Syllabus commissioned by a Secondary School in Greece (2007)

English AI SyllabusThis document outlines the English AI course that will beimplemented in the Zalongo High School from September2008 to May 2009. The syllabus is divided in four parts:

Part I deals with contextual factors that areoutside the teacher’s control, but informed thedesign of the course. In here, readers will findinformation about the learners, setting, curricularrequirements, resources and time considerations.

Part II presents general information about thecourse itself. This part outlines the strategicdecisions that were made in light of the contextualfactors described earlier. This part outlines theprinciples informing the course, goals & objectivesand the materials used to implement this course. Itis envisaged that this information will not undergomajor changes during the implementation of thecourse.

Part III maps the course material against the 2008-2009 academic year. This part of the syllabusconsists of two sections, a broad outline for theentire course and a detailed breakdown of plans foreach course module. These plans are intended asflexible working document to be continuously amendedas the course progresses.

Part IV describes the evaluation procedures thatwill be implemented. It consists of separatesections discussing the evaluation of learners andthe evaluation of the course itself.

Part I – The context of the course

This part of the syllabus summarises informationregarding aspects of the learning context in which thesyllabus is implemented, drawing loosely from theframework suggested by Kathleen Graves.1 It is importantto note that the following sections are not intended as acomprehensive description of every contextual aspect.Rather, they have been selected from in terms of theirsalience in shaping the syllabus. The prominent factorswhich merit definition are:o the students who take part in the course;o the physical setting where the course will be

implemented;o the nature of the course in relation to the national

curriculum;o the resources available; ando the time framework against which the course is set.

StudentsThe course is addressed to high-performing students ofboth sexes enrolled in the first form of the ZalongoJunior High School. Classes at this particular schooltend to consist of between 15 and 20 students.

Entry in the AI course is reserved for the lower 50%of each learner cohort, in terms of their languagecompetence. The learners’ competence is assessed througha norm-referenced placement test that takes place at thestart of every school year. It should be noted that norm-referenced testing only relates each candidate’sperformance to that of other candidates, and thereforedoes not provide useful information regarding what thecandidate can do with the language.

1 Graves, Kathleen. 2000. Designing Language Courses. Boston: Heinle. p.16

As a result of streaming, AI classes tend to berelatively homogenous, compared to other classes in thesame school. In terms of age, nearly all the students arebetween 12 and 13 years old although some are older. Themajority of the students are Greek in origin, but thereare several immigrants among them predominantly ofAlbanian origin, who experience difficulties withlanguage and cognitive academic skills.

As a rule, they are very weak students, and manyhave very poor cognitive academic skills. In many cases,their first language skills are very deficient. InEnglish, they are best described as ‘false beginners’, inthat their linguistic range in English spans from non-existent to a weak Breakthrough (A1-) level, as definedby the Common European Framework,2 despite the fact thatthey have been taught English for at least four years atprimary school.

Their attitude towards English varies considerably.According to data collected in an informal questionnairesurvey in 2007, most students concede that knowledge ofEnglish (or, more precisely, English certification) maybe useful in their future lives, but view this as “anecessary evil”. The courses offered by the school aregenerally viewed as “hard” and not necessarily relevantto their needs.

Physical settingThe Zalongo Junior High School is located outside thevillage of Archangelos at the prefecture of Preveza, neara busy carriageway. It is temporarily housed in aprefabricated building, pending the construction of morepermanent facilities. Classrooms are adequately sized toaccommodate groups of 15-20 students, but are at a badstate of repair despite being relatively new. As a resultof the poor soundproofing, it is not generally possibleto prevent outside noises from disrupting the lesson.Similarly vocal activities generally tend to disrupt thelessons that take place in neighbouring classrooms.

2 Council of Europe. 2001. Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, teaching, assessment. Cambridge: CUP. p.24

In the absence of a dedicated language classroom,lessons have to take place in whichever classroom happensto be available. This practice prevents the display ofposters and other material. It also makes storage ofeducational resources hard, which necessitates that theybe carried to class by the teacher and set up prior toeach lesson. Lastly, it entails that learners usuallyrequire a disproportionate amount of time in order tocollect their books, and settle down in the classroom atthe start of each lesson.

Nature of the courseAttendance at English courses is mandatory in the Greekeducational setting, according to the NationalCurriculum3. Further decrees4 stipulate that instructionat Junior High Schools be provided in two “streams”according to the students’ competence in English. The AI

course, which is intended for the top 50% of each learnercohort, aims to develop the learners’ language competenceto a weak Waystage (A1-) level5 as defined by the CEF6.

