Using the integrated curriculum to teach unit 16 “historical places”, english 10 with a view to raising students’ awareness of the need to protect historical place

TABLE OF CONTENTS CONTENT Part Page Introduction 1.1 Reasons for the study 1.2 Aims of the study 1.3 Contribution of the study 1.4 Methods of the study 1.5 Scope of the study Development Theoretical background 2.1.1 What is integated curriculum? 2.1.2 What is CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning)? The study 2.2.1 Suggest a lesson plan of Unit 16: “Historical Places”, English 10 2.2.2 Knowledge from subjects integrated for solving the topic in the lesson 23 2.2.3 Result after applying the research 28 2.2.4 Suggested some solutions and implications 31 Conclusion 31 Reference 33 Appendix 34 Part 2.1 2.2 Part PART INTRODUCTION 1.1 Reason for the study Currently, English has become the most popular language all over the world and it is considered as the officially international language Although English is not the largest number of native or first language speakers, it is widely used by many people as their second language to communicate with others from different cultures In addition, English is an important language for all kinds of professional and personal goals Its importance in the global market place cannot be understated Learning English really can change our life Although learning English can be challenging and time consuming, we can see that it is also very valuable to learn It can create a large number of opportunities and increase our chances of success Because of its essential role, English has not only been gradually taught in most of schools but also become the core and compulsory subject in the National Examinations in Viet Nam and many different countries in the world With such a trend of development, learning English is, therefore, important than ever before However, in Viet Nam, many students are not fully interested in learning English in class Their favourite subjects can be maths, physics, geography, literature…but they find no motivation to learn English, even students in gifted classes such as 10A1 or 10D1 Most students show their depression while learning and they not pay attention to what teacher are saying Some even maths exercises or read history books during English lessons It is challenging for teacher to draw all students’ attention in the class to the lesson, especially weak students or those who are not interested in English If English lessons are just something about pronunciation, vocabulary and grammar structures only and they have no connection with real life or things that attract students, they seem to be quite boring and sleepy From this fact, I often wonder why English teachers not integrate the knowledge in different fields such as several maths concepts or some historical events to solve the topic of a certain English lesson since they somehow appear to have a relationship This will create opportunities for students to show their knowledge in various subjects and make them more interested in the lessons as well Nowadays, the integrated curriculum has been gradually used at some schools in cities; however it is still a new concept to the teachers in rural area I have tried applying this technique in teaching several units in English 10 at my school and it seems to bring successful results When I teach through an integrated curriculum, my students show higher signs of attention to the lesson and more active cooperation with others than when an integrated curriculum is not implemented This is attributed to the fact that they are able to more closely relate to content and make real-life connections in integrated curriculum approaches Students not only connect and create more real world connections in integrated classrooms, but they are also more actively engaged The fact shows that through many periods of English subject at school, teachers can take advantage of knowledge in some other subjects such as history, geography, literature, maths, etc…related to the topic of units in the textbook to produce interesting and effective lessons This is the reason why I deal with the topic: “Using the integrated curriculum to teach unit 16 - “Historical places”, English 10 with a view to raising students’ awareness of the need to protect historical places” in my studying By integrating knowledge of some other subjects such as maths, geography, history, culture, literature and civic education to teach unit 16, I expect that students will not only have opportunities to use the knowledge of other subjects to solve the topic but also learn more about the typical