A Compilation of HIP Best Practices

HIGHLY IMMERSIVE PROGRAMME
(HIP) 2016

A COMPILATION OF
BEST PRACTICES

ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHING CENTRE
Ministry of Education Malaysia

i

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

The English Language Teaching Centre (ELTC) Ministry of Education Malaysia would
like to extend our heartfelt gratitude and appreciation to all the schools that participated
in the HIP Best Practices Exhibition held during the Highly Immersive Programme (HIP)
Colloquium held from the 15th to the 16th of November 2016. This document contains a
compilation of the HIP Best Practices that were displayed during the exhibition. I thank
all the school leaders, teachers and students for their willingness to share these HIP
best practices with all other schools implementing HIP.

My appreciation also goes to all the State English Language officers (ELOs) and District
English Language Officers (DELOs) for their continuous efforts in ensuring that HIP
activities are successfully implemented in schools.

A special thanks is extended to all the outreach partners, parents and the community for
their contribution towards the implementation of the HIP. Your expertise and support
through volunteerism and participation in the English language activities in schools is
vital in helping students develop confidence in their English language use.

I would also like to thank all the divisions of the Ministry of Education whose assistance
has made it possible for ELTC to implement HIP successfully in schools. Your
collaboration and cooperation is important in ensuring the sustainability of the HIP in
schools over the years.

Last but not least, I take this opportunity to thank all the members of the HIP team in
ELTC for their commitment and dedication in implementing HIP. As a team, you have
proven that when we work together as one we are able to achieve greater success. Let
us work together to achieve the English language outcomes as aspired for students in
the Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013-2025 and The Roadmap for English Language
Education Reform in Malaysia.

Zainab binti Yusof
Programme Manager
Highly Immersive Programme

ii

CONTENTS Page
ii
No. Item iii
1. Acknowledgement iv
2. Content
3. Introduction 2
4. In-Class Activities 6
11
4.1 Creating a Scrapbook 13
4.2 King of Kites - Short Story for Year 4
4.3 Sing it Your Own Way 16
4.4 Pick a Stick 20
5. Out-of-Class Activities 24
5.1 Language in the Funland 26
5.2 Wall of Fame 29
5.3 Let’s Be Confident 32
5.4 Conversations with Others 36
5.5 English Garden 39
5.6 SKGP Idol 45
5.7 HIP Fun Zone 50
5.8 Tanak Kampung vs. Macam di KK
5.9 Word Attack 54
5.10 Fun Friday 56
6. Outreach Activity 57
6.1 Pen Pal Project
7. Schools’ Contact details
8. HIP Team Members

iii

INTRODUCTION

The Highly Immersive Programme (HIP) for English language is an initiative introduced
under the Memartabatkan Bahasa Melayu Memperkasa Bahasa Inggeris (MBMMBI)
policy. It aims to improve the English language proficiency of students through
increased exposure to the language. The HIP encourages the development of a highly
immersive language rich environment in schools and instils positive behaviours towards
the learning of the English language among students. The HIP is based on the Whole
School Approach that depends on four groups of stakeholders who each have a major
role to play in creating a high quality language learning environment in schools. These
are the school leaders, teachers, students, parents and community. The four groups
form the four fundamental factors that are critical for the success of the HIP in schools.

The HIP was implemented in 1200 schools in 2016. As for 2017, 5,500 schools are
involved in the HIP in 2017. By 2018, the programme will be introduced in all the
schools under the Ministry of Education Malaysia (MoE). The HIP Colloquium 2016 was
organised to provide a platform for schools on board the HIP to share ideas and best
practices. The participants for the colloquium included officers from the MoE divisions,
State and District English Language Officers, School Leaders and teachers, students,
parents and the community. During the colloquium, some of the best practices in HIP
activities implemented in selected schools were showcased in an exhibition. This
document is a compilation of those best practices and success stories.

The best practices in this compilation include three of the four categories of the HIP
activities which are in-class, out-of-class and outreach activities. These best practices
may be adopted by schools to suit students’ needs and school contexts. It is hoped that
these best practices provide a useful guide for all schools implementing HIP. Good luck
and all the best to all of you.

Dr. Kalminderjit Kaur
Work Stream Leader
Highly Immersive Programme

iv

IN-CLASS
ACTIVITIES

ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHING CENTRE
Ministry of Education Malaysia

1

HIGHLY IMMERSIVE PROGRAMME (HIP): A COMPILATION OF BEST PRACTICES

ACTIVITY: Creating a Scrapbook

TYPE OF ACTIVITY: In-Class Activity

SCHOOL: Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan Ladang Kemuning Kru,
Melaka

LANGUAGE SKILL: Speaking

AIMS: 1. To encourage students to learn the English language
through language based projects.

2. To develop a fun learning atmosphere for English
language.

3. To encourage whole school participation.
4. To encourage creativity and innovation.
5. To employ collaborative and cooperative learning

strategies.
6. To reinforce the usage of ICT in classroom learning.