Within these broad guidelines, teachers are leftwith considerable scope of independence in defining theirown particular syllabus. The only requirement is thatmaterial is selected from a list of pre-approvedcoursebooks7. However, no formal requirements existregarding how these coursebooks will be used, (i.e. thesequencing and pacing of activities). Assessment is alsoconducted internally by the course teacher, following theformal specifications decreed by legislation.8

3 Διαθεματικό Ενιαίο Πλαίσιο Προγραμμάτων Σπουδών Ξένων Γλωσσών . Available online at http://www.pi-schools.gr/lessons/english/pdf/14depps_XenonGlosson-Agglika.pdf . Retrieved on 28 July 2008.4 Cf. Circular Γ2/4230/12-07-1996 ΥΠ.Ε.Π.Θ5 Αντιστοιχία επιπέδων γλωσσομάθειας. Available online at http://www.pi-schools.gr/lessons/english/doc/efl-levels.doc . Retrieved on 28 July 2008.6 Council of Europe. 2001. Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, teaching, assessment. Cambridge: CUP. p.247 Circular 93784/Γ2/29-8-07 ΥΠ.Ε.Π.Θ.8 Circular 41030/Γ2/19-04-2007 ΥΠ.Ε.Π.Θ.

http://www.pi-schools.gr/lessons/english/doc/efl-levels.doc

http://www.pi-schools.gr/lessons/english/pdf/14depps_XenonGlosson-Agglika.pdf

http://www.pi-schools.gr/lessons/english/pdf/14depps_XenonGlosson-Agglika.pdf

ResourcesProvision of resources is generally adequate but notlavish. All students are provided with a coursebook butnot a workbook or other supplementary material. Theteacher is provided with a copy of the coursebook, aworkbook, a teacher manual, audio material and a pack ofphotocopiable teacher resources consisting of activitiesand tests. Each classroom is provided with a whiteboard.The teacher also shares access to a portable CD playerand a photocopier.

TimeThe course nominally spans a period of 32 weeks, frommid-September to mid-May. Within each week, a total ofthree 40-45 minute sessions is provided, giving a nominaltotal of 96 sessions. However, approximately 15% of thesessions does not take place for various reasons, whichmeans that a more realistic estimate of the timeavailable would be around 80 sessions.

The course is divided in three terms spanningroughly three months each. Term A starts in mid-Septemberand ends on November 30th; Term B begins on December 1st

and ends on the last day of February; Term C starts onMarch 1st and finishes in mid-May. Following that, lessonsare suspended in order for examinations to take place.The final examination takes place between mid-May andmid-June.

Part II – The underpinnings of the course

Having considered the opportunities and restrictionsimposed by the context, it is now possible to define thebroad orientation of the AI course. These broad guidelinesinclude:o the informing principles of the course;o an inventory of the goals and objectives that the course

caters to; ando a list of the resources necessary for the implementation

of the course.

Although all the information presented at this section isthe product of decisions made by the course designer andis theoretically at his discretion, it is envisaged thatno changes will be made to this part of the documentafter the course has began, unless there are verycompelling reasons to do so. For all practical purposes,this part of the syllabus can be considered as ‘set instone’.

PrinciplesThe fundamental beliefs underpinning the AI course pertainto views about the language, the learners and the natureof learning:a) Views about language

1. Language awareness is not a prerequisite to languagecompetence. However, grammatical accuracy and precision can enhance meaning.

2. Language is a repository for knowledge, as well as avehicle for communication: hence, the written modality equally important to the oral modality.

3. The English language is learnt primarily for international communication, rather than for interaction with native speakers of English;

therefore native-like accuracy is not a important goal of learning.

b) Views about learners 1. Learners in general learn more effectively in non-

threatening conditions; 2. Some learners find abstract concepts such as grammar

rules difficult to grasp;3. Some learners gave a need for individual attention

and approval from the teacher;4. Learners are keen to talk about themselves and

respond well to learning that uses their own lives as main topics in the classroom;

5. Learners have a limited attentions span and will geteasily bored by any but the most engaging learning activities;

c) Views about learning 1. Learning is a primarily student-initiated process:

the learner has to do the learning; just teaching will not make it happen.

2. Teaching can help learners notice and attend to features of grammar in the language they hear and read, or speak and write.

3. Understanding does not only stem from explanation, but also from experiencing language;

4. Meaningful communication can be an effective vehiclefor learning new language;

5. Language can be taught without recourse to technicalterminology

Goals & ObjectivesIn its broadest formulation, the aim of the AI course isto develop the learners’ communicative competence to aweak Waystage level (A1-) as defined by the CEF. Inpractice, this aim can be translated into the followinggoals and objectives:a) Learners have to master of following grammatical

structures. A structure is considered to be mastered ifit is produced with consistent accuracy in exercises

and there is evidence of its use in oral and writtenoutput, despite the frequent occurrence of basicmistakes:1. The verb ‘to be’: affirmative, question & negative