features of historical places; therefore, they will have positive attitude of appreciating the traditional values of the nation and raise their awareness of the need to protect our historical places as well Having applied this method, my students have studied more actively and effectively They are more motivated and interested in the subject My students are encouraged and they focus completely on the lesson They no longer feel stressful and bored during classes Therefore, the effectiveness of the lessons are much higher As an English teacher, I truly believe that this study would be a great contribution to my current teaching Of course, this study can not be perfect in limited time I hope that the contribution of my colleagues will bring it to perfection and be widely applicable 1.2 Aims and objectives of the study This paper sets the aims and objectives as follow: - Have a general brief of integrated curriculum and CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning) - To help students learn in free and flexible way - To make students more interested in English and more attentive to the lesson - To produce a dynamic and stimulating environment - To reduce students’ stress and pressure in English lessons - To help students understand the aim of their learning so as to raise students’ achievement - Bring an insight into Van Mieu – Quoc Tu Giam - Raise students’ awareness of protecting historical places in general and Van Mieu – Quoc Tu Giam in particular 1.3 Contribution of the study - For teachers: Creating an integrated curriculum means that teachers are charged with having to create challenging, fun, meaningful tasks that help students concentrate on the lesson and develop their skills Teachers will create an interesting English period with the integration of many other subjects that make students find it easier to access the lesson and get information As a result, the English lesson will become more exciting and efficient - For learners: Students not only connect and create more real world connections in integrated lesson but they are also more actively engaged They have a chance to show how master they are in other subjects by presenting related knowledge of maths, geography, history, culture, literature and civic education and life Moreover, familiar knowledge in these subjects, especially their favourite ones helps them more excited to take part in the lesson and confident to present their ideas As the matter of fact, applying knowledge of various subjects to solve a certain topic in English class proves its effectiveness Students not only gain more knowledge through the unit but also change their attitude towards English in a more positive way 1.4 Method of the study - Apply and adapt some essential knowledge from the workshops and classes I have participated in before - On the basis of my experiential learning and teaching - Cooperate with my colleagues to share the problems and get their useful supports - Make full use of a variety of materials and media - Implement the surveys among the 10 grade students to find out the necessary figures and solutions to the problems - Design a lesson plan of lesson A – Reading -unit 16: “Historical places” in English 10, which uses the integrated subjects to introduce knowledge of history, geography,…related to Van Mieu - Quoc Tu Giam 1.5 Scope of the study The students in grade 10 at my school PART DEVELOPMENT 2.1 Theoretical background 2.1.1 What is integrated Curriculum? An integrated curriculum is described as one that connects different areas of study by cutting across subject-matter lines and emphasizing unifying concepts Integration focuses on making connections for students, allowing them to engage in relevant, meaningful activities that can be connected to real life An integrated curriculum aims to connect the theory learned in the classroom, with practical, real-life knowledge and experiences The practical and experiential learning aspect of an integrated curriculum is facilitated through service-learning We can see the definition of the integrated curriculum from this picture 2.1.2 What is CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning)? CLIL, which stands for Content and Language Integrated Learning, refers to teaching subjects such as science, history and geography to students through a foreign language The term CLIL was coined by David Marsh, University of Jyväskylä, Finland (1994): "CLIL refers to situations where subjects, or parts of subjects, are taught through a foreign language with dual-focused aims, namely the learning of content and the simultaneous learning of a foreign