TIME/DURATION: One month

MATERIALS: APPENDIX 1: Examples of Year 1 to Year 5 Projects

DESCRIPTION: This project-based learning activity involves both upper
and lower primary school students. Students are to
complete the assigned project creatively and innovatively.
This activity is based on fun learning and underpinned by
21st century learning skills. Students will work
independently using ICT skills to complete the project. In
order to complete the project, students are required to do
a lot of reading and to conduct discussions.

STUDENT Students will be able to:
OUTCOMES:
i. access information online.
ii. use creativity and innovation in developing their

project.
iii. present their projects orally.
iv. produce a scrapbook.

2

STEPS FOR 1. The English teacher selects a title for each
IMPLEMENTATION: level/standard.
Example:

Year Project
1 Wild Animals
2 Occupations
3 Sea Creatures
4 Endangered Animals in Malaysia
5 Unique Buildings in Malaysia
6 Technology

2. The teacher explains to the students the steps to
create a scrapbook.
• Students are to work on the scrapbook after school.
• The topic is given to the students in class.
• The teacher explains to the students how to surf for
related information online.
• The students discuss in their respective groups the
outline for their scrapbooks.
• Students go online to gather information about their
topics.
• Students are to discuss the information found and
plan the layout of the information in their
scrapbooks.
• Students are allowed time to complete their
scrapbook (the time to complete the scrapbook is
set by the teacher).
• The students are encouraged to be creative in
producing their scrapbook.

3. The teacher keeps track of the students’ progress.
4. The teacher prepares a checklist to monitor the

progress made by students.
5. The teacher sets the date and time for presentation

according to the availability of time.
6. During the oral presentations, students need to use the

English language to present their projects.

3

Appendix 1

Examples of Year 1 to Year 5 Projects

Picture 1: Wildlife from Branches – Project by Year 1

Picture 2: Occupations – Project by Year 2
4

Picture 3: Sea Creatures – Picture 4: Malaysian Orang Utan –
Project by Year 3 Project by Year 4

5. Petronas Twin Towers

The Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur were
the world’s tallest buildings before being
surpassed in 2004 by Taipei 101. However, the
towers are still the tallest twin buildings in the
world. The 88-floor towers are constructed largely
of reinforced concrete, with a steel and glass
facade designed to resemble motifs found in
Islamic art, a reflection of Malaysia’s Muslim
religion. The Petronas Twin Towers feature a sky
bridge between the two towers on the 41st and
42nd floors.

Picture 5: Malaysian Skyscraper – Project by Year 5

5

HIGHLY IMMERSIVE PROGRAMME (HIP): A COMPILATION OF BEST PRACTICES

ACTIVITY: King of Kites - Short Story for Year 4

TYPE OF ACTIVITY: In-Class/Out-of-Class Activity

SCHOOL: Sekolah Kebangsaan Kampung Rembus, Sarawak

LANGUAGE SKILLS: Speaking, Reading
AIMS:
1. To develop students’ creative and critical thinking
skills.

2. To provide opportunities for students to use the
English language in real-life situations.

3. To engage students in whole class participation.

TIME/DURATION: Three in-class lessons and a one-day out-of-class event.

MATERIALS: APPENDIX 1: Pictures of the Story The King of Kites -

Year 4 Short Story
APPENDIX 2: Pictures of the Role-play

APPENDIX 3: Pictures of Designing and Colouring
Activities – Kite Making

APPENDIX 4: Pictures of the Kite Flying Competition
(Attended by Parents)

DESCRIPTION: This activity is taken from the Year 4 literature book titled
The King of Kites. The students are required to read the
story to understand the flow of events in the story. There
are several tasks that the students are required to do in
order to use the language such as locating meanings of
difficult words using the dictionary, conducting role-play,
designing kites and also organising a kite-flying
competition.

STUDENT Students should be able to:
OUTCOMES:
i. read and locate the meanings of words in the story
using a dictionary.

ii. conduct a role play based on the story.
iii. design a kite creatively.
iv. use the English language confidently.

6

STEPS FOR 1. The teacher instructs the students to read the text and
IMPLEMENTATION: identify the words which they do not understand.

2. The students are to refer to the dictionary to look for
the meanings of the words selected.

3. The teacher and the students discuss the meaning of
the difficult words.

4. The students reread the story in groups facilitated by
the teacher.

5. The teacher discusses the plot, characters and the
theme of the story with the students.

6. Students are put into groups and are assigned
sections of the story to role play.

7. The teacher explains to the students the kite making
process.

8. The teacher informs students that they are going to
make a kite with their parents and there will be a kite
flying competition.

9. The teacher then helps the students to design posters
to inform the school community about the project and
get the whole school involved.

10. The teacher keeps track of students’ progress on the
project.

11. The students and the teacher organise a kite flying
competition which involves the students and parents
as part of the community support.

