Planning Lesson For Communicative English

PLANNING
LESSONS for

COMMUNICATIVE

ENGLISH

A Handbook For Teachers Everywhere

© 2015 by Department Of Polytechnic Education (Malaysia)
First published 2015
eISBN 978-967-0838-07-6

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical,
photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the copyright
owner.

Every effort has been made to ensure the materials produced are original. Authors
are responsible for ensuring the work produced do not violate or breach any
copyrights. The publisher and editors will not be held responsible for any breach of
rights by the authors.

Edited and compiled by:
Tan Sui Chee
Charles W.K. Cheng
Alfred Valentine Bakrin

Published by:
Politeknik Melaka
No.2 , Jalan PPM 10 , Plaza Pandan Malim, 75250, Melaka
Tel: 06 – 3376000 Fax : 06-3376007

Planning Lessons For Communicative English

A Handbook For Teachers Everywhere

EDITOR CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Tan Sui Chee Dr. Prasanna Kesavan

Politeknik Ungku Omar Politeknik Ibrahim Sultan

EDITORIAL ASSISTANTS Aliza Abdul Razak

Charles W.K. Cheng Politeknik Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah

Kolej Komuniti Semporna Marina Abu Bakar

Alfred Valentine Bakrin Politeknik Melaka

Politeknik Kuching Ooi Kien Bee

COVER DESIGN: Politeknik Balik Pulau

Charles W.K. Cheng Radika Subramaniam
Kolej Komuniti Semporna
Politeknik Sultan Idris Shah

Kala Nathan

Kolej Vokasional Likas

Gurminderjeet Kaur Kartar Singh

Kolej Komuniti Sabak Bernam

Anita Mary Fathi Rosary Rajan

Kolej Vokasional Bentong

Jaime Mundu

Politeknik Kota Kinabalu

Front cover image and topic cover Roslan Mamat
images courtesy of
www.negativespace.co; the Politeknik Kota Bharu
owner(s) have dedicated these
images to the public domain under Noorasmawati Shafee
CC0 creative commons license by
waiving their rights to the work Politeknik Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah
worldwide under copyright law.
Nurazmira Abdul Wahab
Back cover image
© 2015, Charles. W.K. Cheng. Kolej Vokasional Puteri Temerloh
Image may not be reproduced or
reused for any purposes without Rozalita Saupi
written consent from the copyright
holder. Politeknik Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin

Aida Fazlin Hisham @ Hassan

Politeknik Kuala Terengganu



CONTENTS PAGE

SECTIONS vii
viii
Preface ix
Acknowledgements
Introduction

TOPIC 1 DIGITAL LITERACY PAGE

Activity 1.1 Using Wordle To Describe Products and Services 2
Activity 1.2 Using Wordle To Pre-teach Vocabulary and Do a 7
Reading Task
Activity 1.3 Using Photofunia To Describe An Experience in 9
Past Tense
Activity 1.4 Using Youtube To Talk About Pollution 12
Activity 1.5 Using Wordle To Teach Vocabulary 14
Activity 1.6 Using Padlet To Teach Sequence Connectors 15
Activity 1.7 Using Youtube To Teach WH-QUESTION words 16
Activity 1.8 Using Youtube To Teach Warnings, Rules and 18
Regulations

TOPIC 2 DIFFERENTIATION PAGE

Activity 2.1 Categorizing Places of Interest in Malaysia 21
Activity 2.2 Describing How An Electrical Product Works 22
Activity 2.3 Elaborating Points When Writing An Essay 23
Activity 2.4 Anticipating Questions and Preparing Responses 26
Activity 2.5 How To Build Your Future (Listening Activity) 28

TOPIC 3 JIGSAW READING & DICTATION PAGE

Activity 3.1 Make Posters on Natural Disasters 33
Activity 3.2 Discussing ‘Child Abuse’ 34
Activity 3.3 Discussing ‘Deforestation’ 40
Activity 3.4 Identifying Sequence In A Process 44
Activity 3.5 Describing Processes and Procedures 47
Activity 3.6 Describing Trends On a Line Graph 50
Activity 3.7 Describe Your Graph Please 54
Activity 3.8 Extracting Information from Job Advertisements 55
Activity 3.9 How To Write A Complaint Letter 57

TOPIC 4 DRILLING PAGE

Activity 4.1 Extending, Accepting or Rejecting Invitations 63
Activity 4.2 I'm Really Drawn To This Job Because… 66
Activity 4.3 Is Used For/Are Used For 67
Activity 4.4 What Is This? 69

TOPIC 5 LANGUAGE SUPPORT PAGE

Activity 5.1 What Is This Item? 72
Activity 5.2 What Do These Words Mean? 75
Activity 5.3 What Can These Equipment Do? 78

TOPIC 6 FILLER ACTIVITIES PAGE

Activity 6.1 Remember My Name 80
Activity 6.2 Back To The Board (Hot Seat) 81
Activity 6.3 Ice Breaking With Pictures 82
Activity 6.4 My Dream 83
Activity 6.5 The Flyswatter Game 84
Activity 6.6 Ice Breaking With Adjectives 86
Activity 6.7 Can You Guess The Word? 87
Activity 6.8 This Is My Opinion 88
Activity 6.9 DIY TABOO Game 89

Preface

In 2013, the Ministry began developing the Malaysia Education
Blueprint 2015–2025 (Higher Education) or the MEB (HE).
Over the course of two years, the Ministry drew on multiple
sources of input, from Malaysian and international education
experts, to leaders of Malaysian HLIs and members of the
public.

