Interdisciplinary Activity – Creating Room for Language Learning

仁愛堂田家炳中學

A. Rationale and objectives:

To intrigue students to embark on the journey of exploring the fun and rewarding side of language learning, we tried something different. By engaging our students in interdisciplinary activities evolving around the appreciation of arts, we work with the students to fight boredom in the classroom, stimulate intellectual pursuit, empower self-directed learning and create room for them to show off their learning.

The interdisciplinary activities were conducted with the goals of:

to initiate changes both in course materials and mode of delivery through experiential learning and interdisciplinary activities, visual arts in particular
to encourage language use in expressing emotion and initiate discussion on comparison of shopping experiences, online and in brick-and-mortar shops, through appreciation of artworks in a shopping mall
to encourage language use in expressing emotion and initiate discussion on world history and social issues through musical (films) appreciation

B. Implementation and experience:

Our little experiment involved two aspects of changes, teaching beyond the course book units and providing ample opportunities for display of learning so that students could be engaged in meaningful work during the learning process. There were three projects in this experiment:

(a) outing to the shopping mall ELEMENTS for S. 1 and S. 2 students,

(b) appreciation of musicals for S. 3 and S. 4 students, and

We made each event a mini project-based activity, at which students were required to work in groups, conduct research, plan their presentations, demonstrate what they had learnt and reflect on their own learning upon feedback from peers and teachers.

The mode of delivery shifted to a more student-centred and student-initiated approach, with students engaging in using language to look for and select relevant information (meaning-focused input) and to express their views and findings in English (meaning-focused output), during which they had the opportunity to refine their language skills (language-focused learning and fluency building).

Demonstration stations were set up in the classroom or in the school hall or activity room if the event was for inter-class interaction. Demonstration stations provided a much need reason and platform for students to take language learning and revision seriously because they ensured full participation by all the students. Each had a chance to show off their learning and to learn from their peers. Upon feedback by the teachers and peers, they learnt and were able to make a better performance, (could be a re-run, a video show or a written assignment), in the next step.

We started each project by asking ourselves what we wanted our students to learn, do and achieve and how they should display their learning (backward design).

The following is a brief introduction of the projects.

1.Enriching Existing Course Materials

Apart from studying the writers’ crafts of the course book texts, two songs and a poem were used to intrigue students into higher order thinking activities. Demonstration stations were organised in the classroom for display of learning. Students liked doing such activities because they (a) were allowed to choose the topic they considered meaningful; (b) found the process like real life experience as in working hard to create a product; (c) found satisfaction in doing research to make work done and perfecting the presentation ; (d) felt intellectually challenged; (e) working as a team and as an individual; and (f) enjoyed the critique sessions, at which deep learning happened.

An example, Frenemies, a course book unit in Oxford Advanced Exam Skills, is appended. (Appendix A)

2. Outing to ELEMENTS, a shopping mall

This was an experiential learning project organised to take English learning outside the classroom. The course materials are the shopping mall and a workbook. The purposes of the trip were to (a) learn to observe, specifics and details in particular, so that students could use them to justify their views; (b) translate the observations into organised thoughts and ideas; and (c) present the thoughts and ideas in an organised and sensible way.

The task of being observant began from the bus ride, at which students read and compared the traffic conditions between Tun Mun and Tsim Sha Tsui. Upon arrival at the destination, they had a walked around to get a general feel of the place and made note for comparison on “reading a district / community” for future discussion. They then located and appreciated the artworks, initiating casual discussion on how art pieces related to daily life and how they related to the business world. They watched window displays and noted down the characteristics for the task of comparing the advantages and disadvantages of on-line shopping and shopping in brick-and-mortar shops.

Before going for outing, some students thought of it as a silly venture for young kids. But after the visit, 99% found the experience special, intriguing, unforgettable, pleasant, joyful, terrific and impressive.

When touring around the mall, students were proactive and participative. They were intrigued by sculptures and the interior design and were enthusiastic in answering teachers’ prompting questions. They were thoughtful and resourceful when finding a topic for presentation, e.g., “Comparison between Online and Brick-and-mortar Shopping Experience”, “Relationship Between Artwork, Window Display and Layout of The Mall And Sales and Business”; “ELEMENTS as a Community”; “Is ELEMEMTS a Shopper’s Paradise”; “Art, Technology and Science in ELEMENTS”; “If I were a $100 Note, Where Would I Go”, and “Comparison between ELEMENTS and Shan King Shopping Centre”.

Students found the whole learning experience satisfying. They saw the idea of shopping from an angle they had never explored before and saw art in a different light. (new learning). The fact that they were allowed to choose their own topic of interest (ownership), collect information and analyse it for a sensible presentation (higher order thinking) made them feel empowered. They performed well during the display of learning session (the thrill-will-skill cycle).

The lesson plan is appended as Appendix B.

3. Musical (film) appreciation

Because of restrictions in the curriculum and school setting, opportunities for taking students to the outside world are rare. However, we can always bring the outside world into the classroom. And we did. We turned two musicals, Jesus Christ SuperStar and Les Miserables as course materials, intriguing students to explore the themes of (a) love, empathy and friendship, (b) social unrest and (c) living by rules and principals. Through appreciation of music and lyrics, students learnt reading between-the-lines (inference skills) and literary skills such as simile and metaphor, repetition and irony. The music provided the necessary “thrill” to set the mood, lead to discussions, and produce a natural cause for remember the lyrics (in English).

Students prepared for viewing event by researching on the background information and familiarizing themselves to the theme songs and shared with their peers (prior knowledge building and self-directed learning). They then watched the musical and took note as a double-entry journal activity (higher order thinking and self-directed learning). After watching, students engaged in character analysis, exploration of the themes and supported their views by citing the lyrics and the music (deep learning through interdisciplinary activity). Depending on the musical watched, students’ output included a cinquain, hot-seating discussion, a film review or a presentation at demonstration stations. Students did well.

Students’ active participation during “Hot Seat” and their creative ideas shown at the demonstration event were pleasant surprises for the teachers. They asked intelligent questions and put in enthusiasm and lots of efforts to make their presentation stand out. Students found the projects enlightening. They enjoyed the songs and found the lyrics a limitless resource of discussion.

Part of the lesson plan for Les Miserables is appended in Appendix C.

C. Impact and reflection

Teachers found the projects stimulating to their students and to their teaching. They were delighted to find that when given a platform, their students rose to the challenge. Improvement was evidenced among the average students. They became more confident and much more willing to engage in learning English. The repetition required during display of learning was an effective means for language learning. The visit to a shopping mall and the use of songs, poems and musicals as course materials expand the students’ world and provide talking points for them to use the language.

To make interdisciplinary projects, especially art-related ones, work, long term planning is required. Continuation and teacher development are crucial factors for success.