language" The fact shows that the themes of the units in the textbook of English 10, 11 and 12 have a relationship with other subjects Therefore, using units in the textbook to introduce knowledge of other subjects brings about many benefits for both teachers and students 2.2 The study 2.2.1 Suggested a lesson plan of unit 16: Historical places, English 10 UNIT 16 : HISTORICAL PLACES SECTION A – READING (PERIOD 90) I TOPIC APPLYING THE INTEGRATED CURRICULUM TO TEACH UNIT 16 : HISTORICAL PLACES, ENGLISH 10 WITH A VIEW TO RAISING STUDENTS’ AWARENESS OF THE NEED TO PROTECT HISTORICAL PLACES II LEARNING GOALS By the end of the lesson, Ss will be able to improve: In term of knowlege - Understanding more information about Van Mieu – Quoc Tu Giam (Temple of Literature) + Its dynasty when it was built + The place where the historical place situated + The purpose of the construction + Its age + Time to complete + Architecture of the Temple of Literature + Some typical scenic features of the Temple of Literature - Knowing the knowledge of other historical places and suggesting ways to protect them Skills - Develop such reading micro-skills as scanning for specific ideas, skimming for general information, and guessing meaning in context - Practise working individually, in pairs and in groups - Practise observing and analysing maps - Using knowledge of other subjects (Mathematics, Physics, History, Geography, Civic Education and Cultural Knowledge, etc.) to explain some further information Attitudes - Having more positive attitude towards learning English in class - Raising awareness of protecting and maintaining historical places in the world in general and in Vietnam in particular III LEARNERS - Students from class 10D1, 10A7 IV TEACHING DEVICES - Using projectors, pictures, images, maps, handouts, video, diagrams, etc V ACTIVITIES AND PROCEDURES Stage/Time Teacher’s acitivities WARM-UP CROSSWORD PUZZLE (5ms) Students’ activities - T devides the class into small groups and introduce the game: You are going to work in groups to solve this puzzle about Van Mieu – Quoc Tu Giam in minutes Which group finish first will be the winner - Ss listen to the teacher - T might want to explain some new words in the questions E.g: “stelae” (question 2) and “dynasty” (question 8) - Ss work in groups to find out the answer as quickly as possible - T observes and check Down: What Quoc Tu Giam is considered to be The stone stelae are carried on the backs of these animals The city where Van Mieu – Quoc Tu Giam is located The site of the oldest university of Viet Nam The material to make the stelae Across: What took place in Van Mieu – Quoc Tu Giam in feudal time People come to see Van Mieu – Quoc Tu Giam The dynasty that founded Van Mieu – Quoc Tu Giam Answer: U T N O I R H V T A E X A M S O N R N T T O R S M O I I N E T E E S L Y U V I S S I I V PRE1 Answer the questions: READING - T uses the picture on page 166 in the textbook (8ms) to introduce the topic of the lesson - Ss look at the picture in the texbook - T asks Ss some questions: + What can you see in the picture? - Ss work individually and + Do you know this place? + Where is it located? answer the questions … - T instructs Ss to work individually and answer the questions Ss might want to use the information from the puzzle to answer - T calls on some Ss to present their answers Temple of Literature (Van Mieu-Quoc Tu Giam) Lead-in: Today we’re going to read a passage about Van Mieu – Quoc Tu Giam – a famous historical place in Viet Nam Preteach vocabulary: - Ss read - T asks Ss to look at the screen and pay attention to all the words underlined in red color through the passage, focus in the reading passage on the underlined words * VOCABULARY Van Mieu – Quoc Tu Giam is a famous historical and cultural site in Hanoi Originally built in 1070 in the Ly dynasty, Van Mieu was representative of Confucian ways of thought and behaviour Six years later, Quoc Tu Giam, the first university of Vietnam, was established on the grounds of Van Mieu Between 1076 and 1779, Quoc Tu Giam educated thousands of talented men for the country In 1482, Van Mieu became a place to memorialize the most brilliant scholars of the nation The names, places of birth and achievements of top students in royal examination were engraved on stone stelae These stelae, carried on the backs of giant tortoises, are still standing today and they attract great interest from visitors After more than 900 years of existences, Van Mieu is an example of well-preserved traditional Vietnamese architecture The banyan trees in Van Mieu , which witnessed festivals and examinations during