Susan Tan is a Senior Lecturer at CELC. She has taught academic and research writing courses for both undergraduate and graduate students. She is also involved in the setting and administration of entrance and placement tests for the university. Her research interests are in the areas of testing and assessment and writing.

Chew Moh Leen is a Senior Lecturer at CELC. Courses she has taught range from business communication and English skills to communication workshops conducted for working professionals. Chew Moh Leen's main research interest is in testing and she has been actively involved in implementing a training programme for raters in CELC to assess its large scale English placement tests, and in creating rubrics and performance descriptors for the raters to use.

Abstract

One of the major concerns of professional development in school is the transfer of knowledge from the training we receive into our daily classroom practices. This paper aims to share how the school's training in Assessment for Learning (AfL) is transferred into teaching and students' learning. It showcases examples from English lessons on the use of demonstration, reflection tools, checklists and rubrics to provide feedback to the teachers and help students to regulate their own learning.

This paper will show how the school implemented the cyclical approach in professional development based on AfL. Participants will be taken through the stages of lesson planning, implementation of lessons and review and sharing of lessons using the principles of AfL in English lessons.

By the end of the presentation, participants will understand how the school approaches learning for teachers and ultimately translates teachers' learning into effective learning in our classrooms.

Speaker's Biodata

Koh Ting Ting is School Staff Developer in De La Salle School. She has been teaching EL and Mathematics since she joined the school in 1997 and was the school's Learning Support Coordinator (English) for five years.

Abstract

This paper presents findings from a three-year research project which examined how grammar is understood through an examination of test items in the English Language paper of the PSLE. The data, made up of over 4000 test items, were obtained from publicly-available assessment papers produced by schools as well as local commercial publishers. The analysis showed that despite statements in the EL Syllabi (2001 & 2010) that characterise it as a meaning-making resource, grammar, as understood by the assessment of the grammar and vocabulary paper in the PSLE, is equated only with the mechanical and formal aspects associated with traditional grammar. The paper concludes with suggestions as to how to balance grammar as form with grammar as meaning, and to incorporate a more text-based, communication-oriented perspective to language teaching, while at the same time, teaching to the test.

Speaker's Biodata

Lubna Alsagoff is Head of English Language and Literature at NIE. She is also the inaugural Research Fellow at the English Institute of Singapore. Lubna Alsagoff is author of A Visual Grammar of English. She also publishes internationally on the sociocultural grammar of Singapore English and teacher identity. Lubna Alsagoff is also active in developing software for learning language and is the educational designer of open-tools and 'serious games' such as Newsmaker, Moo-O, and Penguin Adventures.

Abstract

Collections of electronically searchable language (or corpora) have widespread applications in the EL classroom. The presentation will first introduce some fundamental concepts related to corpus linguistics and demonstrate how they can be applied in the exploration of academic writing. Such explorations may be conducted either by students in the classroom or by teachers as investigators of students' writing practices. Second, the paper will present an example of corpus-driven inquiry in which insights derived from corpus and discourse analyses are demonstrated through an investigation into evaluative language, a feature of language use that helps writers convey their opinion or judgment (Hunston & Thompson, 2000). Using the literature review genre of theses as data, the study applies both corpus linguistic tools Wordsmith version 5 (Scott 2008) and WMatrix (Rayson 2009) to illustrate usage patterns of evaluative expressions in a corpus of about one million words. The results demonstrate the range of lexical items, structural variations and collocates used in evaluative discourse.

Speakers' Biodata

Wu Siew Mei is the Director of CELC. She gained her MA from Monash University, and her PhD from the National University of Singapore (NUS). Her research interests include aspects of academic writing and the investigation of evaluative language in texts.

David Brown is a lecturer at CELC. He received his PhD from the University of Michigan. Areas of research interest include sociolinguistics and corpus linguistics.

Abstract

It can be argued that out of all groups of staff in the school, teachers are most likely to be seen by students as role models. If teachers speak internationally acceptable English, it is more likely that the students will acquire this variety too. This presentation will discuss the following propositions:

1. decontextualised teaching of grammatical structures or speaking skills is not likely to result in acquisition
2. teachers learn best through teaching and activating their prior knowledge of how EL skills are learnt in the classroom
3. teachers respond well to training that has direct relevance to their classroom practice. Training in linguistic competence must be related to effective pedagogy.
4. we should encourage teachers to equip students with the target language competencies.

By the end of the presentation, participants will learn about the strategy and training road map adopted by St Andrew's Secondary School in working with teachers and students on the language competencies we wish both groups to acquire.

Speaker's Biodata

Coming soon.