7

Appendix 1
Pictures of the Lesson for King of Kites - Year 4 Short Story

Picture 1: Students are introduced to the Picture 2: Students read in pairs or
literature text in the classroom. groups to familiarise
themselves with the literary.
text.

Picture 3: Students identify the difficult Picture 4: Sample of the completed task.

words and use the dictionary

to look for the meanings.

8

Appendix 2

Pictures of the Role-play

.

Picture 1: Teacher uses realia to allow more meaningful understanding of
the text.

Pictures 2 and 3: Role-play of the literary text by students.
9

Appendix 3
Pictures of Designing and Colouring Activities – Kite Making

Picture 1: A student making a kite. Picture 2: Materials needed to make a kite.

Appendix 4
Pictures of the Kite Flying Competition (attended by parents)

Picture 1: Parents register for the Picture 2: The kite-flying competition
competition. banner.

10

HIGHLY IMMERSIVE PROGRAMME (HIP): A COMPILATION OF BEST PRACTICES

ACTIVITY: Sing It Your Own Way

TYPE OF ACTIVITY: In-Class/Out-of-Class Activity

SCHOOL: Sekolah Kebangsaan Kampung Rembus, Sarawak

LANGUAGE SKILL: Speaking
AIMS:
1. To enhance student’s creative and critical thinking
skills.

2. To use the English language in a fun way.
3. To encourage whole class participation.
4. To provide exposure to correct pronunciation.

TIME/DURATION: 5 minutes before lesson
MATERIALS: APPENDIX 1: Sample Song – Fight Song (lyrics)

DESCRIPTION: This is a simple activity that can be conducted as a warm
up activity. This activity uses a song to introduce

vocabulary to the students and to expose them to the
English language. The use of songs will help to create a

less threatening environment as well as to increase the
students’ motivation to learn. The songs can be based on
the theme and topic taken from the textbooks.

STUDENT Students will be able to;
OUTCOMES:
i. sing songs with correct rhythm, stress and intonation.
ii. demonstrate correct actions to match the vocabulary.

STEPS FOR 1. The teacher selects a suitable video such as Fight
IMPLEMENTATION: Song by Rachel Platten.

2. The teacher asks students to watch the video.
3. The teacher highlights some words in the song/video

which she wants to focus on such as the verbs.
4. The students are required to demonstrate the correct

actions for the words chosen.
5. The students rehearse the song together with the

actions.
6. The students are required to perform the actions

spontaneously when they come across the verbs.

11

Appendix 1

Sample Song – Fight Song (Lyrics)

Fight Song by Rachel Platten

Like a small boat And all those things I didn’t say
On the ocean Wrecking balls inside my brain
Sending big waves I will scream them loud tonight
Into motion Can you hear my voice this time?
Like how a single word
Can make a heart open This is my fight song
I might only have one match Take back my life song
But I can make an explosion Prove I'm alright song
My power's turned on
And all those things I didn't say Starting right now I'll be strong
Wrecking balls inside my brain I'll play my fight song
I will scream them loud tonight And I don't really care if nobody else
Can you hear my voice this time? believes
'Cause I've still got a lot of fight left in
This is my fight song me
Take back my life song A lot of fight left in me
Prove I'm alright song
My power's turned on Like a small boat
Starting right now I'll be strong On the ocean
I'll play my fight song Sending big waves
And I don't really care if nobody else Into motion
believes Like how a single word
'Cause I've still got a lot of fight left in Can make a heart open
me I might only have one match
But I can make an explosion
Losing friends and I'm chasing sleep
Everybody's worried about me This is my fight song (Hey!)
In too deep Take back my life song (Hey!)
Say I'm in too deep (in too deep) Prove I'm alright song (Hey!)
And it's been two years My power's turned on
I miss my home Starting right now I'll be strong (I'll be
But there's a fire burning in my bones strong)
Still believe I'll play my fight song
Yeah, I still believe And I don't really care if nobody else
believes
'Cause I've still got a lot of fight left in
me
No I've still got a lot of fight left in me

12

HIGHLY IMMERSIVE PROGRAMME (HIP): A COMPILATION OF BEST PRACTICES

ACTIVITY: Pick a Stick

TYPE OF ACTIVITY: In-Class Activity

SCHOOL: Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Simanggang, Sarawak

LANGUAGE SKILLS: Listening and Speaking
AIMS:
1. To enhance students’ listening and speaking skills.
2. To build students’ confidence in using the English

language.
3. To encourage students to be creative.

TIME/DURATION: One Lesson (40 minutes)

MATERIALS: APPENDIX 1: Pictures of the Activity

DESCRIPTION: This activity is suitable for the low proficiency students or
students who are shy to speak in the English language.

STUDENT Students will be able to:
OUTCOMES:
i. speak with their peers in small groups.
ii. tell stories creatively by using the vocabulary taught.

STEPS FOR 1. The teacher puts some ice-cream sticks with
IMPLEMENTATION: instructions into a jar.