forms2. The verb ‘have got’: affirmative, question &

negative forms3. The verb ‘there is/there are’4. Modal verbs: can, must 5. Present Simple: affirmative, question & negative

forms6. Present Continuous: affirmative, question & negative

forms7. Frequency adverbs: meaning and use8. Singular and plural forms of nouns9. Uncountable nouns10. Possessive forms11. This/that/these/those12. Interrogative forms with What, Where, Who, When 13. Subject and Object pronouns14. Future forms (going to, present continuous)15. Past simple of “be”: affirmative, question &

negative forms16. Past simple of regular verbs: affirmative,

question & negative formsb) Learners must become familiar with the following

grammatical structures. The structures must be usedwith consistent accuracy in exercises even if they arenot present in the learners’ output.1. Present continuous: distinction from Present Simple2. Past simple of irregular verbs: affirmative,

question & negative formsc) Learners must master the ability to handle the

following functions. These are considered to bemastered if a learner can select between severalalternative phrases in order to convey the desiredmeaning, and of these are expressed effortlessly andaccurately in oral and written output.1. Asking for permission and help2. Expressing ability and possibility

3. Ask for and tell the time4. Make suggestions

d) The learners should develop sufficient vocabulary toconduct routine everyday transactions involvingfamiliar situations and topics. In practice, theyshould acquire the ability to recognize, produce andspell words from the following semantic sets withreasonable accuracy.

General concepts1. Numbers2. Dates3. The time4. Everyday objects5. Classroom objects6. The weather

General Orientation7. Countries and cities8. Geography9. Places in a town

People10. Families11. Appearance12. Personality13. The body

Homes14. Homes15. Furniture

Activities16. Regular

activities17. Daily routines18. Interests and

activities19. Abilities20. Football21. Music

Grammatical22. Future

expressions23. Past time

expressionsOther

24. Food, drink and meals

25. Scary objects26. Clothes27. Occupations

e) In terms of written output, learners should be able toproduce short and simple notes and messages(approximately 50 words), relating to matters ofimmediate need or their personal experience. Thereshould be some evidence of cohesion, in the form ofsimple connectors such as “and”, “but” or “because”.The general meaning of these texts should be clearenough to follow despite widespread lapses ingrammatical control or lexical choice. Genres include:1. Descriptive texts about aspects of the learners’

immediate environment (e.g. class, hometown, everyday life, familiar people);

2. Basic narrative texts on events, past activities or personal experiences;

3. Simple formulaic letters on matters of immediate need (e.g. thanking, apologies, simple arrangements);

4. Basic argumentative texts stating or justifying an opinion.

f) As regards oral communication, learners should be ableto take part in simple interactions in structuredsituations and short conversations, using a shortseries of simple phrases and sentences, possibly linkedas a list. Although pauses, false starts andreformulation are very evident, learners should be ableto make themselves generally understood, providedassistance is available to them from a sympatheticinterlocutor. They should also be able to compensatefor gaps in vocabulary, by using an inadequate wordfrom their repertoire and resorting to gesture in orderto clarify meaning. More specifically, learners shoulddevelop the ability to:1. Establish social contact: i.e. greetings, farewells,

introductions, thanks;2. Initiate, maintain and close a conversation;3. Manage simple, routine exchanges without undue

effort; 4. Ask and answer questions on familiar topics and

predictable everyday situations; 5. Express feelings in simple terms;6. Give and follow simple directions referring to a

plan;7. Ask very simply for repetition when they do not

understand;8. Ask for clarification about key words that they do

not understand, using formulaic phrases;9. Communicate information in an interview.

g) In addition to the above, learners should be able todeliver short sustained monologues on topics pertinentto their everyday life, given adequate preparation time

and provided assistance is available. Their outputshould be understandable to audiences who are preparedto concentrate and are familiar with the learners’discourse patterns. They should also be able to copewith a limited number of follow-up questions deliveredslowly and in clearly articulated speech, provided theinterlocutor is willing to repeat the question asnecessary. Specifically, learners should be able to:1. Narrate a story in a simple list of points;2. Describe everyday aspects of their environment (e.g.

people, places);3. Give short, basic descriptions of events or

activities;4. Describe plans and arrangements, habits and

routines, past activities and personal experiences;5. Use simple descriptive language to make brief

statements about and compare objects and possessions;

6. Explain what they like about something;7. Deliver very short rehearsed announcements of

predictable learnt content.

h) When reading, learners should be able to understand thegeneral meaning and main points of short simple textson familiar matters of a concrete type which consist ofhigh-frequency everyday lexis. Specifically, theyshould be able to:1. Locate specific, predictable information in simple,

everyday material; such as advertisements, prospectuses, menus, reference lists and timetables;

2. Understand commonly-encountered signs and notices;3. Identify specific information which is explicitly

stated in texts such as letters and short newspaper articles describing events;

4. Understand regulations expressed in simple language;5. Use the overall meaning of a short text in order to

deduce the probable meaning of unknown lexis from the context;

6. Identify the referent of reference markers (e.g. this, he).

i) When listening to texts articulated clearly and slowlyin a standard dialect and without background noise,learners should be able to understand enough in orderto meet needs of a concrete type. Specifically, theyshould be able to:1. generally identify the topic of a conversation or

announcement;2. understand and extract essential information from

short recorded messages dealing with predictable everyday topics;

3. identify the main point of TV news items provided the visual supports the commentary;

4. use the overall meaning of an utterance in order to deduce the probable meaning of unknown lexis from the context.

