NSS Series - Poems & Songs

Teaching English through Poems & Songs

Learning Objectives

• Review selectively the content and requirements of this NSS elective
• Review selectively the learning objectives of this elective
• Review selectively a suggested scheme of work for this elective
• Review the basic types of poems and songs using authentic examples
• Review the basic language of poems and songs using authentic examples
• Review the basic techniques of writing poems and songs for learners' future use
• Review poems and songs to build interest/competence in learning English
• Review poems and songs to build cultural and literary awareness
• Review poems and songs to build critical thinking and creativity
• Conduct diverse learning activities to achieve above learning goals
• Review sample assessment criteria to ascertain the extent to which above main learning goals are achieved

Workshop Framework

The workshop will illustrate and discuss below:

• How to use poems and songs to build knowledge base and language competence e.g.
• Using diverse themed content and content sources to build knowledge base
  e.g. poems and songs (by diverse writers/cultures) about people, nature, social issues
• Adopting an integrated approach to build language skills
  e.g. listen to / speak / sing / write / role play / perform poems and songs
• Encouraging active participation to address learning diversity
  e.g. learners explore/improvise, play a leading/mentoring/other role in group tasks
• How to use activities to develop a positive learning spirit/environment e.g.
• Building critical/reflective thinking through, namely, reading/listening to poems/songs, and journalling reflections on them
• Building creative thinking through, namely, writing poems/lyrics and performing them
• Building collaborative skills through, namely, interaction team-driven activities
• How to build students’ confidence and communicative competence e.g.
• Use, namely, discussions, presentations, and role play to optimize opportunities for learners to build their confidence and initiative to share ideas with others
• How to consolidate prior learning with new learning e.g.
• Reviewing and recycling previously learnt poems/songs, or ideas related to them, for class or home assigned tasks, like writing reflective journal entries, or staging a performance or presentation.

Assessment

• Activities designed to assess Learning English through Poems and Songs
• Assessment criteria relevant to this NSS elective

What Teachers Get

• Certificate
• Sample teaching materials designed for teaching the chosen NSS elective
• Sample scheme of work
• Sample lesson plans
• Sample assessment activities and assessment criteria
• Useful links related to the chosen NSS Workshop

Workshop Details