2. The students are divided into pairs or small groups.
3. The teacher calls out a pair or a group to the front and

gets one student to pick a stick. Provide enough time
for the students to understand the instructions on the
stick.
4. The students perform a role-play based on the
instructions that they have selected.

(Alternative)
Adaptation for advanced students.

i. A follow up activity could be an activity named A
Crazy Story. For this activity, the ice cream
sticks will have a topic written on them.

ii. Description of activity:
a. The teacher picks a stick from the jar.

13

b. The teacher reads the topic and then starts a
story. She then stops and chooses a
student.

c. The chosen student will continue the story
and must use his/her own words. This
student then chooses the next student to
continue the story.

d. The last student must end the story.
e. When the story ends, students try to guess

the topic written on the stick that the teacher
has picked. The student who guesses
correctly wins the game.

Appendix 1

Picture of the Activity

Picture 1: Sample of the ice-cream sticks used in
the activity.

14

OUT-OF-CLASS
ACTIVITIES

ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHING CENTRE
Ministry of Education Malaysia

15

HIGHLY IMMERSIVE PROGRAMME (HIP): A COMPILATION OF BEST PRACTICES

ACTIVITY: Language in the Funland

TYPE OF ACTIVITY: Out-of-Class Activity

SCHOOL: Sekolah Kebangsaan Seri Keramat, Pahang

LANGUAGE Vocabulary/Speaking
FOCUS/SKILL:
AIMS: 1. To provide a non-threatening atmosphere for students
to use the English language.

2. To expose students to a wide range of English
vocabulary.

TIME/DURATION: 1 to 2 hours before and after school.

MATERIALS: APPENDIX 1: Pictures of the Students at the Stations
APPENDIX 2: Picture of a Mini Roundabout and Junctions
APPENDIX 3: Labels to be placed in the Funland

DESCRIPTION: Language in the Funland is conducted in a specific area
allocated within the school premise. The area is divided
into 5 permanent language stations. In each station, there
are a variety of cards and board games placed which are
based on specific topics and language skills. Students are
required to use the mini roundabouts and junctions to
move from one station to the other. In addition, another
area is prepared for students to play a variety of simple
language-based games on vocabulary. This is mainly to
encourage students to use the language collaboratively
and independently during recess, before and after school.

STUDENT Students will be able to:
OUTCOMES:
i. enhance their vocabulary.
ii. enhance their confidence in speaking in the English

language with peers.
iii. improve their fluency.
iv. take charge/ownership of their own learning.

STEPS FOR 1. The teacher calls for a meeting with the school head,
IMPLEMENTATION teachers and parents.

2. The teacher identifies an area for the construction of
the Funland, taking into consideration the safety and
suitability of the students.

16

3. The teacher develops a plan for the Language in the
Funland. This will include planning for the number of
language stations, roundabouts and junctions required.

4. The teacher and students collect bricks for the route
and gather recycled items (anything that can be reused
as labels or fence for the area. Encourage students to
collect and organise these items).

5. The school builds the Funland with the help of the
parents and students (Appendix 2).

6. The teacher and students produce and print out
language based activities for each language station.
Include the necessary guidelines and rules for each
language game. For example,

Station One: Colours and Shapes

Guidelines:
a. Students select the shapes from the container
and arrange them to form a picture.
b. Students will identify the shapes and the colours
used to form their picture.
c. Students will name the shapes and explain their
selection for the picture.

Rules:
a. Students must use a minimum of 3 shapes to
form their picture.
b. Students must only use the English language to
explain their picture.

7. Check for safety issues and have a backup plan i.e. if
the materials go missing or damaged.

8. Assign teachers/prefects to manage the stations on a
weekly/monthly basis. This will include all the teachers
and staff and not just the English language teachers.

17

Appendix 1

Pictures of Students Playing at the Stations

Picture 1: Students completing the tasks
on colours and shapes.

Picture 3: Students trying to solve
the task at one of the
stations.

Picture 2: Students playing the card
games.

18

Appendix 2
Picture of Funland with a Mini Roundabout and Junctions

Picture 1: The layout of the roundabout and junctions
in the Funland.

Appendix 3

Labels to be placed in the Funland.

STATION 1 STATION 2 STATION 3

STATION 4 STATION 5 STATION 6

TURN LEFT TURN RIGHT STOP
START NO ENTRY
MAKE A
U-TURN

19

HIGHLY IMMERSIVE PROGRAMME (HIP): A COMPILATION OF BEST PRACTICES

ACTIVITY: Wall of Fame

TYPE OF ACTIVITY: Out-of-Class Activity

SCHOOL: Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan Cina Chung Huah, Perak

LANGUAGE Vocabulary/Speaking
FOCUS/SKILL:
AIMS: 1. To build students’ confidence to use the English
language.