feudal times, continue to flourish Van Mieu – Quoc Tu Giam is a site of national pride for Vietnamese people 10 Those who passed then came to Hanoi with their sleeping mats, brushes, and ink stones to sit for the four-part Thi Hoi The first part, called Kinh Nghia, was based directly on the Confucian classics For the second part of the examination, the Che Chieu Bieu, a candidate had to write as though he were the king, discussing matters of state The final part of the doctoral exam was the Van Sach, in which candidates were asked to comment on how to handle problems facing the country, drawing from their knowledge of the four classics and the history of previous dynasties Those who completed all four were conferred the title of doctor laureate (Tien si), and invited to the palace for the Thi Dinh, or palace examination Visitors can still see some trees which have been in Van Mieu for a long time Answer: T Evidence: The banyan trees in Van Mieu , which witnessed festivals and examinations during feudal times, continue to flourish POSTREADING (10ms) GROUP DISCUSSION: Topic: “What should we to protect Van Mieu – Quoc Tu Giam in particular and historical places in Viet Nam in general ?” - Ss work in - T asks Ss to work in four group and discuss present condition of Van Mieu – Quoc Tu Giam groups and and suggest ways to protect and preserve it and discuss the topic other historical places in Viet Nam as well - Ss may use knowledge in - Tcalls on representatives of groups to present their ideas in front of the whole class Civic education 22 - T comments and gives marks and practical skills in life to solve the topic - Ss present their ideas CONSOLI DATION - T summarizes the main points of the lesson - T asks Ss to learn by heart the new words (2ms) - Ss take note - At home Ss write a passage (100-120 words) about your favorite historical place in Vietnam - Prepare for part B- Speaking 2.2.2 Knowledge from subjects integrated for solving the topic in the lesson - Geographical Knowledge Students use maps to find out the location of Van Mieu – Quoc Tu Giam 23 (Khanh Ly, is using geographical knowledge to locate Van Mieu – Quoc Tu Giam on the maps) - Historical Knowledge Students use the knowledge about the dynasties in Vietnam to know about the time when Van Mieu – Quoc Tu Giam was buit, the King who founded it Moreover, students can use all knowledge of history to talk about the first uniniversity of Vietnam, the purpose of building Van Mieu – Quoc Tu Giam and the use of the stelae carried on the backs of giant tortoises (Ho Hien is talking about King Ly Thanh Tong by applying knowledge of History – her favourite subject) 24 - Mathematical Knowledge Students use the knowledge of Maths to covert years into centuries (Students work in groups and convert years into century) 25 - Literature Knowledge Students use literature knowledge to explain the meaning of Van Mieu, a representative of Confucian ways of thought and behavior (Tu Uyen, a good student at literature, eagerly explains the meaning of Van Mieu – national pride of Vietnamese people) - Cultural Knowledge Students use their cultural knowledge about the Van Mieu – Quoc Tu Giam to explain its architecture, the meaning of stone stelae and why it becomes national pride of Vietnamese people (Ho Nguyet is presenting the meaning of stone stelae in Van Mieu, using practical knowledge she got from her visit to Van Mieu last summer) 26 - Knowledge of Civic Education and Life Students have chance to raise their awareness of the need to protect and preserve historical places through images of current status of some historical places and know their responsibility towards this matter (Students work in groups and suggest the ways to protect and preserve historical places) 27 2.2.3 Result after applying the research I have applied integrated curriculum to teach lesson A: Reading, unit 16, English 10 in classes 10D1 and 10A7 and obtained many achievements Students have increasingly desired English lesson, which they have ever felt bored with before Additionally, they become more creative and active in developing their reading and speaking abilities Specially, they have a chance to integrate some other subjects that they are interested in such as history, maths, geography in one English lesson As a result, they feel relaxed and love English lesson more Students are no longer under pressure when English lesson comes On the contrary, they are eager to welcome English classes, especially students who are good at a certain subject Integrated lesson, without question, brings teacher and students a large number of benefits, such as: providing