The Blueprint was then launched in April 2015. The focus of the Education
Blueprint is improving teacher quality, reducing administrative burdens, broadening
access, and reforming curriculum and assessment in order to propel Malaysia to a
position in the top one-third of countries globally in PISA and TIMS by 2025. The
blueprint also recognizes that a greater emphasis on STEM (science, technology,
engineering and mathematics) and proficiency in English is required to support higher-
income jobs and raise competitiveness.

As such, the Department of Polytechnic Education has worked with Westminster
Kingsway College, London, to enhance the English lecturers’ pedagogical skills through
a course that focuses on in the planning and delivery of classes to support all learners on
vocational courses in which English forms a part of their programme. In return, the
participants have written this book to provide other English lecturers and teachers in the
vocational sector, not just from polytechnics but other institutions as well, with easy-to-
use and practical lesson plans to be tried out with their learners.

Datuk Haji Mohlis Bin Jaafar
Director General
Department of Polytehnic Education
Ministry of Higher Education

I was glad when I heard that English lecturers from
polytechnics, community colleges and vocational colleges
who went to Teacher Training Programme at Westminster
Kingsway College, London gained fruitful insight into
teaching English.

They have greater understanding about Content and Language Integrated
Learning (CLIL), in which the subject areas of their learners will be explored in the
context of English language classes. There is a close connection with English for
Specific Purposes (ESP). I would also like to thank all writers that have contributed in
the publication of this book. I hope this book will help to make the teaching and
learning of English in vocational sector more effective yet fun.

Tajuddin bin Abdul Rashid
Director
Professional Excellence Division
Department of Polytehnic Education
Ministry of Higher Education

Acknowledgements

This book would not have been possible without the support and guidance from several
people.

First of all, we would like to thank Datuk Haji Mohlis Bin Jaafar, the Director
General of Polytechnic Education Department, the Ministry of Higher Education of Malaysia,
for providing us the opportunity to gain invaluable learning experience at the Westminister
Kingsway College (WKC), London in November 2014. To the trainers Simon, Bill, Peter,
Chris, Andrew, Carole, Katie, Katrina and the team from WKC, we would like to thank you
for your hospitality and knowledge shared. To Pn Nurhafizah Yahaya, our Chef De Mission,
thank you for being so patient and committed to the cause. To Pn Yusma Yusof, our sincere
gratitude goes to you for your words of encouragement and continual support.

We are indebted to our family members for their loving support and kind
understanding. Our appreciation also goes to our colleagues who have directly or indirectly
inspired us in completing this project.

Last but not least, we would like to thank all the lecturers who have taken the time to
contribute and edit the materials presented in this e- book.

Introduction

Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) has gained an increasingly
significant role in the development of more equitable and sustainable societies. Those in the
TVET field need to be exposed to the current leading practices in the curriculum design,
delivery and assessment in TVET so they can function effectively in their roles.

Planning Lessons for Communicative English is an e-book designed for English
language teaching practitioners in the TVET field to help them to discover interesting,
practical, current and most importantly effective teaching and learning ideas that can be used
in classrooms. Those in the TVET field may find the ideas and resources described in the
book useful and meaningful in helping learners to understand and acquire target knowledge
and skills.

It is hoped that the materials in this e-book will not only be interesting for the
teaching practitioners but also benefit their professional development. The materials can be
used directly with students or adapted to suit their particular needs.

Lastly, this e-book can be read cover to cover or readers can use it as reference for
information or ideas on particular issues and needs related to their classroom or teaching
field.



Planning Lessons For Communicative English DIGITAL LITERACY

ACTIVITY 1.1 USING “WORDLE” TO DESCRIBE
PRODUCTS AND SERVICES

10 minutes

OBJECTIVE

 Describe products and services.

PREPARATION

PowerPoint slides with words describing products or services using
www.wordle.net or www.worditout.com.

PRIOR KNOWLEDGE

Vocabulary and language structure related to description of products.
E.g. “It is made of….” or “blue in colour….” etc.

IN CLASS

1. Show power point slides with the 1st Wordle image (refer to Appendix).
2. Ask students to look at the words used in Wordle and guess the

products/services.
3. Ask student A to use the words in Wordle to describe the product to

student B. The students are given 2 minutes to do this.
4. Show the 2nd ‘wordle’ image and reverse the roles between students A and

B.

SUGGESTED FOLLOW UP ACTIVITIES

Students are asked to think of a product/ service. Use www.wordle.net or
www.worditout.com to create an image that can be saved/printed. If
computers are available, students can do this in class and after 20 minutes,
students guess the product/ service created by their friends and describe it to
their partners. If computers are not available, the task can be given as
homework and printed out. Students bring the images to class and describe
them in pairs.

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Planning Lessons For Communicative English DIGITAL LITERACY

APPENDIX

Sample images

Description of a calculator (www.wordle.net).

Description of Air Asia (www.worditout.com).
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How to use www.wordle.net

1. First, install Java on your PC.
2. Open the webpage.

3. Click “Create”.

4. Key in the words you want to highlight / pre-teach and click
“Go”.

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Planning Lessons For Communicative English DIGITAL LITERACY

How to use www.worditout.com

1. You can use www.worditout.com if you are unable to use
www.wordle.com. Open the webpage and click “Create”.

2. Key in the words you would like to highlight or pre-teach
and click “Word it out”.

3. Save the image.

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Planning Lessons For Communicative English DIGITAL LITERACY

4. To change the layout click “Random Setting”s and click
“save”. Either save in a folder or printscreen.

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Planning Lessons For Communicative English DIGITAL LITERACY

ACTIVITY 1.2 USING “WORDLE” TO PRE-TEACH
VOCABULARY AND DO A READING TASK

10 minutes

OBJECTIVES

 Predict the topic of a reading text
 Pre-teach vocabulary
 Comprehend the reading text.