MaterialsThe core around which the course is built is Messages 1 byDiana and Noel Goodey, published by Cambridge UniversityPress. The coursebook was selected on the basis of thefollowing criteria:a.) The material in the coursebook corresponds well to

our syllabus goals and can reasonably be covered in thetimeframe allocated (80-90 hours).

b.) The coursebook has been designed specifically forlower secondary learners. It is therefore more suitableto the affective needs of our learners, compared tomaterial that has been designed primarily for theprivate sector, as the latter caters to the needs ofrelatively younger learners.

c.) The coursebook is unlikely to be used by privatelanguage centres. As a result, the course is lesslikely to replicate material that students have alreadybeen taught at their supplementary evening lessons,which some students might find demotivating. Inaddition, it is believed that support materials such asanswer keys and companions will not be widely availableto students who wish to engage in academic malpractice.

d.) Unusually for the Greek EFL setting, the coursebooksyllabus emphasises communicative skills while placingless emphasis on language awareness. It is expectedthat in this way, the course will supplement, ratherthan replicate the instruction offered in privatelanguage centres.

e.) The coursebook contains particularly clearsignposting, self-reference material and support fordeveloping learner autonomy. It also contains a largeamount of optional material that caters to the needs ofmore advanced students. These features are considereddesirable, given the relatively large class size, whichmeans that the teacher will not always be able toprovide timely support to students whose performance isexceptionally good or exceptionally weak.

The materials used by the teacher are listed in Table 1:

Messages 1 Coursebook Messages 1 Workbook Messages 1 Teacher’s book Messages 1 Teacher Resources Messages 1 Audio CDs (3 items) Syllabus Student Evaluation Folder Lesson Plan Folder

Table 1 – Teacher’s materials

The materials used by the students are listed in Table 2:

Messages 1 Coursebook (to be returned in reusable condition at the end of the course)

Language development notebook (for recording grammarand vocabulary)

Exercises notebook (for recording the answers to exercises)

Homework Folder Coursework Folder

Table 2 – Students’ materials

Part III – The outline of the course

The actual blueprint for the implementation of the AI

course during the 2008-2009 school year is presented inthis part of the syllabus. The conceptual map of thesyllabus consists of two parts:o a broad overview which divides the course into modules

and indicates roughly when each module will be taught;and

o a detailed breakdown which divides each module into anumber of lessons and indicates a more specific datewhen these lessons are expected to take place.

It should be stressed that the information contained inthis part of the syllabus is only provisional in nature.It is expected that modifications should be made to thissection as the course progresses, to account for theunpredictable nature of learning, and for unexpectedchanges in the timetable. Unlike Part I, this part of thesyllabus is a ‘work in progress’.

AI Class: Course OutlineI. Overview

Dates AimStart End

To develop the learners’ language ability to theA2- level of the CEF

I. Outline of Modules

#Date

ModuleAims

Start End Lexis Grammar Reading Listening Writing Speaking

1. 15/09 19/09 Induction Classroom language

Orientation in the coursebook

Classroom language & instructions

Personal DataClassroom language & instructions

2. 22/09 17/10 1: Facts

Classroom languageMusic, interests and activities, Countries and cities, Geography

RevisionSubject pronounsCan, Be, QuestionsPlurals

LetterEmailArticle

SongInterviewQuiz

LetterDescription of Country / town

Personal presentationAsk for and give informationDescribe interests

3. 20/10 14/11 2: Things and People

Adjectives, Everyday things, Families, appearance, personality, body

Have gota, an, any, somepossessive formsthis/that etc.