2. To create an immersive English language environment.

TIME/DURATION: 30 minutes

MATERIALS: Appendix 1: Sample of the Wall of Fame with Hari Raya
theme

Appendix 2: Pictures of the Activity

DESCRIPTION: The Wall of Fame is a writing board set up to elicit
students’ opinions and views according to themes each
month. Based on the selected theme, students are free to
write their messages and thoughts onto the board during
their free time. This is a good activity which allows
students to practise writing simple sentences based on
their feelings. It encourages students to apply all the skills
of the language that are listening, speaking, reading and
writing. In addition, students are required to listen to the
teacher’s instructions before writing. Mini conferences are
held between student-teacher and students-students to
decide on the correct selection of words, phrases and
spelling. Reading takes place when the students read
aloud their messages to their peers.

STUDENT Students will be able to:
OUTCOMES:
i. write messages on the Wall of Fame.
ii. use a wide range of vocabulary in their messages.

20

STEPS FOR 1. The teacher introduces the theme of the month.
IMPLEMENTATION: Example:

Year Theme
1 Mother’s Day
2 Teacher’s Day
3
4 Friendship Day
5
6 Deepavali

Chinese New Year

Eid Festival

2. The students listen to the teacher’s explanation on the
theme. The teacher gives a template to the students to
write their message.

3. The students are given marker pens, papers and sticky
notes to write their ideas and opinions based on the
given theme.

4. The teacher may select any message at random and
discusses the message in the class with the students.

5. The teacher brings students to the Wall of Fame to
paste their messages.

6. The teacher gets students to identify vocabulary
related to the theme that is written on the Wall of
Fame.

7. The students write the vocabulary in their notebook as
a compilation of vocabulary which can be used in
future lessons.

21

Appendix 1

Samples of the Wall of Fame with Hari Raya Theme

Picture 1: Students’ writings on the Wall of Fame.

Picture 2: Sample messages on post-it.
22

Appendix 2

Pictures of the Activity

Picture 1: Students writing their messages on the Wall of Fame.

Picture 2: Sample of Wall of Fame at the HIP Corner.
23

HIGHLY IMMERSIVE PROGRAMME (HIP): A COMPILATION OF BEST PRACTICES

ACTIVITY: Let’s Be Confident

TYPE OF ACTIVITY: Out-of-Class Activity

SCHOOL: Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan Tamil Jalan Sialang, Johor

LANGUAGE SKILL: Speaking

AIM: To boost students’ confidence to speak in the English
language.

TIME/DURATION: 20 minutes

MATERIALS: APPENDIX 1: Sample of Topics for Students
APPENDIX 2: Pictures of the Activity

DESCRIPTION: Students are required to talk on topics of their interest
during assembly. The presentation should be done
individually.

STUDENT Students will be able to:
OUTCOMES:
i. use the English language confidently to speak on given
topics.

STEPS FOR 1. This programme can be carried out every Wednesday
IMPLEMENTATION: morning (7.10 a.m. – 7.30 a.m.).

2. The teacher chooses five students from level 1 and 2.
3. These students are required to speak based on topics

of their interest.
4. The students are given points for their efforts. At the

end of the month, the students who has collected the
highest points receives a gift.
5. Alternatively, students can carry out stage
performances, singing or do choral speaking in groups.
6. It is recommended that students lead the entire
activity. This will encourage student leadership.

24

Suggested Sample of Topics Appendix 1
1. Family Appendix 2
2. Hobbies
3. Games
4. Friends
5. Animals
6. Neighbours
7. Malaysia
8. Cleanliness
9. Punctuality
10. Computer games

Pictures of the Activity

Picture 1: Teacher gives instructions on Picture 2: Students deliver their topic of
the activity. interest in front of peers.

25

HIGHLY IMMERSIVE PROGRAMME (HIP): A COMPILATION OF BEST PRACTICES

ACTIVITY: Conversations with Others

TYPE OF ACTIVITY: Out-of-Class Activity

SCHOOL: Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan Tamil Ladang Kemuning Kru,
Melaka

LANGUAGE SKILL: Speaking

AIMS: To improve students' speaking skills in the English
language.

TIME/DURATION: Half a day event

MATERIALS: APPENDIX 1: Sample of Questions
APPENDIX 2: Pictures of Students Interviewing Tourists

DESCRIPTION: This activity is to boost students’ confidence to speak in
the English language. It involves interviewing tourists or
members of the community. The students need to conduct
the interview in English.

STUDENT Students will be able to:
OUTCOMES: i. communicate with the tourists or community fluently

using a wide range of vocabulary.
ii. conduct interviews in English to obtain information.

STEPS FOR 1. The students work in small groups.
IMPLEMENTATION: 2. The teacher distributes the interview questions to the

students.
3. The teacher discusses the interview questions.
4. The students interview tourists or members of the

community in English. Tourists are required to sign the
interview sheet upon checking the answers written by
the students.
5. The students may alternatively, interview other
teachers in the school or school visitors in order to
complete this task.
6. A leader is selected for each group. The role of the
leader is to:

• ensure that the interviews are conducted in
English.