PREPARATION

 Select an article on a current issue to be used for reading comprehension.
 Create a ‘Wordle’ / ’Worditout’ image of words to pre –teach.
 Include words from the text that can help students to predict the content

of the article.

IN CLASS

1. Show the ‘Wordle’ / ’Worditout’ image and tell students that these words
are related to the article that they are going to read.

2. Students guess the content of the article.
3. Go through the words in the Wordle image to ensure students understand

the vocabulary before doing the reading tasks with the students.
4. The teacher can decide to use the text as a reading or listening

comprehension task.

REMARKS

Instead of www.wordle.net, we can also use www.photofunia.com to upload
the picture from the article and allow students to guess the content of the
article before they read it.

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APPENDIX

www.worditout.com

MALAYSIA POLICE PROBING SCHOOL BULLYING CASE AFTER VIDEO OF
BEATING WENT VIRAL

PETALING JAYA (THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK) - A video depicting a schoolgirl
being brutally set upon by a group of female schoolmates has gone viral in Malaysia
and is now the subject of police investigation. The 77-second video clip is believed
to have been recorded via a mobile phone. The video clip begins with a group of
about 10 girls loitering near a staircase where they are seen taking "selfies" and
rather ironically, flashing "peace signs" to the camera. It all seems rather harmless
before the immediate turn around. The girls suddenly gang up and start attacking
the victim who, based on the clip, was standing among the group. The attackers
proceeded to tear off the victim's headscarf in the attack. The girls were also seen
dragging, kicking and pulling the victim's hair. The victim was seen raising her
hands to protect her face. After the assault, the sobbing victim was left alone on
the top of the staircase. A male pupil was seen in the background observing but
was not involved in the beating. The video also showed a rude hand gesture from
the student recording the clip, who referred to herself as a "pailang" (bad person in
Hokkien). She was seen holding the victim's hand tightly at the beginning of the
video. Although the video quality was blurry, the victim appeared to be in tears at
the start of the recording, indicating that she may have been subject to verbal
abuse before the beating took place. None of the girls were seen to be wearing
school emblems but are believed to be students from a school in Kota Samarahan,
Sarawak. A statement released by assistant chief inspector-general of police
secretariat Asst Comm Datin Asmawati Ahmad in the Royal Malaysian Police's
official Facebook page said the incident was believed to have taken place on April
25 this year. A report was lodged on May 25 and an investigation is under way.
Furious netizens managed to trace the Facebook account of one of the attackers.
But the profile has since been deactivated.

(Source: The Straits Times 3rd June 2014)

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Planning Lessons For Communicative English DIGITAL LITERACY

ACTIVITY 1.3 USING “PHOTOFUNIA” TO DESCRIBE AN
EXPERIENCE IN PAST TENSE

30 – 40 minutes

OBJECTIVES

 Describe an experience;
 Use the past tense form in describing events/activities.

PREPARATION

 PowerPoint slide with a picture using ‘photofunia’ (refer to appendix);
 Book the language lab or get students to use www.photofunia.com and

upload a photo they like in .jpeg or .jpg format.

PRIOR KNOWLEDGE

 Simple past tense
 Formulating questions

IN CLASS

1. Show the ‘photofunia’ picture (refer to appendix).
2. Let students obtain information about a recent traveling experience of

yours by asking them questions.
E.g. Where do you think I went?

Whom did I go with?
What did I do there?
3. Teacher describes her/his experience in the “photofunia”.
4. Teacher demonstrates how to upload pictures in the “photofunia”.
5. Students are given 10 minutes to use the computer to upload a favourite
picture using “photofunia”.
6. In pairs, student A describes her/his picture to student B using the past
tense form. After 2-3 minutes, student B describes his /her picture.

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REMARKS

If the language lab is not available, students can be asked to prepare the
‘photofunia’ image at home/library and print out/save it in their smart phones.
If the focus is on questioning, students are required to ask their partner
questions to elicit information about the picture. However, if the past tense
form is the focus, students can be asked to describe their past experience to
their partner.

APPENDIX

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HOW TO USE www.photofunia.com

1. 1. Open the webpage. 2 .Double click on the design.

3. Click ‘Choose photo’ and drag 4. Crop the part that you like.
a picture image to the
centre or upload from a file.

5. Click “go”. 6. The picture is now ready to be
used. Save/printscreen and
crop.

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Planning Lessons For Communicative English DIGITAL LITERACY

ACTIVITY 1.4 USING “YOUTUBE” TO TALK ABOUT
POLLUTION

25 minutes

OBJECTIVES

 Describe pollution and its effects on mankind
 Think critically about a current issue

PREPARATION

Book a computer lab with internet access.
Inform the students that they need to give their views on pollution a week
before the lesson.

