1. Induction Programme for PNETS 2005 Diversity of students in the English classroom Flora Leung, M.Ed. (HKU) Project Manager, Modern Educational Research Society

2. How do schools in Hong Kong deal with learners ’ diversity? Streaming Remedial classes (during school hours or after school) Split class Co-teaching Tutorial classes (before or after school hours) Can these school policies help?

3. Factors influencing English learning Learning styles a. Visual learning (e.g. reading and studying charts) b. Auditory learning (e.g. listening to lectures or to music) c. Kinesthetic learning (involving physical responses) d. Tactile learning (touching, feeling)

4. The Devore Model of Eyescan Patterns VISUAL construct SMELL recall VISUAL recall AUDITORY construct SENSORY SYNTHESIS AUDITORY recall BODY SENSATION recall TASTE recall EMOTION recall

5. Factors influencing English learning Personality (introverts and extroverts) Social factors (exposure to English, expectations, gender) Affective factors (attitude and motivation) Aptitude a. Phonemic coding and decoding ability b. Grammatical sensitivity c. Inductive language learning ability d. Rote learning ability What are the main factors affecting L2 learning in Hong Kong primary school?

6. Catering for different learning styles Methods of presentation - Provide varied methods of presentation and practices. Groupings of learners - Employ different groupings of learners at different times. Language skills - Integrate the four skills to provide sufficient practice in each skill.

7. Catering for different learning styles Practices and activities - Provide graded practices and activities so that everyone can feel they succeed in doing something. Classroom atmosphere - Foster a supportive and friendly classroom atmosphere where errors are tolerated as a necessary step on the way to getting something right.

8. Ensuring flexible, learner-centred teaching Slow learners Fast learners 1.Keep them working on suitable materials. 1.Keep them purposefully busy. 2.Give them a number of different short tasks. 2.Give them more challenging longer tasks. 3. Provide more built-in guidelines and examples on their worksheets. 3.Let them discover and work out how to do things by themselves. 4. Break down the task into the necessary skills, vocabulary and structures and give learners practice in each before moving on to the integrated practice. 4.Encourage learners to go into more depth, to write from their experience, to provide alternatives and elaboration. 5. Give instructions clearly in writing as well as orally, and check after the others have started that these learners know what they do. 5. Give individual help as required; discuss how work could be improved; encourage extensive reading and writing such as reading stories and writing diaries.

9. Ensuring flexible, learner-centred teaching 6. Revise key points and review learning regularly. 6. Encourage learners to carry out self- assessment. 7. Put slower learners with faster ones and encourage them to ask questions and discuss work together. 7. Encourage them to answer slow learners’ questions and offer them assistance. 8. Arouse curiosity, give praise and give frequent encouragement for participation in group and whole class work. 8. Arouse curiosity, give praise and suggestions for extension activities. 9. Keep careful records of progress and problems. 9. Keep careful records of progress, effort and achievement. 10. Promote a secure learning atmosphere and be consistent in discipline. 10. Encourage learning in a collaborative way, and avoid allowing learners to become isolated. Slow learners Fast learners

10. What strategies would you use for these problem cases? Case 1 Louis Chan is a proficient English speaker. You know that his parents often speak English with him at home. He often finishes his work earlier than everyone else, then sits looking expectantly. He is a well-behaved pupil, but has started to disturb his neighbours when he gets bored doing nothing. Case 2 Jenny Wong has just started at the school. She seems very quiet and withdrawn. You are not sure if she understands what is going on in the class. She is reluctant to join in group work and never speaks in English though the standard of her written work is quite good. Case 3 Paul Ng seldom completes the work set for him. He finds it difficult to remember vocabulary he learned the day before and cannot make simple constructions without word order and word choice errors. He lacks the confidence to try speaking in English.

11. What strategies would you use for these problem cases? Case 1 suggestions: -Give Louis more difficult supplementary tasks. -Seat him with a weaker pupil and ask him to explain how to do things. -Have some self-access worksheets to give him. -Encourage him to do some extensive reading. Case 2 suggestions: -Put Jenny in a group of supportive and friendly pupils. -Give her frequent encouragement. -Check she knows what to do after others have started. Case 3 suggestions: -Give Paul easier work to do. -Provide more guidelines, examples and language support. -Sometimes put him with faster learners and ask them to help him.