2002/3 PGCE ENGLISH WITH DRAMA

ENGLISH with Drama

COURSE HANDBOOK 2002/ 2003

One Two Three Four Five Six Seven Eight Nine

Requirements for Courses of Initial Teacher Training:
National Curriculum for secondary English

A1 All courses must ensure that trainees are taught that pupils’ progress in English depends upon teaching which emphasises:
a effective communication in speech and writing, and listening with understanding:
b developing pupils as enthusiastic, responsive and knowledgeable readers:
c the reading, writing, speaking and listening skills needed to participate confidently in public, cultural and working life:
d the use of language for pleasure, thinking, learning and personal development.

B22 Trainees must be taught how to use information and communications technology (ICT) to support the teaching of English.

C26 Audit.
ITT providers should audit trainees’ knowledge and understanding of English against the English content specified in the KS3 and KS4 programmes of study and the content required to teach English at GCSE.
In addition, providers should have regard to the [knowledge and understanding of English required to teach English post-16]. Capability in relation to the post-16 content should be recorded clearly on each NQT’s Career Entry Profile.

C27. In order to teach English effectively all trainees must know and understand:
a and use correctly, technical terms which, in addition to those in the National Curriculum English Order, are necessary to enable trainees to be precise in their explanations to pupils,to discuss secondary English at a professional level, and to read inspection and classroom-focused research evidence with understanding;;
b the nature and role of standard English as the medium through which all subjects are taught, as well as the general, public English used to communicate within the United Kingdom and throughout the English-speaking world.

C28. In order to give trainees a more explicit, critical insight into their own writing; to equip them with tools to help them analyse and evaluate others’ writing, including pupils’ writing; to give trainees the terminology and concepts to understand processes such as language acquisition and development, and to study research evidence on language; and to teach English effectively to GCSE, trainees must:
a know and understand the principles of spoken and written language as a system, including:
i Lexis
• morphology and semantics - word structure, meanings, and derivations;
• phonology - the sound system of spoken words;
• graphology - the alphabetic spelling system;

ii Grammatical
• the grammar of spoken and written English, including:
- word classes and their functions in sentences;
- word order and cohesion within sentences;
- construction of complex sentences to include a variety of clauses and phrases;
- co-ordination and subordination in sentences;
• punctuation
- its relationship to the phrase and clause structure of sentences;
- its use to denote emphasis;
- conventions in writing;;

iii Textual
• cohesion - the way that individual words, sentences and paragraphs work together to convey meaning, including the logic and sequence of ideas;
• organisation, structure and presentation including the structure of written text;

b. a broad understanding of language as a social, cultural and historical phenomenon, including:
i historical changes in English, and its significance as a world language;
ii standard English and other dialects;
iii multilingualism and the learning of English as an additional language;
iv differences between spoken and written English;

c. knowledge about texts and critical approaches to them, including:
i analysis of different types of literary and non-literary texts, evaluating their quality and making judgements about them;
ii identification of the conventions associated with different types of text including non-fiction and media, and how they are used and changed for effect;
iii how information and ideas are presented, depending on point of view, context, purpose and audience;
iv how to analyse texts for implication, undertone, bias, assertion and ambiguity;
v familiarity with:
• the historical spread of prose, fiction, poetry and plays, including key authors from the English literary heritage;
• a range of texts written specifically for pupils of secondary school age;
• a range of texts from different cultures;
• a range of non-fiction and media texts intended to inform, explain, argue, persuade and entertain;
vi different critical approaches which emphasise different ways of reading texts depending on whether the focus is on the reader, the writer, the context or the text alone.


