Jenny's New Classmate

📝 Pre-viewing

1. Based on the video title “Jenny’s New Classmate”, what do you think the story might be about?

💡 Suggested answer: The story is likely about a new student joining Jenny’s class, possibly from another country or background, and the social dynamics that develop as they get to know each other. (Accept any reasonable answers.)

2. Below is one scene captured from the video. What kinds of challenges the boy might face in the story? (You may tick more than one box.)

A scene from the video: the new boy standing beside the teacher in the classroom

☐ Language barriers or misunderstandings

☐ Feeling lonely or isolated

☐ Academic struggles

☐ Cultural confusion

☐ Homesickness

☐ Social acceptance

☐ Understanding jokes or humour

☐ Other:

💡 (Students’ own answers.)

🎥 While-viewing

Watch the video “Jenny’s New Classmate”.

1. Refer to the video segment (Video Time: 00:33 – 00:46).

A split screen showing Jenny on the left and the toy on the right

(a) A split screen is used to display two segments side by side with the images of (i) (on the left) and (ii) (on the right) to highlight the (iii) similaritiesdifferences in their wishes. (*Circle the correct answer.)

(b) What is common in Jenny’s and the toy’s wishes?

💡 Suggested answer: Both Jenny and the toy wished for genuine friendship and connection. Jenny wished for someone who would enjoy her company while the toy wished for a real friend who could truly see him.

(c) Why do you think they had these wishes?

💡 Suggested answer: They shared these wishes because they both felt lonely and craved genuine connection. Jenny had lost her close friend Suki after she moved abroad, and the toy felt invisible and unwanted as being overlooked in the shop window. Both characters deeply yearned to be truly seen, valued, and included in authentic friendships.

(d) Who is the narrator of the story?

💡 Suggested answer: The angel is the narrator of the story.

2. Refer to the video segment (Video Time: 00:47 – 00:55).

A night scene: an angel in the top right shoots a trail of light across the sky over the city

(a) What do the arrow and light symbolise?

💡 Suggested answer: The arrow and light symbolise the angel granting Jenny’s and the toy’s wishes.

(b) What was the angel trying to do to help Jenny and the toy?

💡 Suggested answer: The angel was trying to fulfill wishes from people – specifically helping Jenny and the toy by linking them with someone who could enjoy Jenny’s company and truly see the toy.

🎥 While-viewing

3. Refer to the video segment (Video Time: 00:56 – 01:22).

(a) Listen carefully to how Jenny, Leon and other classmates spoke. Analyse how their tones reflected their feelings.

Leon

“Hello. I’m Leon. Let’s be friends.”

(i) Tone (You may tick more than one box.)

☐ warm

☐ nervous

☐ hesitant

☐ observational

☐ welcoming

☐ curious

(ii) Feeling

He felt .

💡 Suggested answer: He felt uncertain / anxious / worried about being accepted. (Accept any reasonable answers.)

Classmates

“Where’s he from?” “He looks shy.”

(iii) Tone (You may tick more than one box.)

☐ warm

☐ nervous

☐ hesitant

☐ observational

☐ welcoming

☐ curious

(iv) Feeling

They felt .

💡 Suggested answer: They felt interested / intrigued / inquisitive about the new student. (Accept any reasonable answers.)

Jenny

“Welcome to our school, Leon.”

(v) Tone (You may tick more than one box.)

☐ warm

☐ nervous

☐ hesitant

☐ observational

☐ welcoming

☐ curious

(vi) Feeling

She felt .

💡 Suggested answer: She felt empathetic and eager to include Leon in the class / community. (Accept any reasonable answers.)

4. Refer to the video segment (Video Time: 01:23 – 01:51).

(a) What were the two meanings of the expression “a walk in the park”?

Literal meaning:

walking in the park

Idiomatic meaning:

💡 Suggested answer: It means something that is very easy to do.

(b) Why was Leon confused after hearing the idiom “a walk in the park”?

💡 Suggested answer: Leon seemed confused because as a newcomer to the place, he was unfamiliar with English idioms and interpreted the phrase literally rather than understanding its figurative meaning of something being easy or straightforward.

An idiom is a group of words in a fixed order having a particular meaning (idiomatic meaning) that is different from the meaning of each word on its own (literal meaning). Idioms are commonly used in the English language for various purposes, such as making stories more engaging or colourful, strengthening or intensifying a point or capturing interest, especially in media and advertising.

(c) Throughout the video, you will notice several idiomatic expressions. Pay attention to how these expressions are used in various contexts. Try to find out the idiomatic meaning in the following examples:

Video Time	Idiom	Idiomatic meaning
0:26	“Suki, I wish you smooth sailing on your new journey.”	having a/an (i) experience
2:41	“We’ve got your back, Leon!”	(ii) somebody
2:53	“Yeah, you went above and beyond what we’d expected!”	(iii) expectations
3:14	“Friends should stick together through thick and thin.”	supporting each other in both (iv) and (v) times

🎥 While-viewing

5. Analyse the changes of Leon by completing the charts below:

Leon and classmates gathered around a desk in the classroom

Leon talking with a classmate in the corridor

Leon and classmates working together at their desks

Leon and a classmate running on the sports field

Leon and classmates sitting together outdoors

Leon and classmates in front of the Sports Day board

(Video time: 00:56 – 01:51)

(a) Leon:

looked (i) .
(ii) idioms (e.g. a walk in the park).
had (iii) barriers with his classmates.
felt (iv) acceptedtiredisolated . (Circle the correct answer.)

💡 Suggested answer: (i) shy / hesitant (Accept any reasonable answers.)

(Video time: 01:52 – 02:27)

(b) Leon:

learnt English and knew more about Jenny’s (i) through (ii) .
showed talent for (iii) .
was (iv) to participate in class activities.
built (v) with classmates.

(Video time: 02:29 – 03:02)

(c) Leon:

participated in a (i) with classmates.
looked more (ii) .
(iii) idioms (e.g. above and beyond).
felt (iv) acceptedtiredisolated . (Circle the correct answer.)

💡 Suggested answer: (ii) confident (Accept any reasonable answers.)

6. The arrow and light appeared again at the end of the video (Video Time: 03:18 – 3:22). What is the purpose of this repetition?

💡 Suggested answer: The arrow and light appeared again at the end of the video to show that the angel was still granting wishes. This time, the arrow seemed to aim at the viewers, suggesting that she was inviting the viewers to make wishes and she was ready to grant them, just as what she did to Jenny and the toy. (Accept any reasonable answers.)

7. Where do you think Leon came from? Find one piece of evidence from the video to support your answer.

💡 Suggested answer: Leon could be the toy from the beginning who wished “I wish I had a real friend who could truly see me.” (Video time 00:37). The evidence supporting this idea: both the toy and Leon expressed similar desires for genuine connection; the angel appeared right after the toy made its wish, then Leon mysteriously appeared as a new student immediately after the angel intervened; and Leon’s personality of spreading positivity aligns with a toy coming to life to bring joy. (Accept any reasonable answers.)

⭐ Activity completed!

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