• assist peers to elicit information where required.
7. The teacher and the students discuss the vocabulary

that students used during the interview sessions.

26

Appendix 1

Sample of Questions

1. What is your name?
2. Where are you from?
3. How long will you stay in this town?
4. Is there anything that you find attractive here?
5. Do you plan to travel to another place?
6. Have you tasted durians?
7. How often do you travel abroad?
8. What is the most memorable event from your travels/visits?

27

Appendix 2

Pictures of Students Interviewing Tourists

.

Pictures depicting students conducting the interviews with tourists.
28

HIGHLY IMMERSIVE PROGRAMME (HIP): A COMPILATION OF BEST PRACTICES

ACTIVITY: English Garden

TYPE OF ACTIVITY: Out-of-Class Activity

SCHOOL: Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan Tamil Ladang Kemuning Kru,
Melaka

LANGUAGE SKILLS: Speaking and Writing

AIMS: 1. To develop students’ creative and critical thinking
skills.

2. To encourage students to use English idioms and
proverbs in conversations and writing.

TIME/DURATION: One hour

MATERIALS: APPENDIX 1: Sample Idioms and Proverbs
APPENDIX 2: Pictures of Students Creating the Wooden

Boards with Idioms and Proverbs
APPENDIX 3: The English Garden with the Wooden

Boards of Idioms and Proverbs

DESCRIPTION: Students create an English Garden at a specified location
within the school premise, for example, by the school
canteen and in front of the school office. The garden is
filled with English idioms and proverbs. By creating an
English garden of proverbs and idioms, students learn
idioms and proverbs in a fun way.

STUDENT Students will be able to:
OUTCOMES:
i. speak the English language with confidence.
ii. use idioms and proverbs in their spoken language as

well as in their writing.

STEPS FOR 1. The students are given some wooden boards to be
IMPLEMENTATION painted.

2. The teacher brainstorms for idioms and proverbs with
the students during their co-curricular day.

3. A student representative compiles the idioms and
proverbs and shares them with others.

4. The students write the idioms and proverbs on the
painted wooden boards.

5. The students set up the English garden with the help of
the teachers.

29

6. The students write the idioms and proverbs and
discuss the use of these idioms during lessons.

7. They also have to use at least one idiom in their
writing.

Appendix 1

Sample of Idioms

1. Give it a shot - Try
2. Speak your mind - Say what you really feel
3. A piece of cake - Very easy
4. Slipped my mind - I forgot
5. Cross your fingers - For good luck
6. Be in hot water - Be in trouble
7. It cost an arm and a leg - It was expensive
8. It’s in the bag - It’s a certainty
9. Get cold feet - Be nervous
10. A rip off - Too expensive
11. Get a kick out of - Enjoy
12. Read between the lines - Find the hidden meaning
13. Have mixed feelings - Unsure how you feel
14. Draw a blank - Can’t remember
15. Have a change of heart - Changed your mind
16. Be second to none - Be the best
17. Get your act together - Behave properly
18. Play it by the ear - Improvise
19. Have second thoughts - Have doubts
20. A basket case - A crazy person
21. Have a shot at - Have a chance
22. Be in the same boat - Be in the same situation
23. Out of the blue - With no warning

30

Appendix 1
Pictures of Students Creating the Wooden Boards with Idioms and Proverbs

Picture 1: Students painting the Picture 2: Students writing the idioms
wooden board. and proverbs on the
wooden board.

Appendix 3
The English Garden with the Wooden Boards of Idioms and Proverbs

Picture 1: Students setting up the Picture 2: English Garden with idioms
garden. and proverbs.

31

HIGHLY IMMERSIVE PROGRAMME (HIP): A COMPILATION OF BEST PRACTICES

ACTIVITY: SKGP Idol (Let’s sing)

TYPE OF ACTIVITY: Out-of-Class Activity

SCHOOL: Sekolah Kebangsaan Gunung Panjang, Perak

LANGUAGE SKILL: Speaking

AIMS: 1. To expose students to contractions.
2. To improve students’ vocabulary through songs.
3. To encourage students to construct sentences using

all the words that they have learnt during the activity.

TIME/DURATION: 30 minutes before school

MATERIALS: APPENDIX 1: Sample of Song Lyrics – Top of the World
DESCRIPTION: APPENDIX 2: Pictures of the Activity

STUDENT This activity is carried out every Wednesday from 7.15
OUTCOMES: a.m. to 7.45 a.m. The whole school is involved in this
activity.
Other subject teachers are involved in this activity where
they are required to select appropriate songs for the
students. In addition, parents are invited and encouraged
to sing along with the students for functions organised by
the school.

Students will be able to:

i. apply contractions in every day life.
ii. develop confidence to speak in English with their peers

and teachers.
iii. construct grammatically correct simple/compound

sentences.
iv. expand their vocabulary repertoire through the words

learnt from the lyrics.