C29. In addition, in order to teach:
a. A-level English literature effectively trainees must demonstrate that they:
i have the breadth and depth of knowledge, understanding and skills required for a post-16 course in literary study;
ii can reflect on their own response to texts and consider other readers; interpretations;
iii can use their detailed knowledge and understanding of individual texts to explore comparisons and connections between them, and to appreciate the significance of cultural and historical influences on readers and writers;
b. A-level English language effectively trainees must demonstrate that they:
i have the breadth and depth of knowledge, understanding and skills needed to apply a range of linguistic frameworks to a wide variety of texts both from the past and present;
ii are able to investigate their own and others’ speech and writing and respond critically and perceptively to the different varieties of English they hear and read;
iii are able to select and use the linguistic framework most appropriate for investigation and research into language uses and issues.

PROGRAMME
Outline of the course.
The function of the Thursday sessions.
Assessment programme, including ICT and the PDP.
Links between school subject mentor and subject co-ordinator.
Communication networks.
Subject knowledge audit.

During this session you should gain a clear understanding about the shape and form of the course; about how your progress will be assessed, and about how you must demonstrate a willingness to increase your subject knowledge in certain key areas.

An important part of this session will be the audit of your subject knowledge against the National Curriculum programme quoted in full above and against the more specific requirements produced by the partner schools which are listed below.

Gaps in your subject knowledge will be filled in any one of three ways:

1 some subject sessions are already planned to address some issues (as you can see later in this booklet) and these include, for example, the teaching of media texts and of grammar;

2 Session Six of the programme will be devoted to specific areas of subject knowledge where perhaps a majority of trainees feel insecure and where trainees who are confident in their knowledge may be asked to contribute in the introduction of key topics and ideas to the rest of the group;

3 your own personal research and study, recorded as an action plan to which you add records as the course progresses.

At the session we will discuss subject knowledge and ascertain which topics will be covered by which of the methods listed above.

Your first piece of assessed coursework will stem from the third of these approaches. You must produce a 500 word report on a topic chosen in the light of your personal subject audit, two thirds of which represents a concise summary of your understanding of the topic and the final third of which outlines the objectives and methods you would use in teaching this topic at secondary school level.

You must also submit a personal action plan.

Deadline: Thursday 10th October 2002


General texts:
English in the National Curriculum
ITT National Curriculum for English

Learning to Teach English in the Secondary SchoolJon Davison and Jane Dowson Routledge
Teaching Secondary English David Curtis Open University
What is English Teaching? Chris Davies Open University
The Challenge of English in the National Curriculum ed Protherough and King Routledge

Resources sites (1) (2) (3)

Appendix to Session One:
Recommended Children’s Literature

Little Soldier Bernard Ashley
Peppermint Pig Nina Bawden
Noughts and Crosses Malorie Blackman
Superfudge Judy Blume
Trouble River Betsy Byars
Dear Mr Henshaw Beverly Cleary
The Phantom Hitchhiker Daniel Cohen
Artemis Fowl Eion Colfer
The Arctic Incident Eion Colfer
Tightrope Gillian Cross
Boy Roald Dahl
The Snake Stone Berlie Doherty
Blabbermouth Morris Gleitzman
The Last Chance Gwen Grant
Buddy Nigel Hinton
Point Blank Anthony Horovitz
The Gizmo Paul Jennings
The Turbulent Term of Tyke Tiler Gene Kemp
Harry’s Mad Dick King-Smith
A Wizard of Earthsea Ursula Le Guin
The Silver Chair C S Lewis
Ghost of Thomas Kempe Penelope Lively
Mrs Frisby and the Rats of NIMH Robert C O’Brien
The Firework-Maker’s Daughter Philip Pullman
Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone J K Rowling
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban J K Rowling
Holes Louis Sacher
Double Act Jacqueline Wilson
The Illustrated Mum Jacqueline Wilson

Last year’s Carnegie Medal shortlist:

Love that Dog Sharon Creech
The Rope Maker Peter Dickinson
Journey to the River Sea Eva Ibbotson
The Kite Rider Geraldine McCaughrean
Stop the Train Geraldine McCaughrean
Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents Terry Pratchett
True Believer Virginia Euwer Wolff