a new and effective learning environment, making learning more relevant and engaging, nuturing creativity and imagination, raising interest and attention to the lesson and improving students’ skill… Obviously, using integrated subjects in an English lesson proves that it effectively helps to raise students’ achievement In the school year 2019-2020, I taught classes 10A1 and 10A6 lesson A: Reading, unit 16 I did not use these applications The number of students who pay attention to the lesson and show their excitement and interest is not high On the contrary, in the same year, when I taught classes 10D1 and 10A7 this lesson by integrating some other subjects, the figure is far higher The result of my work is illustrated in the following table: The students’ attitude towards the lesson (not applied the research) Class: 10A1 Number of students: 40 - Very good: 12.5 % - Good: 10 25.0 % - Average: 17 42.5% - Poor: 20.0 % 28 Very good Good Average Poor The students’ attitude towards the lesson (not applied the research) Class: 10A6 Number of students: 41 - Very good: 4.9 % - Good: 19.5 % - Average: 20 48.8% - Poor: 11 26.8 % Very good Good Average Poor 29 The students’ attitude towards the lesson (applied the research) Class: 10D1 Number of students: 40 - Very good: 20 50 % - Good: 12 30 % - Average: 17.5% - Poor: 2.5 % Very good Good Average Poor The students’ attitude towards the lesson (applied the research) Class: 10A7 Number of students: 42 - Very good: 15 35.6 % - Good: 18 42.9 % - Average: 16.7 % - Poor: 4.8 % Very good Good Average Poor 30 2.3.4 Suggested some solutions and implications The benefits of an integrated curriculum both for teaching and learning are enormous and undeniable For an integrated curriculum to be effective, the curriculum does need to be thought out and developed Here are a few steps that need to be considered when developing an integrated curriculum: - The 1st step: Select achievable learning outcomes - The 2nd step: Consider what service experiences are most likely to enable students to achieve the desired outcomes - The 3rd step: Approach potential community partners - The 4th step: Plan the experience in detail - The 5th step: Determine how you will prepare students for the experience - The 6th step: Select activities that are appropriate and meaningful for the students - The 7th step: Integrate critical reflection through experience - The 8th step: Address logistical issues - The 9th step: Develop a plan to measure the achievement of students and community outcomes - The 10th step: Seek closure, recognize and celebrate success By creating an integrated curriculum using service-learning, teachers are changing the teaching and learning experience for both the teacher and the learner Integrated curriculums allow students to have a deeper understanding of the course subject matter and how to apply the material that they have learned in the classroom in a real-world situation This ultimately helps prepare them for their future studies, career and life in general PART CONCLUSION Using the integrated curriculum and the CLIL to teach is not a new method However, in Vietnam, this has just been applied for recent years Obviously, integrating other subjects in class brings about many advantages and benefits for both teachers and students The most important meaning of this method is that it can make students or learners get information more easily and in more creative and active ways It can not be denied that students feel more attracted when learning English in a combination with other subjects The result after applying for students in class 10D1 and 10A7 clearly show that using integrated curriculum in teaching English firmly gains high effectiveness compared 31 to other traditional methodologies The most important result after this lesson is that student can get as much information as possible about Van Mieu – Quoc Tu Giam As a result, knowing the values of Van Mieu – Quoc Tu Giam helps students raise their awareness of the need to protect this historical relic in particular and others in Viet Nam in general, which definitely contributes to a better community I have carried out this method of teaching successfully two classes in school year 2019 - 2020 so I personally think that the most important things that contribute the success of the lesson are the preparations, enthusiasm, co - operation of teacher and students As far as I am concerned, integrated lesson not only helps encourage students to explore the new things and develop many skills for students in the lesson but also creates an exciting learning atmosphere This also helps