32

STEPS FOR 1. The teacher selects an appropriate song (one song per
IMPLEMENTATION week/fortnight).

2. The teacher edits the lyrics of the song to align the
lyrics to the themes within the curriculum document.

3. The teacher introduces the song and sings it twice to
the students, emphasising the intonation and meaning
using pictures and gestures.

4. The teacher and the students sing the song together
with the correct pronunciation.

As a follow-up activity to be held in the classroom:
1. The teacher selects 10 words from the lyrics and pre-

teaches the meaning of the words by relating them to
the contexts which are familiar to students.
2. The students are required to construct 10 sentences
using the 10 selected words.
3. The teacher discusses the correct sentence structure
with the students.
4. The teacher selects students at random to read their
sentences.

33

Appendix 1

Sample of Song Lyrics
Top of the World by The Carpenters

Such a feeling’s coming over me
There is wonder in most everything I see
Not a cloud in the sky, got the sun in my eyes

And I won't be surprised if it's a dream

Everything I want the world to be
Is now coming true especially for me
And the reason is clear, it's because you are here
You're the nearest thing to Heaven that I've seen

I'm on the top of the world looking down on creation
And the only explanation I can find

Is the love that I've found ever since you've been around
Your love's put me at the top of the world

Something in the wind has learned my name
And it's telling me that things are not the same
In the leaves on the trees and the touch of the breeze

There's a pleasing sense of happiness for me

There is only one wish on my mind
When this day is through I hope that I will find
That tomorrow will be just the same for you and me

All I need will be mine if you are here

I'm on the top of the world looking down on creation
And the only explanation I can find

Is the love that I've found ever since you've been around
Your love's put me at the top of the world

I'm on the top of the world looking down on creation
And the only explanation I can find

Is the love that I've found ever since you've been around
Your love's put me at the top of the world

34

Appendix 2

Pictures of the Activity

Picture 1: The banner to promote the activity.
SNAPSHOTS OF
SKGP IDOL

Picture 2: Snapshots of the SKGP Idol.
35

HIGHLY IMMERSIVE PROGRAMME (HIP): A COMPILATION OF BEST PRACTICES

ACTIVITY: HIP Fun Zone

TYPE OF ACTIVITY: Out-of-Class Activity

SCHOOL: Sekolah Kebangsaan Pulau Sepanggar, Sabah

LANGUAGE FOCUS: Vocabulary

AIMS: 1. To improve vocabulary.
2. To read and answer simple questions spontaneously.
3. To construct sentences with or without guidance.

TIME/DURATION: One hour

MATERIALS APPENDIX 1: Hopscotch
APPENDIX 2: Spelling Ladder

DESCRIPTION: The HIP Fun Zone encourages fun learning. This zone
provides students with different types of activities. The fun
zones are located at various parts of the school. Students
can visit these fun zones during their break, before and
after school. Teachers prepare the HIP Fun Zones with
the help of the school community.

STUDENT Students will be able to:
OUTCOMES:
i. construct words with letters provided.
ii. answer simple questions.
iii. construct grammatically correct sentences.

STEPS FOR Fun Zone 1: Hopscotch - Build Me Up
IMPLEMENTATION:
1. Teachers and students prepare the hopscotch in an
appropriate section of the school.

2. To play the hopscotch the students throw a token into
each box on the hopscotch.

3. The students then read the instructions in every box
and answer the questions.

4. The students’ answers vary from word level to
sentence level according to the instruction in the boxes
on the hopscotch.

Fun Zone 2: Spelling Ladder
There are 2 options to play the spelling ladder:

36

Option 1 – Using flash cards

a. The teacher and the students prepare the spelling
ladder. To play this game, the students jump onto
each ladder and spells a word based on the picture
shown. The students then construct sentences
using the words they had spelt.

Option 2 – Hangman
a. A player throws a dice. The dice consists of
vocabulary and grammar items (things, people,
places, animals, buildings and adjectives).

b. The teacher gives a clue and the students guess
the word. The student who guesses the most
number of words correctly wins the game.

Appendix 1

Hopscotch

37

Appendix 2

Spelling Ladder

SPELLING LADDER

38

HIGHLY IMMERSIVE PROGRAMME (HIP): A COMPILATION OF BEST PRACTICES

ACTIVITY: Tanak Kampung vs. Macam di KK

TYPE OF ACTIVITY: Out-of-Class Activity

SCHOOL: Sekolah Kebangsaan Sacred Heart, Sabah

LANGUAGE Phonics/Language Arts (Idioms, Proverbs)
FOCUS/SKILLS: Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing

AIMS: 1. To learn English in a fun way.
2. To assist LINUS students with blending and

segmenting of words.
3. To enhance the use of idioms, proverbs and synonyms

for upper primary students.