Appendix to Session One: Specific areas of subject knowledge identified by partner schools

Archway School Twelfth Night
Familiarity with the NEAB GCSE syllabus
Poetry for KS3
Grammar for KS3

Barnwood Park High School Twelfth Night
Grammar (within a literary context)

Bradon Forest School Romeo and Juliet, Twelfth Night,
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Our Day Out Willy Russell
Newspapers for KS3
Media and contemporary issues (advertising etc)
Writing ‘for purpose’: deconstructing non-fiction
Pre-1914 century short stories (including Hardy & Conan Doyle)

Cheltenham Kingsmead School Irish literature,
especially Seamus Heaney, for year 12
Shakespeare for Year 9: Twelfth Night, Richard III, Romeo and Juliet

Churchdown School Twelfth Night, The Tempest, Macbeth
Newspapers for KS3
Familiarity with the NEAB GCSE syllabus
Simon Armitage’s poetry (eg the NEAB Anthology)
Media and contemporary issues (advertising etc)
Writing ‘for purpose’: deconstructing non-fiction

Cirencester Deer Park School Twelfth Night
Media and contemporary issues (advertising etc)
Familiarity with the NEAB GCSE syllabus
Mixture of Shakespeare texts to ‘dip into’ at year 8 (eg The Tempest, Macbeth)
Pre-1914 century short stories
(including Hardy & Conan Doyle)
Myths and legends for year 7
Grammar and basic skills for years 7 & 8

Cleeve School Familiarity with the NEAB GCSE syllabus
Writing ‘for purpose’: deconstructing non-fiction

St Benedict’s School War poetry for Y9
Macbeth for GCSE
Writing ‘for purpose’: deconstructing non-fiction
Romeo and Juliet, Twelfth Night

St Peter’s High School For Y7: Skellig by David Almond
For Y8: contemporary poetry; media; Pygmalion;
The Importance of being Earnest.
For Y9: Manifold Manor; Twelfth Night
Familiarity with the AQA/NEAB GCSE syllabus

Stroud High School Macbeth
Wolf by Gillian Cross
Fireweed by Jill Paton-Walsh
Stone Cold by Robert Swindells
An Inspector Calls by J B Priestley
Midsummer Night’s Dream & The Tempest for Year 7
Pre-20th century literature for KS3

The High School for Girls Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Tempest, Macbeth, Twelfth Night, A Merchant of Venice, Antony & Cleopatra, King Lear, Much ado about Nothing.
Skellig D Almond
Welcome to the Real World A Coburn
The Snake-stone B Doherty
Badger on the Barge J Howker

Of Mice and Men J Steinbeck
A Question of Courage Darke
Tom’s Midnight Garden P Pearce
The Handmaid’s Tale Atwood
Snow falling on Cedars Guterson
Pygmalion G B Shaw

Whitecross School Analysis of language persuasive techniques
Media and contemporary issues (advertising etc)
Pre-20th century narrative poetry
Shakespeare for KS3 and KS4

Appendix to Session One: The ICT portfolio

Our first challenge in introducing ICT to English lessons lies in gaining the confidence ourselves in using ICT facilities and producing this kind of work.

Therefore, to meet the government requirements for trainee teachers, each trainee will complete a portfolio of work exactly replicating an imagined pupils’ work over a secondary school English scheme of work.

To complete your assessed ICT portfolio, you need to complete all of the following exercises. (Since all your coursework must be word-processed, the first does not need to demonstrated separately.)

Year 7 Word processing skills. For example, a collaborative story begun on a Network as a class and finished individually.

Year 8 Research skills (CD-ROMs and Internet); presentation skills (DTP, layout and illustrations). Production of a programme for an imagined production of a play.

Year 9 / 10 Research and word-processing skills: Using CD-ROM to assist the writing of essays on Shakespeare.

