ELC: ENGINEERING

Date                : 10.10.2014

Time               : 9.00 am – 10.30 am

Trainer           : Mr. Peter

Slot                 : English Language Class (Engineering)

REPORT

This session was aimed to give participants the chance to explore the language and concepts around Biometric Engineering subject specifically in the area of identification and security application systems. The targeted learning outcomes were based on the Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) approach. Which was aimed to expose the participants to the exploration of different types of biometric technology (associated vocabulary) and about the basic principles of hand biometric systems in order to prepare the participants to be able to understand instructions on how to measure their own hand biometrics geometry. After the measurement activity, participants were to evaluate the application of the hand biometrics technology and need to come out with a recommendation (critical thinking) on how it will work to be served as an element in a new security system for a museum project. 

In the first task, to activate the participant’s prior knowledge the tutor conducted the MILLING activity, whereby participants were to move around the room, sharing and discussing their answer to the Pre-task. Next, a worksheet of matching activity was then being distributed and the participants were to match types of biometric system to pictures. After that, the participants were to draw the picture of their own hand on the worksheet given and labelled the hand parts with the relevant vocabulary in English. 

The next task was the hand measuring activity the participants were given a choice whether to use Sample A worksheet which meant to cater for the stronger students or to use sample B worksheet which was simpler and meant for the weaker students. In this measurement activity participant were to work in stages of completing individual tasks, then in pairs and lastly to work in a group of four. Finally, for the last task which was on role play activity, participants were to imagine that they are a team of engineers meeting to discuss if hand geometry would be unique enough to serve as an element in a new security system for a museum. For the closure discussion and plenary re-cap/ summary of the lesson conducted in this lesson was then being discussed.

REFLECTION

We found that the English Language Class for Engineering content conducted by Mr. Peter which can be very useful for our students. We can use the lesson plan suggested by the tutor and try to adapt it accordingly. We also found that the CLIL method is a very useful approach or method that help integrates the teaching of content from the curriculum with the teaching of a non-native language. Learning another language helps learners to develop the skills to communicate ideas about science, art and technology to people around the world. 

We notice that CLIL,will be able to helps learners to experience different kind of learning if 
compared to the other foreign language classes because in a CLIL classroom, the curriculum subject and the new language are taught together with thinking and learning

By using the CLIL approach many different methodologies of teaching and learning from both subject and language teaching classes can be adopted. For this reason, we found CLIL to be a very exciting and challenging teaching approach for both learners and teachers. Different teachers have different challenges. In our situation we find that we as the language teachers we we need to learn more about our students subject content area and we believe that for the subject teachers also they need to learn more about the language needed for their lessons also. Therefore, cooperation between both subject and language teachers must take place in some programmes to make it a successful teaching and learning practice for our TVET students.

RECOMMENDATION

The employability of Malaysian graduates are becoming more dependent on works skills mastery of technologies; it will never solely rely on work skills ability only. Most of industrial companies in any part of the world use English as their medium of communication information transfer. It was reported that graduates with a well verse communication skill in English language are more marketable and would be the most preferred main applicants that will be considered by the prospective employers for employability (Manjet & Julie, 2012).

To meet this needs, we therefore recommend that all Malaysian English teachers and lecturers in the TVET sector should get together in this wonderful training programme as this will greatly enhance and improve their level of English proficiency and teaching capabilities that could cater the needs of the TVET students. The collaboration and great participation from the Malaysian TVET institutions holistically will hopefully be able to produce great  benefit in our quest to generate the transformation of the TVET system in Malaysia.

The Cambridge Group

Mohd Azmir & Julie Marlina 

Communication Skills

REPORT AND REFLECTION

Session: 09.10.2014

Time    : 2.30pm

Trainer: Katie

Slot      : COMMUNICATION SKILLS ACROSS THE CURRICULUM

REPORT

This session was aimed to develop participants’ understanding of facilitating communication within the Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) classroom. Participants were taught on different types of communication used by teachers and learners in CLIL contexts. 

The trainer demonstrated a communicative activity. Participants were divided into 4 groups (5-6 members) to read and take notes on a short text about different types of food preservation (salting and pickling, dehydration, canning and bottling, refrigeration and freezing). Each member of the group read the assigned text and identified things they knew, things they do not know and provide examples to consolidate retention of information. 

Then, participants were required to discuss their notes with group members and form sentences using phrases (most of us knew, some of us, none of us know, etc.). This allowed participants to share the content knowledge (get to know the food preservation in detail) and language knowledge. Each group read their sentences while others listen to the use of phrases and repeat after them. All the participants listened attentively as they have to check on the use of phrases.

At the end of the session, the trainer summarized the lesson and provided some positive feedback on the use of good language aspects. In a nutshell, the incorporation of content and language focus in the communicative activity had achieved its aims in CLIL contexts.

REFLECTION

Glancing back into the session is indeed an experience of someone digging gold in the mine - the lesson learnt will prove to be valuable. The lesson itself becomes the source of motivation for communication to take place in the classroom where the content being put in the vertical axis, and the language in the horizon, then the result goes diagonal up all along.

It is upon mutual agreement that the teaching and learning process depicted the communicative approach where the learners are given the golden opportunity to construct the language and self-discovered the language used throughout the discussion; and made sense of the purpose of the communication - in a way that silent is no longer the gold, verbal communication is (the goal). 

Narrow down the focus to the grammar aspect of the language, the lesson has made the learning of grammar blended in both deductive and inductive learning. The grammar had been brought to the learners’ attention without much effort simply by exploiting the contents as a whole. Specific information bits guided them to the path (by discussion) to reconstruct the information to make sense of the whole context of the lesson. This is to deconstruct and reconstruct their authentic masterpiece. Hence, teaching and learning of the content goes parallel with the language.