IN THE COMPUTER LAB

1. Students work in pairs.
2. Provide students with a link to a short video on water pollution (refer to

the Suggested Links section below). They will need to open the link on
their computers’ internet browser.
3. Ask students to watch the video and allow them ample time to discuss it
with their partner.
4. Students are then given a set of questions (refer to the Appendix).
5. Ask a few pairs to present their views to the class.
6. At the end of the lesson, ask students to choose another video clip (refer
to the Suggested Links section below) and write a short article on
pollution. They must also cite the link in their article.
7. Allow students at least 4 days to complete the task in Step 6.

REMARKS

This lesson is suitable for learners with above average English proficiency.

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Planning Lessons For Communicative English DIGITAL LITERACY

APPENDIX

Questions to be answered as they watch the YouTube video on pollution
1. What do you see?

2. How does this video make you feel?

3. What can you do as an individual to prevent this from becoming worse?

4. What can the community do to prevent this from becoming worse?

5. Is there hope in the future for things to get better?
Give a reason for your answer.

SUGGESTED LINKS
Insert the links below exactly as shown; do not change the case of any letter or
number.
a. https://goo.gl/KMe5Ft
b. https://goo.gl/1zx7nW
c. https://goo.gl/4P7e3g

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Planning Lessons For Communicative English DIGITAL LITERACY

ACTIVITY 1.5 USING “WORDLE” TO TEACH
VOCABULARY

10 - 20 minutes

OBJECTIVES

 Reinforce words learned in previous lesson
 Encourage students to speak

PREPARATION

Create a ‘wordle’ / ’worditout’ image of words that have been taught or
discussed in the previous lesson.

IN CLASS

1. Students get into groups of four.
2. Show the ‘wordle’ / ’worditout’ image and tell students that those are

words taken from the text that they read in the previous lesson.
3. Taking turns, students choose one word from the image and tell the

meaning of the word to the group.
4. Other members of the group may correct the student or add more

information to his/her explanation.

REMARKS

Teacher may ask the students to come up with a sentence with the selected
word in it.

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Planning Lessons For Communicative English DIGITAL LITERACY

ACTIVITY 1.6 USING “PADLET” TO TEACH SEQUENCE
CONNECTORS

20 - 30 minutes

OBJECTIVE

 Write instructions using sequence connectors.

PRIOR KNOWLEDGE

 Students are aware of the functions of “instructions”.

IN CLASS

1. Show video (https://goo.gl/0HuYuZ) to students; students watch and listen
to the explanation in the video (teacher may stop the video to provide
explanation as needed).

2. Students then try to construct instructions for a certain procedure (this may
be a recipe) using sequence connectors.

3. Open www.padlet.com on a browser and show students how to post on it.
4. Students post their answers on www.padlet.com. Ask students to post their

own instructions as much as possible.
5. Teacher discusses the answers with the students and provides feedback on

the usage of sequence connectors.

SUGGESTED FOLLOW UP ACTIVITIES

a. Students are taught how to use imperative instructions, for example :

Close the door.
Stir for 20 minutes.
Boil 20ml of water.

b. Teacher may provide extra exercise from www.busyteacher.org or other
websites, e.g. - http://busyteacher.org/10903-how-to-make-a-
sandwich.html). Students can then post their answers on www.padlet.com.

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Planning Lessons For Communicative English DIGITAL LITERACY

ACTIVITY 1.7 USING “YOUTUBE” TO TEACH
WH-QUESTION WORDS

20 - 30 minutes

OBJECTIVE

 Use WH-question words to form questions.

PREPARATION

 A PowerPoint presentation with WH-question words.

PRIOR KNOWLEDGE

 Students have heard about WH-question words.

IN CLASS

1. Show a PowerPoint slide with regular and irregular WH-question words
(see the Appendix below).

2. Play a video (https://goo.gl/UuH9fq) on the computer/TV.

3. Ask students to identify the usage of each WH-question word.

4. Ask students to construct a simple question using a WH-question word.
Provide several suitable examples.

5. Open www.padlet.com and show students how to post their responses on a
“virtual wall”.

6. Ask students to post a sample question using at least a WH-question word
on a “virtual wall” on www.padlet.com.

7. Teacher may then discuss students’ input and provide appropriate
feedback.

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Planning Lessons For Communicative English DIGITAL LITERACY

SUGGESTED FOLLOW UP ACTIVITIES

Students are taught phrases that can be used to begin an enquiry, for example:
“Could you tell me about .....” and “I’d like some information about ...”.

Using https://padlet.com/, students post phrases of their own on the virtual
walls. Besides that, students can use the phrases and WH-question words that
they have learned to prepare and role play based on specific situations.

APPENDIX

Sample slide on WH-question words.
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Planning Lessons For Communicative English DIGITAL LITERACY

ACTIVITY 1.8 USING YOUTUBE TO TEACH WARNINGS,
RULES AND REGULATIONS

20 - 30 minutes

OBJECTIVE

 Use imperatives to create warnings, rules and regulations.

PREPARATION

 A PowerPoint presentation on the usage of imperatives.

PRIOR KNOWLEDGE

Students have learned about warnings, rules and regulations.

IN CLASS

1. Show power point slides on imperatives (see the Appendix below).
2. Provide sample sentences using imperatives.
3. Play a video from https://goo.gl/E0zZmG.
4. Get students to try activities from the video.
5. Open www.padlet.com and show students how to post on a virtual wall.
6. Ask students to post 5 sentences that use imperatives on a virtual wall.
7. Discuss the answers and provide appropriate feedback.

SUGGESTED FOLLOW UP ACTIVITIES

 Students find examples of warnings, rules and regulations; then they
attempt to identify the imperatives used in them.