Announcement, Recipe, Story, Article

Specific informationPersonal description, song

Description of familyRecipeDescription of person

PossessionsAsk about thingsDescription of objectsExpressing feelings

A (II) Syllabus 16 Zalongo Junior High School

4. 17/11 12/12 3: Daily life

Regular activities; Scary things; Food, drink andmeals; Time; Routines

Present SimpleFrequency adverbsQuestions

Article, Story,Questionnaire, Report

SongQuestionnaireConversationDescription of a day

Article about teenagersQuestionnaire

Descr. of activities; Talk about fears, likes and dislikes; Daily life; Habits; Food; Time

5. 15/12 23/12 Xmas Interlude Christmas Christmas Christmas Christmas Christmas

6. 12/1 6/2 4: Inside and outside

Homes; furniture; food; abilities; places in a town

There is / there areUncountable nounsPrepositionsCan (ability / possibility)Must; Imperative

Shopping list; Story; Article;Poem

ConversationSong

Description of the ideal house; Recipe; Notice; Poem

Descr. homes; Ask about places and food; Descr. abilities; Descr. what canbe done in a town/ sights; directions

7. 9/2 6/3 5: Today and tomorrow

Clothes; football; Future time; the weather

Present Continuous;Object pronounsGoing to

Sports article;Story; List of items; postcard; article

Football commentary;Conversation; Song

Describe appearance; write a message; write a postcard

Descr. actions in progress; game; future arrngmnts; suggestions; descr. plans and intentions

8. 9/3 3/4 6: Looking back

OccupationsPast time Past Simple

Dictionary definitions; story; article;advertisement;

Conversation; events in the past; song

Descr. a person’s lifeDescr. early childhood; letter (past event); diary

Life in the past; quiz; past events; school year

9. 6/4 15/5 Review

AI Class: Induction PlanI. Overview

Dates Lessons Units CourseworkStart End


15/09 19/09 3 Personal Data

Objectives

Pronunciation Lexis Grammar Discourse LearnerTraining

Personal identification

Classroom Language

Awareness of learningprocess / styles

Reading Listening Writing Speaking Classroom Language Personal

Presentations Classroom Language

Personal Presentations

New items Review


I. Breakdown of Objectives

# Date Lesson Objectives TestLexis Grammar Reading Listening Writing Speak1. Placement

Test

2.

Student presentations and introductions

Personal identification



3.Course Presentation

Classroom Language

Classroom Language

Classroom Language


AI Class: Module 1 PlanI. Overview

Dates Lessons Facts CourseworkStart End

22/09 17/10 12 Unit 1 – What do you remember?

Unit 2 - Are you ready? All about me!

Objectives


Classroom language Music interests and

activities Countries and cities Geography

Revision Subject pronouns Can Be Questions Plurals

Using the book

Self-evaluation

Reading Listening Writing Speaking Life and Culture : Song

Interview Quiz

Letter Description of

Country / town

Personal presentation Ask for and give

information Describe interests

New items Review



# Date Lesson Objectives TestLexis Grammar Reading Listening Writing Speak4. Remember 15. Remember 26. Remember 3

7. Alphabet world

8. Unspecified9. Ready? 110. Ready? 211. Ready? 312. The UK13. Unspecified

14. Module review

15. Coursework 1



Dates Lessons Things and People CourseworkStart End

12 Unit 3 – What have yougot?

Unit 4 – Descriptions Important things tome

Objectives


Adjectives, Everyday things, Families, appearance, personality, body

Have got a, an, any, some possessive forms this/that etc.

Dictionaries

Reading Listening Writing Speaking Story :

Silent Powers 1 & 2 Life and Culture :

Specific information Personal description,

song

Description of family Recipe Description of person

Possessions Ask about things Description of

objects Expressing feelings

New items Review



# Date Lesson Objectives TestLexis Grammar Reading Listening Writing Speak16. What have…

1

17. What have… 2

18. What have… 3

19. Silent Powers 1

20. Unspecified

21. Descriptions 1

22. Descriptions 2

23. Descriptions 3

24. Silent Powers 4

25. Unspecified

26. Module Review

27. Coursework 2



Dates Lessons Out and about CourseworkStart End

12 Unit 5 – My world Unit 6 – I’m usually late

A day in my life

Objectives


Regular activities Scary things Food, drink and meals Time Routines

Present Simple Frequency adverbs Questions

Learning styles

Self-evaluation


Wild Flowers 5 & 6 Life and Culture :

The Eco-challenge raceThe first Americans

Specific information Personal description,

song

Description of family Recipe Description of person

Possessions Ask about things Description of

objects Expressing feelings

New items Review



# Date Lesson Objectives TestLexis Grammar Reading Listening Writing Speak28. My world 129. My world 230. My world 3

31. Silent Powers 3

32. Unspecified

33. Usually late 1

34. Usually late 2

35. Usually late 3

36. Silent Powers 4

37. Unspecified

38. Module Review

39. Coursework 3


AI Class: Christmas InterludeI. Overview

Dates Lessons Material CourseworkStart End

3 Christmas

Objectives


Reading Listening Writing Speaking

New items Review



# Date Lesson Objectives TestLexis Grammar Reading Listening Writing Speak40.41.42.



Dates Lessons Inside and outside CourseworkStart End

12/1 6/212 Unit 7 – At home Unit 8 – Having fun My neighbourhood!