Year 10 Digital camera and/ or scanning skills: Using photographs of school drama lessons, etc, to illustrate points raised by GCSE English Literature coursework essay on a twentieth century play.

Year 11 Presentation and DTP skills: Producing original media artefact to illustrate ideas discussed in English (Media) coursework essay.

Years 12/13 ‘Slide show’ programmes: Using specialist software to prepare illustrative pictorial or written material to support presentations in the classroom. Creating multi-media packages for research and support.

Session Two.
19th September 2002: 14.15 till 17.15
Philip Rush. College, Francis Close Hall.
Lesson plans, the National Literacy Strategy objectives and the literacy hour:
Long-term, medium-term and short-term planning.
Starter activities.

B4 Trainees must be taught how to place medium and short term planning in the context of longer term planning which indicates how the range of texts and the skills of reading, writing, speaking and listening will be covered and how teaching will be structured to enable pupils to develop and consolidate key skills and understanding.

PROGRAMME
Shaping a lesson.
Learning objectives.
Techniques for beginning lessons, maintaining pace, ending lessons.
Balancing speaking and listening, reading and writing.
The national literacy strategy.
The literacy hour model.
Starter activities.

The National Literacy Strategy : KS3 Framework for English
DFES websites: see our website for links

St Peter's High School English Department Schemes of Work

Lesson Planning
The National Literacy Strategy
FRAMEWORK FOR KS3 ENGLISH

Objectives for Years 7 8 and 9
Appendices with summary of objective and planning exemplars

The National Literacy Strategy Publications
Planning forms KS3
Planning forms KS4
National Literacy Strategy Planning Forms
National Literacy Strategy Starter Activities:
Word Level;
Sentence Level;
Whole text Level.

Session Three.
26th September 2002: 9.15 till 12.15
Philip Rush. College, Francis Close Hall.
Teaching and assessing reading skills: DARTs.
Literacy Progress Units

A3 As part of all courses, trainees must be taught that, if pupils are to make progress in English, teachers must:
a develop pupils as critical readers and extend the range of what they read, recognising::
iii that their teaching should stimulate pupils to become active, alert and enquiring readers, able to respond to texts critically and imaginatively.
iv that it is necessary to teach pupils explicitly the ways in which:
• texts are written for a particular readership, purpose or medium;
• writers represent authorial and other viewpoints;
• texts can be construed and interpreted in different ways.

B7 Trainees must be taught how to teach poetry, including how to:
a involve pupils in appreciating, understanding, responding to and writing poetry, including through teachers and pupils reading poetry aloud;
b teach the range of poetic forms sand equip pupils with the technical terms they need to discuss poems, their meanings and effects, eg metre, metaphor, simile, onomatopoeia, assonance, alliteration, hyperbole, oxymoron, sonnet, ballad.
c group poems to enable appreciation of theme, form, period and author’s voice.

B11 Trainees must be taught how to assess pupils’ reading, through:
a determining at the planning stage what pupils should know, understand and be able to do better by the end of the sequence of work, eg skills of relating one part of the text to another; drawing comparisons; recognising how authors build up to a climax;
b identifying the assessment opportunities and the assessment evidence that will be collected, including what, and which pupils, to focus on for particular purposes;
c building up a picture of pupils’ reading ability through a range of tasks which enable assessment of different types of skill;
d knowing how and when to employ particular assessment tools for particular purposes, including::
i open and close comprehension questions - questioning for implicit and explicit understanding of meaning;
ii running record or miscue analysis - to assess reading in detail, especially for pupils with low standards of literacy;
iii standardised diagnostic tests for detailed information about a particular aspect of reading which is giving cause for concern.

PROGRAMME
Using collaborative techniques to deconstruct reading skills.
Finding a full range of active approaches to texts.
The importance of reading time in lessons.
Assessing reading skills.
Poetry lessons as a model for lesson planning.
The beginnings of an anthology of poetry lessons.
Introduction to Literacy Progress Units.