 Students could also find pictures/images of warnings and write their own
imperatives/rules/commands for each picture.

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Planning Lessons For Communicative English DIGITAL LITERACY

APPENDIX

Sample usage of imperatives.
Page 19



Planning Lessons For Communicative English DIFFERENTIATION

ACTIVITY 2.1 CATEGORIZING PLACES OF INTEREST IN
MALAYSIA

120 minutes

OBJECTIVES

 All students will be able to categorize "Places of Interest in Malaysia" into
suitable categories;

 All students will be able to present interesting places to visit for each
category;

 Most students will be able to compare one of the categories with a similar
category that can be found in neighboring countries;

 Some students will be able to state and explain the effects of tourism at
these places.

PREPARATION
 Sample brochures/pamphlets on places of interest in Malaysia.

IN CLASS SUGGESTED ACTIVITY / ACTIVITIES
All students can:
LEVEL
Beginner

 Categorize places of interest in Malaysia into “highland” or
“island”;

 Pesent interesting places to visit for each category.

Elementary Most students can:

 Categorize places of interest in Malaysia into “highland” or
“island”;

 Present interesting places to visit for each category;

 Compare one of the categories with a similar category that
can be found in neighboring countries.

Advanced Some students can:

 Categorize places of interest in Malaysia into “highland” or
“island”;

 Present interesting places to visit for each category;

 Compare one of the categories with a similar category that
can be found in neighboring countries;

 State and explain the effects of tourism at these places.

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Planning Lessons For Communicative English DIFFERENTIATION

ACTIVITY 2.2 DESCRIBING HOW AN ELECTRICAL
PRODUCT WORKS

30 minutes

OBJECTIVE

 Describe how an electrical product works.

PREPARATION

Get a manual of an electrical product, for example: an electric kettle, a rice
cooker or a vacuum cleaner. Make enough copies for everyone.

PRIOR KNOWLEDGE

Students are aware of vocabulary or phrases related to use of electrical
products, for example: cable, connection, socket, heating element et cetera.

IN CLASS

1. Talk about various electrical products that can be found in a house.
2. Put students in groups and distribute copies of an electrical product’s

manual to students.
3. Students use sequence connectors to re-write the manual in a single

paragraph:

 Proficient students work independently;
 intermediate students are given list of sequence connectors;
 Weaker students are given a cloze passage and fill in the blanks with

suitable sequence connectors.

SUGGESTED FOLLOW UP ACTIVITIES

 Students find an electrical item at home and write a paragraph on how
to use it based on the lesson learnt.

 Their work can be put on the notice board for everyone to read.
 This could also form a part of their evaluation.

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Planning Lessons For Communicative English DIFFERENTIATION

ACTIVITY 2.3 ELABORATING POINTS WHEN WRITING AN
ESSAY

60 minutes

OBJECTIVE

 Identify elaboration strategies

PREPARATION

Essay question, sample essays of different levels

PRIOR KNOWLEDGE

Students are familiar with essay writing. They know the format for writing
essays and the techniques of writing simple sentences but are unable to
elaborate the main points.

IN CLASS (Pre-writing activity)

1. Present an essay question. For example, writing a talk about ways to be
successful at work.

2. Ask students to elaborate the points given. Teacher gives students 10 minutes
to try writing the elaboration. This step activates students’ prior knowledge
and also reveals their difficulties in writing (knowledge gap). Students would
be motivated to read the sample essays in order to fill their gap.

3. Give students sample essays on a similar topic such as ways to be successful in
an interview. There are two levels of sample essays. Teacher gives the harder
essay (Essay B) to more able students and the simpler essay (Essay A) to
weaker students. (Refer to appendix)

4. Students identify the elaboration in the model essay.

SUGGESTED FOLLOW UP ACTIVITIES

Students write elaboration for the first essay question which is writing a talk about
ways to be successful at work.

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Planning Lessons For Communicative English DIFFERENTIATION

APPENDIX

QUESTION

You are working under the Ministry of Human Resource. You have been asked to
give a talk to a group of students about ways to be successful in a job interview.

Use the notes below:
 Read about the position that you are applying for
 Anticipate potential questions
 Be punctual
 Be courteous and pleasant

SAMPLE ESSAY A

Good morning everyone. My name is Adelynn Goh and I am from the
Ministry of Human Resource. I have been asked to give a talk on ways to be
successful in a job interview. Nowadays, many job applicants have to attend
interviews when applying for jobs. Therefore it is very important to learn how to
perform well in interviews in order to get a job.

Firstly, prepare well before the interview. You should read about the
position you are applying for so that you can convince the interviewer that you
are really interested in the position. Additionally, anticipate potential questions
that the interviewers might ask. You can do research on the internet and prepare
answers for these questions.

Then, be punctual for the interview. You can head early to the interview
venue in case you are not sure of the way. Lastly, be courteous and pleasant to
the interviewers so that you can appeal to them. First impressions are important
to be selected for a job.

That is all for my talk today. I would like to remind you that preparation is
very important to do well in interviews. All the best in your future interviews.
Thank you.

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Planning Lessons For Communicative English DIFFERENTIATION

SAMPLE ESSAY B

Good morning ladies and gentleman. My name is Adelynn Goh and I am
from the Ministry of Human Resource. I have been invited to share with you ways
to be successful in a job interview. Nowadays, securing a job is becoming more
difficult due to the increase of graduates which contributes to a keen
competition. Due to the high levels of competition, it is vital to perform well
during interviews to have an edge over other applicants.