Objectives


Homes Furniture Food Abilities Places in a town

There is / there are Uncountable nouns Prepositions Can (ability /

possibility) Must; Imperative

Recognisingsentence patterns


Swim 1 & 2 Life and Culture :

PoemThe longest road in the world

Conversation Song

Description of the ideal house

Recipe Notice Poem

Describe homes Ask about places and

food Describe abilities Describe what can be

done in a town/ sights

Directions

New items Review



# Date Lesson Objectives TestLexis Grammar Reading Listening Writing Speak43. At home 144. At home 245. At home 3

46. Silent Powers 5

47. Unspecified

48. Having fun 1

49. Having fun 2

50. Having fun 3

51. Silent Powers 6

52. Unspecified

53. Module Review

54. Coursework 4


AI Class Module 5 PlanI. Overview

Dates Lessons Today and tomorrow CourseworkStart End

9/2 6/312 Unit 9 – Looking ahead Unit 10 – Some ketchup,

please!My clothes!

Objectives


Clothes Football Future time Weather

Present Continuous Object pronouns Going to

Reading Listening Writing Speaking Magazine article Average person Story :


A basketball starWould you like some waffles

Football commentary Conversation Song

Describe appearance; write a message; write a postcard

Describe actions in progress

Game Future arrangements Suggestions Describe. plans and

intentions

New items Review



# Date Lesson Objectives TestLexis Grammar Reading Listening Writing Speak55. At the

moment 1

56. At the moment 2

57. At the moment 3

58. Silent Powers 7

59. Unspecified60. Plans, 161. Plans, 262. Plans 3

63. Silent Powers 8

64. Unspecified

65. Module Review

66. Coursework 5



Dates Lessons Looking Back CourseworkStart End

9/3 3/4 12 Unit 11 – About the past

Unit 12 – Heroes My life line

Objectives


Occupations Past time

Past Simple

Reading Listening Writing Speaking Notices Book review Environment Tiger Story :


A letter from CanadaWWF

Conversation Events in the past Song

Describe a person’s life

Describe early childhood

Letter (past event) Diary

Life in the past Quiz Past events School year

New items Review



# Date Lesson Objectives TestLexis Grammar Reading Listening Writing Speak67. About the

past 1

68. About the past 2

69. About the past 3

70. Silent Powers 9

71. Unspecified72. Heroes 173. Heroes 274. Heroes 3

75. Silent Powers 10

76. Unspecified

77. Module Review

78. Coursework 6


Part IV – Evaluation of the course

This part of the syllabus contains information regardingthe evaluation procedures that are implemented in orderto monitor the attainment of the learning outcomes andthe effectiveness of the course. In this section readerswill find information about:o The formal learner feedback process and how marks are

determined;o Assessment procedures through which data about the

learner’s progress is gathered;o The course evaluation system that is in place to

constantly improve the quality of the course;o Teacher evaluation procedures which aim at professional

development.


Formal learner feedbackFormal feedback is provided on four occasions throughoutthe course, namely at the end of every term, and afterthe final examination. Feedback takes the form a markranging from 1-20 and cannot be appealed. The followingparagraphs detail how the marks are determined:The mark allocated at the end of every term is an

aggregate of four factors (see also Table 3):o Language awareness & receptive skills : The students’

performance at module reviews accounts for 25% ofthe term mark. If more than one module reviews takeplace during the same term, the average of the twotests is used in the calculation. Learners who wereabsent during the administration of the test areawarded 1 point for the calculation.

o Writing : The students’ written performance, asassessed from the portfolios, accounts for 25% ofthe term mark. Incomplete portfolios, or portfoliossubmitted late are penalised by adjusting the markaccordingly.

o Speaking : The students’ oral output, is assessed byperiodic observation over two sessions, or more atthe teacher’s discretion. Students are not informedthat they are being observed in order to avoidbiasing their performance. Speaking accounts for 25%of the term mark.

o Affective considerations : Affective considerations,such as motivation, effort and behaviour account for25% of the term mark and are awardedimpressionistically at the teachers’ discretion.

Weighting

Range

Language awareness &receptive skills

25% 0-5

Writing 25% 0-5Speaking 25% 0-5

Affective considerations 25% 1-5Table 3 – Factors considered in awarding end-of-term

marks


The mark allocated in the final examination is anaggregate of the students’ performance in readingcomprehension and grammatical competence, as seen inTable 4:

Weighting

Range

Reading comprehension 50% 1-10Grammatical competence 50% 0-10

Table 4 – Factors considered in awarding end-of-termmarks


Learner assessment proceduresIn order to generate data for the formal learnerfeedback, the learners’ progress, is appraised usingseven assessment procedures:1. Quizzes : These tests last approximately 10 minutes and

are administered at an ad hoc basis. Primarily they measure vocabulary knowledge, although they can also beused to test grammatical competence, reading or listening comprehension. Scoring is made on an ad hoc basis, reflecting the non-standardised nature of these tests.