What is a reading curriculum?’ by Robert Protherough in
The Challenge of English in the National Curriculum ed Protherough and King Routledge

The National Literacy Strategy:
Transforming Key Stage 3: NLS KS3 Literacy Progress Units

See also DFES standards website

NLS/KS3 Teaching & assessing reading skills
inc. DARTs, LPUs

B8. Trainees must be taught how to teach Shakespeare’s plays, including how to:
a explore Shakespeare’s plays as scripts for performance, eg by presenting scenes; improvising around the play’s theme; directing particular passages attending to action, music and set; devising and performing modernised versions of the scenes;
b ensure that pupils gain access to texts and appreciate the force of the ideas, language and dramatic qualities by using a variety of approaches;
c enable pupils to gain an appreciation of Shakespeare’s language including its poetic qualities, how character and action are conveyed through language, and how it differs from contemporary English;
d set Shakespeare’s plays in their social and historical context, eg performance in the Globe Theatre; the nature of monarchy; conventions of love and courtship.

B18 Trainees must be taught how to introduce pupils to drama, in the pupils’ National Curriculum for English, through:

c using role-play, script writing, writing in-role and a range of stimuli to develop pupils’ reading, writing, speaking and listening:

PROGRAMME

Using drama techniques to teach English in a classroom space


Links to Standards
3.3.3 Interactive teaching methods & collaborative group-work
3.3.8 Organisation & management of physical teaching space

Teaching Shakespeare Rex Gibson Cambridge
Macbeth Shakespeare Cambridge School
‘How can we teach Shakespeare?’ by John Haddon in
The Challenge of English in the National Curriculum ed Protherough and King Routledge

Drama & Shakespeare
Teaching Shakespeare

A3 As part of all courses, trainees must be taught that, if pupils are to make progress in English, teachers must:
d develop pupils’ understanding of language variety, ensuring pupils know:
i how and when to use standard English, and the differing degrees of formality in standard English, eg how vocabulary choices and grammatical constructions vary between a formal oral presentation and group discussion;
ii how to recognise the features of standard English and common non-standard forms, and how standard English differs from other dialects;
iii that standard English can be spoken with different accents;
iv the main ways in which language changes, eg through imports from other languages, because of new technology, and how words change meaning over time;
v about attitudes to language use, eg attitudes to gender in language;
vi the differences between speech and writing.

B13 Trainees must be taught how to teach spelling, including how to:
a teach pupils strategies which help them to learn and retain spellings, eg use of analogy; developing visual memory; phonic segmentation; references to root words; looking for words within words;
b teach spelling families and rules systematically, eg by working out spelling conventions from lists of regular words; by grouping words containing the same letter strings together; repeated practice in spelling mis-spelt words correctly;
c introduce pupils to new words with unusual or irregular spellings;
d use marking strategies which draw attention to patterns of error and enable pupils to learn from their mistakes, eg by highlighting the incorrect elements; by reminding pupils of spelling rules which have been broken.

B14 Trainees must be taught how to teach punctuation, including how to:
a use well-written texts to demonstrate the function of different punctuation marks and how they should be used, eg looking at the use of the semi-colon and the colon;
b use activities, including reading aloud, through which pupils recognise the role of punctuation in marking grammatical boundaries and in symbolising and replacing the intonation of speech;
c review and mark pupils’ work constructively, drawing pupils’ attention to the omission and misuse of punctuation marks so that pupils can correct them;
d teach more complex uses of punctuation marks systematically, eg the relationship between commas and clauses; the use of the dash;
e teach self-help strategies, eg requiring pupils to read back their own work to themselves, looking for sentence breaks.