Before the interview, not only must you prepare all the required
certificates and documents, you should also read about the company. Make sure
you are aware of the company’s main aim and read about the position that you
are applying for. By demonstrating knowledge of the company’s goal and the role
of the vacant position, you would be able to convince the interviewers that you
are genuinely interested in the position offered. To prepare yourself even
better, anticipate potential questions by searching online and prepare answers
for them.

On the day of the interview, be punctual. In fact, plan to reach the
interview venue at least half an hour earlier than the designated time. Even if
you get lost, you would still be on time for the interview. When dealing with
interviewers, be courteous and pleasant. First impressions are extremely
important as interviewers only have limited time to get to know each applicant
before choosing the best candidate for the job.

Due to time constraint, I have to end my talk here. Before I go, I would
like to say that going for interviews is not easy but with adequate preparation,
you would be able to perform well. All the best in your future endeavours. Thank
you.

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ACTIVITY 2.4 ANTICIPATING QUESTIONS AND
PREPARING RESPONSES

30 minutes

OBJECTIVE

 Anticipate interview questions and prepare responses that relate to a
company’s requirements.

PREPARATION

A box of paper strips containing interview questions for students.

PRIOR KNOWLEDGE

Gather information regarding job specifications, the company/firm/institution
and the industry involved.

IN CLASS

1. Provide instructions and demonstrate the game first.
2. Then, each student will select one interview question from the question

box and answer the questions.
3. Once a student has finished answering a question, he/she will refer

his/her answer to the instructor.
4. After receiving feedback from the instructor, the students will choose

another question from the box and repeat Step 3.
5. Students who manage to answer the most questions will be winners.

SIDE NOTE:

Differentiation should be employed based on the type of answers given by the
students, i.e: get weaker students to provide simpler answers while more
complex answers should be expected from stronger students.

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Planning Lessons For Communicative English DIFFERENTIATION

APPENDIX

Sample Interview Questions

1. Tell me about yourself.
2. Why did you leave your last job?
3. What experience do you have in this field?
4. Do you consider yourself successful?
5. What do co-workers say about you?
6. What do you know about this organisation?
7. What have you done to improve your knowledge in the last year?
8. Are you applying for other jobs?
9. Why do you want to work for this organisation?
10. Do you know anyone who works for us?
11. What kind of salary do you need?
12. Are you a team player?
13. How long would you expect to work for us if hired?
14. Why should we hire you?
15. What is your greatest strength?

 Create as many questions as needed.

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Planning Lessons For Communicative English DIFFERENTIATION

ACTIVITY 2.5 HOW TO BUILD YOUR FUTURE
(LISTENING ACTIVITY)

60 minutes

OBJECTIVE

 Listen to a recorded/live speech on a topic and fill in the blanks with
suitable answers.

PREPARATION

 For the listening text, teacher can either record his own voice before

starting the class or read it live in class.

 Students are grouped according to their levels of proficiency (low,

average and high)

IN CLASS

1. During the set induction, write the word “FUTURE” on the board and ask
students to explain the meaning of the word.

2. Get students to discuss what their future plans are in their groups.

3. Get one volunteer from each group to tell the whole class his / her future plan.

4. Distribute listening tasks to the students – give Task A (see Appendix) to low
proficiency groups and Task B (see Appendix) to average and high proficiency
groups. During this stage, students are allowed to clarify the instructions that
they might not understand.

5. Play a recording of the listening text or read it live twice (see the transcript in
the Appendix). Students will then listen carefully to the audio/live reading and
complete their respective tasks.

6. After completing Step 5, get students to exchange their answers for marking
purpose. Discuss the answers and provide necessary feedback.

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Planning Lessons For Communicative English DIFFERENTIATION

APPENDIX

(TRANSCRIPT)
HOW TO BUILD YOUR FUTURE
Planning for the future is an important step to ensure your future happiness and
success. It is about taking responsibility for yourself and your actions.

Secure your future financially.
1. Speak to an expert about investments and shares.
2. Open a savings account and decide on savings goals. It's always wise to have

savings for a rainy day.
3. Get into good budgeting habits now in order to avoid debt problems in the

future. Learn to live within your means.

Secure your future professionally.
1. Have your CV written or checked by a professional.
2. Write yourself detailed and achievable career goals for yourself in 1 year, 5 years

or 10 years.
3. Polish up your interview skills. Get as much experience as possible by asking

colleagues to replicate interview situations for you.

Secure your future socially.
1. Value your relationships with friends and family.
2. Respect everyone around you.
3. Get out and about to meet new people.

Secure your future personally.
1. Invest time in hobbies you enjoy.
2. Set yourself personal goals to constantly improve.
3. Take time out to reflect on your life and re-evaluate.

(Adapted from http://www.wikihow.com/Build-Your-Future )

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Planning Lessons For Communicative English DIFFERENTIATION

TASK A

TASK: LISTENING (average & high proficiency groups)

a) Listen. A counsellor is giving a talk to students on how to build their future.
In the first column of the table below, write the numbers 1 – 4 to order the
steps.

SECURE YOUR FUTURE a) Value ………………………………………………………….
SOCIALLY ……………. friends and family.

b) Respect ……………………………………… you.

c) Get out and …………………………………………….
new people.