RECOMMENDATION

Communication skills across the curriculum stresses on the structured language used in classrooms. To improvise the lesson is like the Chinese proverb, as giving limb to a snake. The focus may shift to the facilitators themselves. Most of the time, facilitators tend to focus on the errors and make direct correction on the learners’ mistakes. 

Psychologically, this can be demotivating to the learners. Instead of giving them herbs, they may take it as drugs. Correction can be done indirectly by highlighting on the aspect of the language they still yet to master. On the other end of the continuum is praises. Facilitators need to give more praises to the learners even for their mistakes, subsequently direct them to the correct use of the language (praises rather than correction may make them feel better for the mistakes done).  

Apparently, compliment for errors may seem irony, but the compliment is the complement for the lesson. Mistakes will always be the key towards success. Peer evaluation can boost their confidence. To conclude, praises should be part of the lesson, it acts as the supplement to prevent communication problems in future.

ELC: Food Service

English Language Class: Food Service by Ms Carole

Lesson Plan                   : Types of Food Service

Date                               : 8 Oct 2014

Time                              : 70 minutes

Lesson Overview:

This is a basic level lesson, introducing students to the vocabulary associated with less complex types of food service.

The lesson is to familiarize students with the five basic types of food service and the advantages and disadvantages of each service. It is also to familiarize students with the lexis needed to describe the five basic types of service, the language of discussing advantages and disadvantages as well as to develop speaking skills. Differentiated tasks are carried out which involve students working individually, in pairs and in small groups.

Students are exposed to a range of vocabulary used to talk about different types of food service. This is followed by an activity that consolidates language input and the last activity, which is an interactive activity, provides students the opportunity to use the language (speaking skills) they have learnt earlier. Students are engaged in appropriate language dependent activities. This enables students to integrate the content they are discovering with the language they are learning.

Reflections

This topic will be very useful to content lecturers from the Tourism and Hospitality Department to introduce the different food services.  However they might have problem with the English Language texts.  Those activities would be very interesting for their students

.

For English Language lecturers, the activities will be more for vocabulary building for Tourism and Hospitality students.  The activities would be suitable for students with at least intermediate proficiency level. Students with lower proficiency level would find it difficult to comprehend the texts. Although differentiation exercises were planned, the level was still high for the majority of our students.  Thus we need to adapt the exercises given.  One thing for sure, whatever was given to us the participants, we need to adapt and adopt to the proficiency of our students as well as their learning styles e.g. videos of the different food services to attract the visual learners. Instead of differentiation exercises, we could slowly build up students’ confidence from easy to more difficult exercises. 

The structures taught should be identified from the very beginning so that they would be incorporated in all the exercises to give students practice in using the structures. Here I would suggest the passives form e.g. “ Food is served from left to right”.  Another important factor to be considered is that it should be related to the syllabus. In AE 301 Communicative English II for the Diploma course for polytechnic students, we could use this topic for describing the process of how the food is being served.

Cambridge

Poh Hong & Kien Bee

Course Overview

COURSE OVERVIEW

TRAINING PROGRAMME FOR MALAYSIAN ENGLISH LECTURERS

 IN THE TVET SECTOR

This training is held at Balik Pulau Polytechnic, Penang on October 8 until October 21, 2014. The participating organisations are from Polytechnics, Vocational Colleges and Community Colleges from all over Malaysia. The training given is trained by professional trainers representing Westminster Kingsway (Central London's) College and they are Mr Bill, Mr Peter, Mr Andrew, Mr Chris, Ms Carole and Ms Katie.

The daily structure of the two-week course in Malaysia is organised as follows, with the day starting at 08:30 and finishing at 22:00. The core hours for this training are shown below as Training Sessions 1-3, as well as the 'Home group work with trainers' session. As for the Cambrige Group the home tutor for this group is led by Ms Carole.

The topics given for this training are as followed:

 1. English language class (Trainer: Carole)

 2. Aims of and rationale for CLIL (Trainer:  Carole)

 3. English language class: Hospitality and Tourism (Trainer: Carole)

 4. Language across the curriculum (Trainer: Chris)

 5. Communication skills across the curriculum (Trainer: Katie)

 6. English language class : Engineering (Trainer: Peter)

 7. Materials selection and adaptation activity types (Trainer: Bill)

 8. Planning a lesson or a series of lessons (Trainer: Peter)

 9. English language class: Accountancy (Trainer: Bill)

 10.Classroom language and higher order questioning (Trainer: Andrew)

 11.Learning skills across the curriculum (Trainer: Carole)

 12.English language class: Employability skills (Trainer: Katie)

 13.Language demands of subject content and accompanying tasks (Trainer: Carole)

 14.Resources-including multi-media and visual organisers: Multimodality (Trainer: Peter)

 15.Focus of assessment and effective error correction (Trainer: Chris)

 16.Scaffolding content and language learning (Trainer: Chris)

 17.Cognitive (and higher order thinking) skills across the curriculum (Trainer: Carole)

 18.Consolidating learning and differentiation; including mixed ability groups (Trainer: Bill)

 19.Learning strategies and independent learning through technology (Trainer by Andrew)

 20.Support strategies and meeting the needs of all learners (Trainer: Peter)

 21.Types of assessment and higher order thinking skills in assessment (Trainer: Katie)

 22.Plenary-The IT Revolution: An Exploration

 23.Encouraging Extensive Reading

 24.Action Planning and Next Steps

Cambridge Members