Module:	Study, School Life and Work
Unit:		Through Students’ Eyes
Unit:		Part-time Work?
Project:	International Student Exchange Programme

Description
Learners apply for a scholarship for an international student exchange programme. The written application is followed by an oral interview.

In carrying out this project with learners, teachers may want to organize the tasks within the project into stages. The following structure is a suggestion only. Teachers may want to make necessary adjustment.

Stage 1		Scene setting

Ask learners to imagine that they want to study overseas. Then ask where they would like to study. 

Explain what an international student exchange programme is, and tell learners that they now have a chance to win a scholarship to study abroad as an exchange student. To enter for the scholarship, first they need to complete an application saying why they think they should get the award. Then they need to attend an interview. 

Stage 2		Topic introduction / familiarization

With reference to some selection criteria, discuss what information should be included in the application. Suggest that learners can draw on the information they obtained from the tasks in Unit 1 (“Through Students’ Eyes”) and Unit 2 (“Part-time Work?”), and add any other relevant information, e.g. participation in extra-curricular activities.

 Stage 3	Information collection

Advise learners to go to libraries, use the Internet, etc. to find out information about (a) the country where they would like to study, and (b) the educational system of that country. Explain that learners should use the information they have found when producing the written application and attending the oral interview later.

Stage 4		Writing the application

Working individually, in pairs or in groups, learners write up an application to apply for the scholarship.

Stage 5		Attending the oral interview

Brainstorm questions which can be asked in the oral interview.

Divide learners into groups of six. Two of the learners play the role of interviewers while the other four learners are interviewees. The interviewers study the written applications of the interviewees and conduct a group interview. Their task is to select the most suitable candidate for the scholarship.

Stage 6		Presentation and sharing

Each interview board explains before the whole class who they have selected for the scholarship and why.

Stage 7		Reflection

Learners discuss what they have learned and any difficulties they had while doing the project. They make suggestions about how they can do a similar project better in the future.

5 Fundamental Intertwining Ways of Learning and Using Knowledge
	Communicating	(Learners write an application for an International Student Exchange Programme and attend an oral interview.)
	Conceptualizing	(Learners organize their knowledge about living and studying overseas, and ways of adjusting to a new school and social life; they build up concepts on what good application letters should cover and ways to prepare oneself for an interview.)
	Inquiring	(Learners find out, construct and use knowledge about (a) the country where they would like to study and (b) the educational system of that country.)
	Reasoning	(Learners justify why they think they should get the Student Exchange Award, both in the written application and in the oral interview.)
	Problem-solving	(Learners identify and analyze the purpose of the Student Exchange Award, apply their knowledge of the country they intend to study and write a convincing application and present relevant information in an interview.)

Learning Targets (KS4) (Only relevany parts of the Learning Targets in the syllabus are presented below)
To develop an ever-improving capability to use English
�h	to justify points of view about feelings, interests, preferences, ideas, experiences and plans (IDb)
�h	to obtain and provide information in a wider and more complex range of real and simulated situations (IDe)
�h	to provide or find out, select, analyze, organize and present information on familiar and unfamiliar topics (KDa)
�h	to interpret and use more extensive and complex information through processes or activities such as describing, explaining, justifying, summarizing, synthesizing, drawing conclusions (KDb)
�h	to identify and discuss ideas in spoken and written texts, make connections, refine or generate ideas, express or apply them (KDc)
�h	to develop and refine ideas by making appropriate revisions to own written texts independently and collaboratively (KDe)
�h	to understand how the English Language works in a wide range of contexts and how more complex texts are organized and expressed; and apply this understanding to one’s learning and use of the language (KDf)

Learning Objectives
	Text-types
	brochures
	descriptions
	tourist guide books
	government publications
	Internet information / web pages
	formal letters / reports
	
	Vocabulary
	Names of countries, school activities, and benefits of studying overseas as an exchange student

	Language Items & Communicative Functions (KS4)
	e.g.	Use the simple present tense, gerunds, conditionals, etc. to make general statements about the world and “universal truths”
		Singapore is much closer to Hong Kong than Australia.
	e.g.	Use a variety of tenses, passive voice, reported speech, adverbs, etc. to refer to events in the past, present and future and to the frequency with which things occur.
		I have been a member of the English Club since I was an S1 student.
	e.g.	Use adjectives, adjective phrases, common expressions, etc. to describe one’s feelings and responses to happenings and states of affairs in some detail
		I was overjoyed when I was elected the Best Student of the Form last year.
	e.g.	Use adverb phrases, adverb clauses of reason, etc. to justify one’s behaviour
		I watch English TV programmes every day so as to improve my English.
	e.g.	Use common expressions to seek information and respond to enquires
		Sorry. Can you repeat your question again?

  Language Skills
1.		Reading (KS4)
		Understand, interpret and analyze different written texts
				-	use linguistic and contextual clues and general knowledge to determine meaning of the written text
				-	appreciate the stylistic variations between text-types
2.		Writing (KS4)
		Present information, ideas and feelings clearly and coherently
				-	plan and produce coherent and structured texts
				-	use appropriate linguistic and structural devices, a variety of structures and range of vocabulary to achieve desired purposes
				-	organize and integrate information and ideas, and write texts appropriate to the purpose and context of a project
3.		Speaking (KS4)
		Present information, ideas and feelings clearly and coherently
				-	present feelings, views and arguments with suitable reasoning, suggestions and strategies
				Participate effectively in an oral interaction
				-	solicit sharing of experiences, views, attitudes and values
			
  Language Development Strategies (KS4)
	-Develop thinking skills
�Y	use reasoning skills
�Y	generate criteria and principles for action and judicial thinking
	-Develop information skills
�Y	collect and store information systematically in the form of notes, records, computer discs, etc.
�Y	adapt materials, text-types, etc. for supporting and illustrating various topics
	-Plan, manage and evaluate own learning
�Y	set meaningful and realistic goals and determine what information or resources are necessary for completing a task
�Y	schedule one’s study and maximize the fruitfulness of one’s time and efforts
�Y	make arrangements for broadening and deepening of one’s learning
	-Develop self-motivation
�Y	developing endurance and tolerance in the face of hardships
	-Work with others
�Y	communicate to the point, explain precisely and clearly, describe with colour, motion, emotion and beauty

  Attitudes
	-	Keenness to participate in activities leading to improvement of knowledge and skills in the language (KS1)
	-	An awareness of the potential influences (both positive and negative) of language use on other people’s feelings and direction of thinking (KS3)