Session 5: Learning Vocabulary through Mindmap and Matching Exercise

Application 1: Mindmap

Some famous scholars mentioned, 'Human beings function because of their ability in categorization'. Other than surviving, categorization is also helpful in learning, especially learning English vocabulary.

In the following mindmap, students of the MbChB (GPS) program are going to learn some technical vocabulary items concerning different systems in our body.

You can access the mindmap via the following link:

https://bubbl.us/Mzg0NzY0OS83NjI4OTcxL2I0MmY4Y2NmM2RmZDNhODc5NmJkMjA0ODQ2MmQ4Mzg1-X?s=7628971





Application 2: Matching Exercise

In the following exercise, senior secondary students (or university students) are going to learn some names of institutions of their reputable teachers (or professors).

You can access the matching exercise via the following link:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/sfn0sfoh4ilyjnk/CUHK_Professor_Doctoral.htm?dl=0





Of course the matching exercise does not only restrict to matching something similar (or with same meanings) - It can also be used to match something distinctively different. In the following demonstration, a group of S6 students aiming at getting 5** in DSE English Language learn 5 pairs of antonyms.

You can access the link here:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/41vtxjjlqbxu1ki/Opposite_Adjectives.htm?dl=0









Session 4: Integrating Learning Vocabulary with Technology

Technology can actually be made good use for the facilitation of students' learning in English vocabulary. In the following paragraphs, 2 applications will be used as demonstration.


Application 1: Quizlet


Rather than using the flashcards provided by Longman Pearson, teachers can actually create their own flashcards to fit in their teaching of their own desired words. In the following Quizlet, students are going to learn some 'jargons' and 'technical terms' which are usually used in the Chinese University of Hong Kong campus.

 You can access the website via the following link: https://quizlet.com/_30g9kq


Application 2: JCross


One of the applications in HotPototoes, JCross allows teachers to create their desired crossword puzzle in the blink of an eye. In the following demonstration, some of the 'big group' names appeared in Shaw College Orientation Camps will be learnt by students. These words are generally very challenging and 'elegant', since they have been thought twice by the organizing committee of each 'big group'.

You can access the crossword puzzle via the following Dropbox link:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/bdppkaafsxbq443/Group_Names_in_Shaw_College_Orientation_Camps.htm?dl=0

Session 3: Creating Grammar Awareness Exercises using HotPotatoes

The following 2 grammar tasks are designed to raise S1 students' awareness on question formation in different tenses, since they are easily confused with the structures of questions in different tenses, for example, 'did you played the computer?', 'Is he goes to school by bus?', etc.

Task 1: Multiple Choice Questions on Question Formation in Different Tenses - Students will be tested on question formation on the following tenses: Simple Present, Simple Past, Present Continuous, Present Perfect

You can access the html file of this from the following Dropbox website:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/tgwiw8g9oem76lf/Question_Formation_in_Different_Tenses.htm?dl=0

Task 2: Rearrange to Form a Question - Students will be tested on forming a question adapted from the video game - Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 by rearranging the blocks. This echoes with the New Senior Secondary Elective Series - Learning English through Popular Culture.

You can access the html file of this from the following Dropbox website:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/0px8k7in3uriuyy/Question_Formation.htm?dl=0

Session 2: Investigating Language Using English Thesaurus

How can students benefit from the using of thesaurus?

Experienced (or even non-experienced) teachers always complain to students, 'I understand that you wanna convey the "blah blah blah" meaning(s), but you don't need to use the word(s) "blah blah blah" so often. See. How many 'blah blah blah' words have you used? Try to increase the variety of your vocabulary!' After hearing this, students will absolutely be puzzled: how can I improve my variety of vocabulary with you giving me a solution?

Thesaurus will be a way-out for this puzzle. Students type in the overused words, find out their synonyms, decide whether the intended meanings have changed in an unfavourable way or there are any changes in the grammatical structures, and substitute the overused words with the synonyms. That's how simple it is.

But of course, the process of making the decision whether the intended meanings have changed in an unfavourable way still requires the assistance and cultivation of English teachers.

In the following paragraph, a student has overused three words: 'nice', 'good', and 'like':

On the first day, we met our class teacher Mr Wong, we thought he would be very strict to us. After one week, we found Mr Wong was very nice! We like this secondary school and we like to be in 1A. This is a good school and 1A is very good. The teachers in this school are very kind and nice and our classmates are also kind, friendly and nice. We like each other very much.

With the help of a thesaurus, the above passage can possibly be changed into this:

On the first day, we met our class teacher Mr Wong, we thought he would be very strict to us. After one week, we found Mr Wong was very friendly! We love this secondary school and we *relish being in 1A. This is a wonderful school and 1A is very harmonious. The teachers in this school are very kind and welcoming and our classmates are also kind, friendly and gentle. We appreciate each other very much.

*As seen in the above passage, when we change the 'like' in 'like to be in 1A' to 'relish', it needs to be followed by a gerund/noun phrase. This may require teachers' professional help to students, especially students with lower ability.

Autobiography of Harold Lo

[The following layout is based on a reputable ELED alumnus, Casper T.K. Wong]

Harold F.W. Lo

 

Academic Qualifications:

• [Will Pursue] MSocSc (Psychology), The University of Hong Kong (2018-20)
• [Pursuing] BA (English Studies) & BEd (English Language Education), Minor in Psychology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong (2012-17)
• [Have Pursued] Summer Immersion Programme, University of York (2015) 
• [Have Pursued] Summer Exchange Programme, University of Victoria (2014)

Professional Qualifications:

• Registered Group Father, Shaw College Orientation Camp 2014, Shaw College, The Chinese University of Hong Kong
• Registered Shaw College Member (2012-17)
• Registered Resident, Student Hostel II, Shaw College, The Chinese University of Hong Kong (2013-16)

Work Experiences:

• Recognized Counsellor, Link Education Limited, Hong Kong (2016)
• Treasurer, Shawbeat Publication, Student Union of Shaw College, CUHK (2014-15)
• Welfare Officer, University YMCA Student Executive Committee, CUHK (2014-15)

Research Interests:

• Cognitive Learning in Vocabulary
• Students with Special Educational Needs

Session 1: CALL and Harold

Session 1: CALL and Me

I personally of course love information technology (IT) for fun, but whenever it comes to using IT, I remain doubted and skeptical, since IT is often badly connoted with 'playfulness', 'unseriousness'. My e-learning experience when I was a secondary school student only extended to using mobile dictionary for checking the pronunciations and meanings of unfamiliar English words (The Oxford Dictionary & Howjsay.com). That's it.

Throughout the 5 years of study in ELED program, I have been sensing the urgency (and somehow obligation) of using IT as an assistance in English teaching. The Education Bureau always emphasize that 'okay now the other countries are making good progress in integrating IT in education. Hong Kong as a well-developed city, we should be following this big trend blah blah blah...' And you can absolutely see the good intention from the government - to enhance the competitiveness of Hong Kong. However, we, still cannot get rid of the bad connotation between IT and playfulness, especially those teachers and me. That's the reason why I am taking this course as a preparation for myself for this trend in the education industry.

Let's see whether I will change my mind when this course finishes.




[This is Dr. Chan To, my respectable professor who taught me the course EDUC4130 IT in Education when I was in year 3]