B15 Trainees must be taught how to teach grammar, including how to:
a teach the grammatical terms and conventions listed in the pupils’ National Curriculum explicitly;
b teach pupils the ways in which sentences can be extended, elaborated, abbreviated and manipulated by reorganising their sequence and the way they are worded, and by adding or removing phrases or clauses;
c give pupils feedback on their written work, including the identification of grammatical errors, eg non-agreement of subject and verb, and provide guidance for development;
d teach pupils to analyse reading materials for their grammatical features and conventions, eg the use of long noun phrases ad the passive voice in information writing;
e set pupils activities which demonstrate the way that grammar works and the factors which influence grammatical choices, eg the changing a first person account into the third person changes the focus of attention and the level of formality.

B20 Trainees must be taught how to teach about language variety explicitly through:
a the planned teaching of different aspects of language variation, linking teaching to both the books pupils read and the texts they write;
b using contrasting texts to teach points of comparison and contrast in content, language and style;
c direct comparison between spoken and written forms of language, eg a transcript together with a piece of reported speech to illustrate similarities and differences in vocabulary and sentence formation;
d the study of language variation and change.

PROGRAMME
The NLS approach
Teaching spelling: avoiding pitfalls.
Teaching punctuation: one stop at a time.
Teaching grammar:
The grammar papers, etc.
Grammar in and out of context.
Balance benefits against losses.
Knowledge about language:
etymology and history.
Travel in Gloucestershire.

‘How do we teach grammar?’ by Jane Lodge and Paul Evans in
The Challenge of English in the National Curriculum ed Protherough and King Routledge

The Grammar Papers QCA
Not Whether but How QCA

Learn Grammar with the Government
(nice flash teach yourself site!

Grammar resources sites (1) (2)

NLS/KS3:Teaching grammar etc

A3 As part of all courses, trainees must be taught that, if pupils are to make progress in English, teachers must:
b develop pupils’ competence in writing, recognising:
i the importance of diagnosing pupils’ specific strengths and weaknesses in writing;
ii the need to identify the specific knowledge of linguistic structures and genres to be covered and to be taken into account when setting up writing tasks and when diagnosing and remedying pupils’ difficulties;
iii the importance of planned opportunities for writing which make explicit the conventions of different genres and the usefulness of each for different purposes;
iv the importance of writing as a tool for learning, eg note-taking; analysis and evaluation.
f provide good models for pupils’ reading writing, speaking and listening.

B12 Trainees must be taught how to teach writing, including how to:
a provide models of writing for pupils to analyse and emulate, and use pupils’ reading to provide inspiration for their writing;;
b manage the writing process effectively, including:
i how to help pupils generate ideas for their written work;
ii how to teach pupils to draft, revise and then proof-read their work, eg through using a word-processor; by encouraging pupils to read their work to someone else;
iii how and when it is appropriate to focus on parts of the writing process only, eg knowing when bullet points are sufficient; knowing when more than one stage of drafting is unnecessary.
c teach pupils to write in different forms, eg the discursive essay, the ballad and the informative article, through:
i providing examples and teaching pupils how to analyse them for their linguistic and other conventions;
ii using structured approaches to support pupils’ first attempts, eg writing frames;
iii teaching pupils to consider audience, purpose and context when choosing form and language.

PROGRAMME
The processes of writing: inspiration and genre.
Two sequences of reading and writing exercises:
Beside the Reservoir and Fresh Water.
The use of writing frames.
The value of displayed work.
The links between writing, reading, speaking & listening, and assessment.

Making Sense, Shaping Meaning Pat d”arcy Heinemann

‘What is the range of writing? by Jan Sargeant and
‘Can we assess and keep sane? A personal view’ by Peter Brown in
The Challenge of English in the National Curriculum ed Protherough and King Routledge

Session Eight.
17th October 2001: 14.15 till 17.15
Philip Rush. College, Francis Close Hall.
NLS/KS3 Teaching and Assessing
Speaking and Listening.