2. Module Test (Type A) : These tests last an entire session and are administered after a revision. They consist of two parts which measure language awareness (grammar) and listening comprehension respectively. Thelanguage awareness component is made up of 2 exercises with 5-10 discrete items each. Recommended formats include multiple choice, gap fills etc. The listening component consists of 1 – 2 listening with a total of 5– 10 items. The score is reported at a scale of 0 – 20,with each component accounting for 50% of the total marks.

3. Module Test (Type B) : These tests last an entire session and are administered after a revision. They consist of two parts which measure lexical range (vocabulary) and reading comprehension respectively. The lexical range component is made up of 2 exercises with 10 discrete items each. Recommended formats include multiple choice, gap fills, matching etc. The reading comprehension component consists of a single text with 10 discrete items. The score is reported at ascale of 0 – 20, with each component accounting for 50%of the total marks.At least one Module Test (Type A or B) must take place

during the First or Second Term.4. Homework portfolio : This is a folder containing

paragraph-length written assignments which are set as homework. The assignments, which are intended to demonstrate the learners’ ability to use recently


taught language, are evaluated analytically in terms oftask attainment and linguistic competence (defined hereas accuracy and range). A general framework for the evaluation of homework assignments is reproduced in Appendix A.

5. Coursework portfolio : This is a folder containing essaywritten assignments or projects, which are completed ina controlled, supervised environment. The portfolio, which is intended to demonstrate the learners’ ability to synthesise language from across the course, is evaluated holistically using the rating scale that is shown in Appendix B.

6. Observation : This involves the systematic observation of a learners’ oral output over a lesson. An analytic rating scale (Appendix C) is used to determine fluency and accuracy.

7. Final examination : This is a two-hour examination administered at the end of the school year, in accordance to the specifications described in existing legislation. The test consists of a reading comprehension activity based on a taught text and a number of grammatical exercises, which carry equal weight. For additional details, see the previous section and Appendix D.

Table 5 summarises the information regarding the studentevaluation procedures. A form for recording theevaluation data is reproduced in Appendix E.

Gram.

Voc. Speak Writ Listen Read

Class Test () () ()Module Test

(A)

Module Test(B)

HomeworkPortfolio

CourseworkPortfolio

Observation

Final


ExaminationTable 5 – Student evaluation procedures


Materials evaluationThe evaluation of learning materials is implemented through two channels:

o on-going appraisal of materials, which is carriedout at the end of each unit by the teacher. Theobjective of the on-going appraisal is to improvethe quality of instruction, should the same set ofmaterials be used in the following year. To do this,the evaluation focuses on the allocation of time andthe effectiveness of particular activities. A formfor a unit evaluation is reproduced in Appendix F.

o summative evaluation of materials, which is carriedout at the end of the course. The objective of thesummative evaluation is to determine whether thesame set of materials should be used in thefollowing year. A variety of data sources (e.g. testresults, teachers’ impressions, student feedback)are synthesised in a report that should address thefollowing questions: How well were the learning objectives attained? What was the students’ attitude towards the

materials? How easy were the materials to use for the

teacher?

Course evaluationThe evaluation of the teacher is implemented usinginformation from the students and possibly the schooladvisor.

o Information from the students is gathered usinganonymous surveys at the end of the year based ontheir learning experience.

o Feedback from the school advisor is gatheredinformally at an ad hoc basis and based on theinspection of materials and classroom observation.

A non-exhaustive list of aspects that can be addressedthrough this process includes issues of pacing andcoherence, the students’ affective stances towards thecourse and the teacher and the effectiveness of the


course in relation to the preparation for the finalexamination.


Appendix A

Rating scales for assessing written homework assignmentsWritten homework assignments are rated analytically ontwo scales measuring task attainment and linguisticcompetence. The score on the two scales is thensynthesised to produce a grade from A to E. Grades A, Band C are passing grades, whereas D and E are indicatefailure and may necessitate the assignment to be re-written. The scales are presented below:

A. Task Attainment :

0. The task has not been attempted, or the output iscompletely irrelevant to the task assigned.

1. The assignment partially addresses the task.

2. The assignment fully addresses the task.

B. Linguistic Competence :

0. There is not enough language to be assessed.

1. The general meaning of the text is only occasionallyclear enough to follow, and there are frequentlapses in grammatical control or lexical choice.There is no evidence of cohesion, in the form ofsimple connectors such as “and”, “but” or “because”.

2. The general meaning of the text is usuallyclear enough to follow occasional lapses ingrammatical control or lexical choice. There is someevidence of cohesion, in the form of simpleconnectors such as “and”, “but” or “because”.