TIME/DURATION: 1 Hour

MATERIALS: Authentic materials/realia (Blow Pipes, Balloons,
Computer, Idiom Chart, Word blocks).
APPENDIX 1: Tanak Kampung vs. Macam Di KK

(Village Boy vs. City Boy)
APPENDIX 2: Steps for the Implementation
APPENDIX 3: Materials

DESCRIPTION: This activity is inspired by the famous Aesop Fable
‘Country Mouse and City Mouse’. This activity combines a
folk game that students usually play in Sabah, which is the

Pipe Blowing Game (also known as sumpit). The
approach in using the pipe adds the element of fun for the

students, especially level 1 students.

STUDENT Students will be able to:
OUTCOMES:
i. match the pictures to the alphabet chart and sound
each letter to form the correct word.

ii. match all six idioms correctly.

STEPS FOR Step 1
IMPLEMENTATION:
1. As a set induction, the teacher carries out shared-
reading of the story entitled ‘Country Mouse vs. City
Mouse’ with the students.

2. The students discuss the story based on the

characters, plot and language use.

3. The teacher then demonstrates steps of the Pipe

Blowing Game.

39

Steps for the Pipe Blowing Game
Level 1 students

1. Students are given pictures and an alphabet chart is
put on a board for the Pipe Blowing activity.

2. The students need to match the picture to the alphabet
chart by sounding each letter to form the correct word.

3. Then, students blow the pipe to hit the words that they
have pronounced.

4. Students will be given a token for each correctly hit
word to be exchanged for a chance to play a language
game via FROG VLE.

5. Students need to collect at least six tokens to play the
language game once.

6. The language game is created to suit to the story
‘Country Mouse vs. City Mouse’.

Steps for the Pipe Blowing Game
Level 2 students

1. Students are given idioms and explanations for the
Pipe Blowing activity.

2. Students need to match the idioms to the correct
explanations.

3. Taking turns, students read the idioms and match them
to the correct definitions before blowing the pipe to hit
the idioms on the chart prepared by the teacher.

4. Students will be given a token for every correctly
matched explanation to be exchanged for a chance to
play a language game via FROG VLE.

5. Students need to collect six tokens to play the
language game.

6. The language game is created to suit the story
‘Country Mouse vs. City Mouse’.

40

Appendix 1

TANAK KAMPUNG
vs.

MACAM DI KK

INSPIRED BY THE FAMOUS AESOP FABLE

COUNTRY MOUSE AND THE CITY MOUSE
Picture 1: Snapshots of the activity.

41

Appendix 2

Procedures of the Pipe Blowing Game

STEP 1

Each student will have a
chance to try blowing the

pipe.

STEP 2 and 3
Upper level – Each
student needs to match
all the six idioms to the
correct meanings.

STEP 2 and 3
Lower level – Each
student needs to match
all six pictures to the
correct sounds and form
the word correctly.

STEP 4
Reward
Students need to collect
six tokens for an
exchange to play the
language games.

42

Appendix 3

Materials

THE IDIOMS

Guess the meaning of each idiom.

Meanings of the idioms

.
43

Idiom Chart

44

HIGHLY IMMERSIVE PROGRAMME (HIP): A COMPILATION OF BEST PRACTICES

ACTIVITY: Word Attack

TYPE OF ACTIVITY: Out-of-Class Activity

SCHOOL: Sekolah Kebangsaan Sungai Lesong, Perak

LANGUAGE SKILLS: Reading and Writing

AIMS: 1. To develop students’ vocabulary through language
TIME/DURATION: games.

2. To enable students to form words with seven letters
and more.

During recess or students’ free time

MATERIALS: APPENDIX 1: Rules
APPENDIX 2: Tiles
APPENDIX 3: Word Attack Board
APPENDIX 4: Suggested Record Cards for Level 1
APPENDIX 5: Suggested Record Cards for Level 2

DESCRIPTION: This language game is played on a 4 x 5 feet plywood with
10 x 10 squares (Appendix 1) which is similar to the layout
STUDENT of a scrabble board game. Letter tiles are made from
OUTCOMES: plastic (Appendix 2). The letter distribution is similar to
scrabble.

Students will be able to:
i. form words with seven letters or more.

STEPS FOR 1. The Word-Attack board is placed near the canteen. It
IMPLEMENTATION is built just like a Scrabble Board.

2. Four students can play the game at one time.
3. Each day, a teacher will take turn to facilitate the

students during recess.
4. The teacher prepares cards (Appendix 4 & 5) for

students to record the words they have built.
5. The teacher rewards the students who score the

highest marks.

45

Appendix 1

Word Attack

Rules to Play:

1. Each tile represents 1 mark.

2. Students build words by hanging the tiles on the board.

3. Students write the words they have built on the cards provided.

4. Teachers check and allocate marks.

5. For level 2, additional marks can be added according to the colours of squares.

Yellow: 1 tile x 1 mark

Blue: 1 tile x 2 marks

Red: 1 tile x 3 marks

Appendix 2

The Tiles

46