SECURE YOUR FUTURE a) Speak to an expert about investments and
FINANCIALLY ………….. shares.

b) Open …………………………………………… and
decide ……………………………………. It is always

wise to have savings for rainy day.
c) Get into ……………………………………………….. in

order to avoid ……………………………………….

Learn to live within your means.

SECURE YOUR FUTURE a) Invest time in hobbies you enjoy.
PERSONALLY ……………
b) Set yourself ………..…………. goals
....................

c) Take time out
………………………………………………

and ………………………………..

SECURE YOUR FUTURE a) Have your CV written or checked by a
PROFESSIONALLY ………. professional.

b) Write yourself detailed and achievable
………………………………………………………………

or 10 years.
c) Polish up …………………………………………………

Get as much experience as possible by
…………………………………………. interview

situations for you.

b) Listen again. In the second column, note the actions the students must take for
each step in building their future.

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Planning Lessons For Communicative English DIFFERENTIATION

TASK B

TASK: LISTENING (low proficiency groups)

a) Listen. A counsellor is giving a talk to students on how to build their
future. In the first column of the table below, write the numbers 1 – 4 to
order the steps.

SECURE YOUR FUTURE a) Value your …..………………. with friends and
SOCIALLY ……………. family.

b) Respect ……………..…… around you.

c) Get out and about ……………………………….
new people.

SECURE YOUR FUTURE a) Speak to an expert about investments and
FINANCIALLY ………….. shares.

b) Open a savings ..………………… and decide on
savings ..……………. It is always wise to have

savings for rainy day.
c) Get into good budgeting …………………… now

in order to avoid debt …………………… in the

………… Learn to live within your means.

SECURE YOUR FUTURE a) Invest time in hobbies you enjoy.
PERSONALLY ……………
b) Set yourself ………..…………. goals to
constantly ……………………..

c) Take time out to ……………………….. on your
life and re- ……………………

SECURE YOUR FUTURE a) Have your CV written or checked by a
PROFESSIONALLY ………. professional.

b) Write yourself detailed and achievable

……..………… goals for ………………………. in 1
year, 5 years or 10 years.

c) Polish up your ………………………… skills. Get
as …………………. experience as possible by

…………… colleagues to replicate interview
situations for you.

b) Listen again. In the second column, note the actions the students must take for
each step in building their future.

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Planning Lessons For Communicative English JIGSAW READING & DICTATION

ACTIVITY 3.1 MAKING POSTERS ON ‘NATURAL
DISASTERS’

120 minutes

OBJECTIVE

 Create posters on natural disasters.

PREPARATION

Students are placed into groups and told to bring relevant articles beforehand.

IN CLASS
1. Students are divided into groups of 4.
2. Each group brings 4 different articles of natural disasters that have

occurred in the world. (earthquake/flood, etc).

3. Each group is responsible to gather the following information:

a. What caused the disasters?
b. What are the effects of natural disasters?
c. What agencies/ NGO offer assistance during natural disasters?
4. After students have read the articles and obtained the information
above, assign them into new groups.
5. In their respective new group, students will present the information that
they have gathered from Steps 3 and 4.
6. Finally each group will create an A3 poster to present the following
information:
a. Types of Natural Disasters;
b. Ways to help those affected in Natural Disasters.

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Planning Lessons For Communicative English JIGSAW READING & DICTATION

ACTIVITY 3.2 DISCUSSING ‘CHILD ABUSE’

120 minutes

OBJECTIVES

 Identify significant points of a current issue;
 Discuss significant points of a current issue.

PREPARATION

 A picture / an illustration of an abused child;
 “Don’t Beat Me” text (see Appendix);
 6 strips of paragraphs (of the above text);
 Task Sheet A (Vocabulary exercise);
 Task Sheet B (WH-question words).

PRIOR KNOWLEDGE

Identifying main points and supporting details in a text.

IN CLASS

1. Show a picture / an illustration of an abused child.
2. Ask students to say a few words based on the picture and guess the

topic of the day.
3. Write ‘Child Abuse’ on the whiteboard and ask students to say a few

things related to it and then, continue writing students’ feedback on
the whiteboard.
4. Label each student in class from A to F.
5. Ask As to sit in one group, Bs in their group, followed by Cs, Ds, Es and
Fs in their respective groups. Hence, there will be 6 groups altogether.
6. Provide one paragraph to each group. For instance, Para 1 to Group A,
Para 2 to Group B, Para 3 to Group C and so forth.
7. In 2 minutes, ask students to read the assigned paragraph and identify
the main point and supporting details. Inform students that they are not
allowed to capture the paragraph or rewrite the whole paragraph on
another piece of paper.

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Planning Lessons For Communicative English JIGSAW READING & DICTATION

8. Collect the paragraphs from the groups and then, regroup the students.
Label each student from each group (A to F) from 1 to 6.

9. Ask these students to sit in their respective new groups (1 to 6).
10. Ask each student in the new group to take turn and share what he/she

has read in the paragraph assigned earlier (based on the main point and
supporting details recorded).
11. Choose one reporter from each group to report to the whole class about
their reading.
12. Distribute Task Sheet A to enrich students’ vocabulary knowledge.
Then, distribute Task Sheet B to check students’ understanding of the
text.
13. Discuss answers with students and provide feedback.

SUGGESTED FOLLOW UP ACTIVITIES

Students can be asked to do a short write up based on ‘Child Abuse’. They can
use the information which has been obtained through the discussion earlier.

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Planning Lessons For Communicative English JIGSAW READING & DICTATION

APPENDIX

READING TEXT – cut the paragraphs into strips and distribute each to a group.