3. The general meaning of the text is clear enoughto follow despite possible lapses in grammaticalcontrol or lexical choice. There is extensiveevidence of cohesion, in the form of simpleconnectors such as “and”, “but” or “because”.


Linguistic Competence3 2 1 0

Task 2 A B C E

1 B C D E0 D D E E


Appendix B

Framework for assessing courseworkCoursework is assessed holistically on a rate from A to Eaccording to the following descriptors:

A: An excellent attempt at the task; all therequirements have been covered indicating a skilledsynthesis of language taught in previous units; onlyfew mistakes exist, which do not detract frommeaning; the assignment has high aesthetic valuemaking it very suitable for display.

B: A good attempt at the task; most of the requirementshave been covered indicating a synthesis of languagetaught in previous units; several minor mistakes arein evidence, but do generally not detract frommeaning; the assignment has good aesthetic valuemaking it suitable for display.

C: An adequate attempt at the task; some of therequirements have been covered; language issometimes repetitive; several minor mistakes and afew more important ones are in evidence, which mayat times detract from meaning; the assignment isindifferent aesthetically.

D: A borderline attempt at the task; only few of therequirements have been covered; language isdifficult to follow on account of a large number ofmistakes; the aesthetics of the assignment detractfrom its overall value.

E: A clearly inadequate attempt at the task; few if anyof the requirements have been covered; language isvery difficult to follow on account of a largenumber of mistakes; the aesthetics of the assignmentdetract greatly from its overall value.


Appendix C

Rating scales for assessing oral outputOral output is rated analytically on two scales measuringfluency and accuracy. The score on the two scales is thensynthesised to produce a grade from A to E. Grades A, Band C are passing grades, whereas D and E are indicateinadequate attainment. The scales are presented below:

A. Fluency :

0. Not sufficient language for assessment.

1. Can only manage very short, isolated mainlypre-packaged utterances with much pausing to searchfor expressions, to articulate less familiar wordsand to repair communication.

2. Can make him / herself understood in shortcontributions, even though pauses, false starts andreformulation are very evident, resulting inoccasional abandonment of meaning

3. Can make him / herself understood in shortcontributions, even though pauses, false starts andreformulation are very evident.

B. Accuracy

0. There is not enough language to be assessed.

1. Shows only limited control of a few simplegrammatical structures and sentence patterns in alearnt repertoire.

2. Uses some simple structures correctly, butsystematically makes basic mistakes – for exampletends to mix up tenses and forget to mark agreement;nevertheless what is being said is generally clear.

Fluency


3 2 1 0Accu

racy 2 A B C E

1 B C D E

0 D D E E


Appendix D

Legislation on final examinations


Appendix E

Student evaluation form

Name:

Section A. Quantitative evaluation

Unit Unit Unit UnitQuiz Quiz Quiz QuizQuiz Quiz Quiz QuizQuiz Quiz Quiz QuizQuiz Quiz Quiz QuizQuiz Quiz Quiz QuizQuiz Quiz Quiz QuizObservation Observation Observation ObservationWriting Task Writing Task Writing Task Writing TaskWriting Task Writing Task Writing Task Writing Task

Module Test (A) Module Test (B)Coursework

Section B. Qualitative evaluation

Use the space provided below to record additional commentsregarding the learners’ effort, behaviour and other noteworthyinformation. Please provide a date for each comment for ease ofreference.

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________


_______________________________________________________________________

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Appendix F

Unit Evaluation Form

Book Messages 1 Unit Date

Was the time allocated for this unit adequate?Yes Maybe No

Was it possible to cover the all material in the time allocated?

Yes No

If you answered NO, which activities had to be omitted?

In the following questions, please indicate how satisfied you werewith the materials used in this unit.

Very satisfied Quitesatisfied

Ratherdissatisfied

Verydissatisfied

Coursebook

Comments:

Audio Material


Ratherdissatisfied

Verydissatisfied

Comments:

Tests / Review


Ratherdissatisfied

Verydissatisfied

Comments:


Other: Very satisfied Quitesatisfied

Ratherdissatisfied

Verydissatisfied

Comments:


Were there any important spelling or grammar mistakes in the material that need to be corrected?

Use the space above to (a) indicate the page and activity where the mistake is located and (b) the appropriate correction.

Where there any activities that you found to be counter-productive?

Use the space above to (a) indicate the activity, (b) briefly explain why you think it was unhelpful and (c) suggest how it might be modified.

Is there any way in which you would like the material to be supplemented?

Use the space below to (a) make any appropriate suggestions, (b) explain why you think they are necessary and (c) indicate the degree of priority you feel appropriate (high – low).


Use this space to make any additional comments you think might be helpful.

Additional sheets of paper can be used as necessary.


Syllabus commissioned by a Secondary School in Greece (2007)

Documents

Transcript of Syllabus commissioned by a Secondary School in Greece (2007)