A3 As part of all courses, trainees must be taught that, if pupils are to make progress in English, teachers must:
c develop pupils’ abilities in speaking and listening, recognising that:
i there must be planned opportunities to develop pupils’ abilities to speak and listen and that listening skills need to be taught explicitly;
ii task setting, pupil groupings and the purposes for talk are significant factors in determining the nature and quality of speaking and listening;;
iii pupils must be taught explicitly about the oral conventions that are appropriate in different situations and for different audiences, including the use of standard English;
iv pupils need to experience a number of roles in speaking and listening, eg chair, scribe, spokesperson, advocate, antagonist, supporter, so that they learn to speak in different contexts, and move between roles as the need arises;
v purposeful, focused talking and listening assist learning;
vi strategies need to be devised to provide the structure and support that some pupils need eg those who are shy, inexperienced or suffer speech and hearing difficulties, to be able to contribute to, and make progress in, speaking and listening.

B17 Trainees must be taught how to teach speaking and listening, including how to teach pupils:
a to fulfil the formal and informal roles taken in groups, through explicit teaching of the language appropriate to different stages of the discussion, eg tentative hypothesis; brief summary; probing questions; summing up; handling disagreement constructively;
b to adapt their speech for different purposes, including how to sustain a talk or a monologue, how to use visual aids and organise persuasive points, eg by anticipating and preparing for the opposing point of view;
c the conventions of different types of speech;
d to listen attentively and with discrimination, eg using techniques such as making notes; focused listening; directing attention;
e to discern rhetorical devices, irony, persuasive techniques and bias in what is heard.

B19 Trainees must be taught how to assess speaking and listening, including how to:
a establish a clear focus for the assessment, eg how well a group member uses questions and suggestions to organise and sustain ideas in discussion;
b make opportunities for the assessment of individual pupils, ensuring that pupils understand the nature and purpose of the assessment;
c build up over time a profile of pupils’ achievements in speaking and listening which recognises progress in pupils’ speaking and listening skills, eg moving from talking which is largely scripted and read aloud to speaking from notes of the main points to be made;
d distinguish between aspects of pupils’ personality and the way pupils talk, eg not mistaking confidence for a significant contribution.

PROGRAMME
In the course of the session,
after work in a large group and in separate smaller groups,
we shall produce a brief guide
for KS3 Speaking and Listening teaching,
building on the work of last year’s group of trainees,
which is included here as an appendix.
We shall also watch parts of the QCA standardising video for the assessment of KS3 Speaking and Listening.

‘Can we raise the standard of speaking and listening?’ by John Johnson in
The Challenge of English in the National Curriculum ed Protherough and King Routledge

NLS/KS3 Teaching and assessing speaking and listening skills
At digital.brain

INFORMAL DISCUSSION

Discuss a chapter of a book as a class
Discuss part of a video with a neighbour
Explanation of events in a chapter (to recap)

It is sensible to elect a chairperson who will determine who is to speak.

Do not interrupt: listen.

Try to explain your views fully, but without rambling.

Don’t look at the floor when you are speaking! Maintain eye-contact with the rest of your group.

When somebody else is speaking, consider your opinion about what they are saying. Don’t fall asleep or forget what the discussion is about!

INFORMAL PRESENTATIONS

Talking about something boring but making it interesting
Descriptive analysis and discussion of meaning
(of, eg, poems, paintings or examples from the media)
Independent enquiry (research) and feedback

Research the topic carefully: have something to say.

Anticipate questions.

Do not assume your audience knows as much as you do: you’ve done the research!

Speak clearly and confidently; project your voice.

Don’t keep to the same pace of delivery all the time.

Do not remain static: use your body language to show your interest and to reflect the changes of pace in your talk.

Don’t rely on reading, but if you are quoting, for example, don’t bury your head in the text.

Speak with enthusiasm: if you don’t sound interested, your audience won’t be.

Invite questions.

Avoid uncouth or slang language.

Maintain eye-contact with your audience.

Avoid repetition and pretentiousness.