DON’T BEAT ME

When a child experiences physical or emotional abuse, the wounds run skin deep. Kids who suffer
repeated trauma feel lonely, scared, worthless and unloved, which is exactly the opposite of how
children should feel. Abused children often become broken, hollow and bitter, with mental
consequences that last long after the physical wounds have healed.

According to the non-profit organization Prevent Child Abuse New York (PCANY), several
factors cause some people to have difficulty meeting the demands of parenthood, leading them to
become abusive when they reach a breaking point or don't know what else to do. These factors include
immaturity, unrealistic expectations, emotional problems, economic crisis, lack of parenting
knowledge, difficulty in relationships, depression and other mental health problems. When the stress of
childcare combines with anxiety from other sources, some parents lack the skills to cope with it in
healthy ways. Instead, their tempers get the best of them in times of crisis.

The two main causes of child abuse are domestic violence and substance abuse. Children who
live in households where violence is present usually end up becoming victims themselves. PCANY
reports that 50 to 70 percent of men who abuse their female partners also abuse their children.
Substance abuse is another leading cause of child abuse. According to PCANY, drugs or alcohol
contribute to 70 percent of cases of child maltreatment, meaning physical abuse or neglect. Kids under
5 are the most susceptible to abuse or neglect by a substance-abusing parent and represent the fastest
growing population of foster children.

The most obvious effect of child abuse is physical injury to the child. According to the Child
Welfare Information Gateway, a division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services,
physical injuries can be minor, such as bruises, or severe, such as broken bones or even death, but the
pain and suffering leaves much deeper emotional scars. Sometimes, abuse can lead to lasting or
recurring health problems, such as shaken baby syndrome or impaired brain development. Abused
babies and toddlers are especially vulnerable to injuries to important regions of the brain that are still
developing, causing long-term problems with cognitive, language and academic abilities. CWIG
reports that adults who experience abuse or neglect during childhood are more likely to suffer from
physical ailments such as arthritis, asthma, bronchitis, high blood pressure and ulcers.

Kids who get abused often feel isolated, fearful and untrusting, and these immediate
emotional effects can transform into lifelong consequences, including low self-esteem, depression and
relationship difficulties. According to the CWIG, about 80 percent of young adults who were abused as
children met the diagnostic criteria for at least one psychiatric disorder at age 21, including
depression, anxiety, eating disorders and suicide. Other psychological conditions associated with
abuse are panic disorder, dissociative disorder, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, post-traumatic
stress disorder and reactive attachment disorder. CWIG also reports that many kids who are abused
score lower than average on tests of cognitive ability, language development and academic
achievement.

According to CWIG, abused and neglected kids are 25 percent more likely to experience
problems such as delinquency, teen pregnancy and teen drug use and 11 times more likely to be
arrested for criminal behavior as a juvenile. CWIG says about 66 percent of people in drug treatment
programs report being abused as children, and over 30 percent of abused and neglected kids
eventually victimize their own children.

Adapted from:
Hermes, A. (2015, May 25). Causes & effects of child abuse. Retrieved May 12, 2015 from
http://www.livestrong.com/article/229260-causes-effects-of-child-abuse/

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Planning Lessons For Communicative English JIGSAW READING & DICTATION

TASK SHEET A – Vocabulary exercise

Match the words below with its most suitable meaning based on the text.

1. Trauma  Damaged

2. Consequences  Problem

3. Tempers  Illness

4. Substance  Abuse

5. Maltreatment  Exposed

6. Impaired  Mood

7. Vulnerable  Ordeal

8. Ailments  Effects

9. Disorder  Crime

10. Delinquency  Drugs

Answer Keys

1. Trauma Ordeal
2. Consequences Effects
3. Tempers Mood
4. Substance Drugs
5. Maltreatment Abuse
6. Impaired Damaged
7. Vulnerable Exposed
8. Ailments Illness
9. Disorder Problem
10. Delinquency Crime

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Planning Lessons For Communicative English JIGSAW READING & DICTATION

TASK SHEET B – Comprehension exercise
(answers are underlined and set in italic)

Answer the following questions based on the text.

1. What is the lasting effect on an abused child even after the physical wounds
have healed?
Abused children often become broken, hollow and bitter, with mental
consequences.

2. What are the factors which cause parents to abuse their children?
Immaturity, unrealistic expectations, emotional problems, economic crisis,
lack of parenting knowledge, difficulty in relationships, depression and other
mental health problems.

3. How does domestic violence lead to child abuse?
Children become the victim of abusive acts in certain families where in certain
cases, men who abuse their female partners also abuse their children.

4. Why is substance abuse said to be the leading cause of this crime?
It contributes to 70 percent of cases of child maltreatment, meaning physical
abuse or neglect.

5. How does the traumatic childhood experience of adults affect them?
Adults who experienced abuse or neglect during childhood are more likely to
suffer from physical ailments such as arthritis, asthma, bronchitis, high blood
pressure and ulcers.

6. In your opinion, how can we curb this problem?
- parents should be good friends to children
- parents should not bring work tension home
- no violence at home among the adults
- love and care for your child more
- counselling to abusive parents
- young parents need to be educated on how to bring up a child.

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Planning Lessons For Communicative English JIGSAW READING & DICTATION
Sample image

Msmyvids. (2010, July 23). Baby Brianna 2010 - News Story 1 [Video file]. Retrieved
from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cTWLj1_ISB8

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