students understand the aim of their learning so as to raise their achievement after the lesson I intend to continue and perfect this method of teaching in the next school years in different grades and other units Teachers can apply integrated curriculum widespread to teach units in English textbook of grade 10,11,12 to make full use of the benefits that this method brings I hope that this study will be beneficial to teachers and learners in teaching and learning English Nevertheless, there are inevitable shortcomings and mistakes in my study in such limited time I am glad to have more constructive opinions and helpful supports from my colleagues so that it will be more perfect and applicable 32 REFERENCE Tiếng Anh 10 - Nhà xuất giáo dục Thiết kế dạy Tiếng Anh lớp 10 - Nhà xuất giáo dục Thiết kế giảng Tiếng Anh 10 - Nguyễn Thủy Minh, Lương Quỳnh Trang Sách giáo viên Tiếng Anh 10 - Nhà xuất giáo dục Meeting standards through integrated curriculum, Susan M Drake and Rebecca C Burns Creating Standards-Based Integrated Curriculum: The Common Core State Standards Edition3rd Edition, Susan M Drake Di sản văn chương Văn Miếu Quốc Tử Giám, NXB Hà nội Hỏi đáp 82 Bia tiến sĩ Văn Miếu Quốc Tử Giám Hà Nội, NXB Quân đội Nhân dân Tham khảo số tài liệu mạng Internet - Nguồn: http://www.cambridgeenglish.org/images/168750-teaching-historythrough-english-a-clil-approach.pdf - Nguồn: http://www.onestopenglish.com/clil/what-is-clil/ - Nguồn: https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/article/clil-a-lesson-framework - Nguồn: http://study.com/academy/lesson/integrated-curriculum-definitionbenefits-examples.html 33 APPENDIX SURVEY FORM (For attitude towards English and English lessons of grade 10 Students) PHIẾU KHẢO SÁT Ý KIẾN (Về thái độ học sinh môn học Tiếng Anh học Tiếng Anh học sinh khối 10) Questionnaire: (Bảng khảo sát) You are: (tick the best answer) (Em là:) Student in gifted class (Học sinh lớp chọn) Student in basic class (Học sinh lớp bản) How long have you studied English? (tick the best answer) (Em học tiếng anh rồi?) years (3 năm) years (7 năm) More than years (Hơn năm) In your opinion, learning English is: (Theo em, việc học tiếng anh:) Very important (Rất quan trọng) Rather important (Tương đối quan trọng) Not important (Không quan trọng) Why are you learning English? (Lý em học Tiếng anh gì?) Because it is a compulsory subject (Bởi mơn học bắt buộc trường) Because you want to get a good job in the future (Bởi em muốn có cơng việc tốt tương lai) Because it is your favourite subject (Bởi mơn học u thích em) 34 Other ideas (Ý kiến khác) How is your attitude towards English lessons in class? (Thái độ em với tiết học Tiếng anh lớp nào? ) Very good (Rất hào hứng tập trung) Good (Khá hào hứng tương đối tập trung) Average (Chưa thực hào hứng tập trung) Poor (Khơng hào hứng chưa tập trung, cịn làm việc riêng học) If you don’t participate actively in activities an English lessons, the reason is: (Nếu em khơng tích cực tham gia hoạt động học Tiếng anh, lý vì:) You are nervous and embarrassed (Em cảm thấy e thẹn căng thẳng) You not speak English fluently (Em nói Tiếng anh không trôi chảy) The activities are not interesting and attractive (Các hoạt động học chưa thú vị thu hút) Your knowledge of English language is limited (Vốn kiến thức ngơn ngữ em cịn hạn chế) Other ideas (Ý kiến khác) Does teacher apply integrated lessons in class? (Giáo viên có áp dụng dạy có kết hợp kiến thức liên quan mơn học khác lớp khơng?) Yes (Có) No (Khơng) Do you think integrated lessons will help you improve your English skills and raise your interest in English lessons? (Em có nghĩ việc áp dụng kiến thức thực tế môn học khác học Tiếng anh giúp em cải thiện kỹ tăng hứng thú với học hay không?) Yes No 35 Do you get any practical knowledge that can be used in real life through English lesson or help you develop your soft skills? (Em có thu nhận kiến thức thực tế áp dụng đời sống giúp e phát triển kỹ mềm thông qua học Tiếng Anh hay không? ) Yes No Thank you for your participation and cooperation! 36 ... the integrated curriculum to teach unit 16 - ? ?Historical places”, English 10 with a view to raising students’ awareness of the need to protect historical places” in my studying By integrating... Suggested a lesson plan of unit 16: Historical places, English 10 UNIT 16 : HISTORICAL PLACES SECTION A – READING (PERIOD 90) I TOPIC APPLYING THE INTEGRATED CURRICULUM TO TEACH UNIT 16 : HISTORICAL PLACES,... Education and Life Students have chance to raise their awareness of the need to protect and preserve historical places through images of current status of some historical places and know their