WORKING IN PAIRS

Reading work aloud to help with redrafting
Brainstorming ideas
Composition of poetry, for example

Talk clearly.

Give all your ideas: even if some of them appear to come to nothing, they may prompt better ones.

Co-operate with your partner: don’t compete.

Note all your ideas, to come back to later.

When reading work aloud, read it exactly as written, so that mistakes can be identified.

LISTENING

Listening to a tape-recording
Listening to a teacher
Following precise instructions
Question-and-answer sessions
Aural comprehension
Aural tests

Concentrate on the speaker: look at them while they are speaking.

Make notes.

But think carefully before deciding to take notes: try and remember key points and make them your own before jotting them down in your own words.

Listen carefully: don’t allow yourself to become distracted.

FORMAL TALK

‘Show and tell’
Public Speaking
Presentations
Guest speaker
Assemblies
Seminar

Structure your talk carefully so that it begins and ends well.

Make sure you make just a small number of key points - each illustrated with examples. People won’t remember anything if you tell them everything!

Don’t ramble: move to a conclusion.

Don’t look at the floor when you are speaking! Maintain eye-contact with the rest of your group.

Speak clearly and slowly: project your voice.

Show your interest in what you are saying: no-one else will appear to be interested if you yourself are not.

Make sure everyone can see you, and try to maintain eye contact with your audience.

Formal talk requires formal language: be careful will slang and with ‘off the cuff’ remarks.

DRAMA ACTIVITIES

Act out scenes from a play
Reading poetry aloud
‘Radio’ drama
Group story-telling
Role-play
Improvising dialogue for a silent video
Hotseating

Speak clearly.

Make sure you are familiar with the text before you read it aloud.

If you are ‘ad-libbing’, think before you speak.

Consider rhythm and pace when preparing a reading.

Vary your voice so that the final result is interesting to listen to.

If improvising, listen to your partners: follow the conventions of drama, and speak one at a time!

Engage the audience. You may not want or need to face them, but you must get them interested in your performance. Think about that when you are preparing.

DEBATE AND PERSUASION

Formal debates
Class discussion
Persuasive talk

Think carefully about your views before speaking: prepare your case.

When preparing your talk, anticipate the views of your opponents and try to get your answers in first!

Avoid being patronising in your talk: avoid sarcasm.

Listen carefully to opposing points of view before responding precisely to them.

Speak slowly and carefully, projecting your voice.

In discussion or open debate, try to follow on from what others have said. Don’t change the direction of the discussion abruptly.

If you have a ‘brain-wave’ while others are speaking, jot it down and wait: never interrupt!

Use gestures to emphasise key points.

To win people over to your point of view, it is good to use a wide range of vocabulary so that others respect your opinion and become interested in your point of view.

Speak calmly at all times: even if you are getting angry, do not use physical force (including raising your voice!) to make your point of view.

Try not to take anything personally. Debates only work if there is a difference of opinion, and someone may be taking up an alternative view just to keep the discussion going, or they may be playing ‘Devil’s Advocate’.

Session Nine.
24th October 2001: 14.15 till 17.15
Kate Brockbank. Cirencester Deer Park School.

THEATRE & DRAMA AS LEARNING TOOLS
Starting point for the drama project we will be doing in the spring term. A live performance of Chocolate; a theatre in education style piece with a citizenship theme. We will look at other ways drama can act as a stimulus for English.

Links to Standards 3.1.5 Learning in out of school contexts

B18 Trainees must be taught how to introduce pupils to drama, in the pupils’ National Curriculum for English, through:
a utilising drama techniques, eg small group playmaking; teaching in-role; tableaux, to involve pupils in examining themes, issues and meanings:
b using performance of texts to develop pupils’ understanding and appreciation of language, dramatic form, character and performance;

d requiring pupils to reflect upon and evaluate features of their own and others’ performance in order to develop their understanding of techniques for conveying meaning.