Project-based extension activities 


I used to teach all-English programs to elementary school children for years. To me, the primary purpose of learning languages is always communication. The learners  use the particular language they learn not only to express themselves but also explore the world.  Considering their age and interest, adding project-based extension activities after completing provide full informal assessment for me as well as increase their motivation of learning. 


Since English is not their first language and the classroom is probably the only place they have full langage exposure, I always plan the project with all the details, including key goals, required resources and material, and timeline. I also carefully design the procedures because it usually takes several weeks to complete the task. The other core value of PBL is collaboration. Thus, when I group up my students, I pay extra attention to their personalities and capability, to ensure they can all make some contribution to the team. Also, I like to publicize their products at the school, to increase their motivation as well as the sense of self-achievement. 


Here is an example of “ the Solar system” I did with grade 2 EFL learners in Taiwan a few years ago. 


Background instruction


I had a class of 12 grade 3 young EFL learners who had been attending a whole-English program since 3 or 4. With 12 hours intensive English classes a week, their foundation of language proficiency was almost equally the same level of the native English speakers. 


The Solar System project


One of the units was about Space. I thought making a solar system would be an interesting project as well as an informative assessment since it would cover not only the content taught but also the English proficiency on their grade level. I also grouped them as small teams for communication, collaboration and problem-solving purposes. 


Step 1 Planning and preparation 

First of all, I made a plan with details, including the expected outcome, which is a full size poster with a brief description of each planet. I estimated how much time it might take and implemented my lesson plans. I also collected all the materials for making a poster as well as the possible questions to guide them for doing mini research. 


Step 2 Brainstorming and researching

I told the class we were going to make a poster of the solar system and explain how we would complete it. I believe by giving students clear goals helps them perceive the outcome and increase their motivation as well. 


Then we started the initial research by watching some videos and made the think-web by brainstorming the questions that help us learn about a planet. I used the sun as an example to generate the questions. How big is the sun? How heavy is the sun? What is made of the sun? We came up with 10 essential questions in a class discussion. They copied the questions on their notebook and talked to their team which two planets they wanted to write about. They had to do mini research at home to answer the questions. 


Step 3 Creating content

I also had all the books about the solar system with photos and other materials ready for the poster. We dedicated an hour on making the poster weekly, and it took us a month to complete the project, including painting the background of the Space, the color of each planet and fixing them on the poster. 


Meanwhile, I guided them how to write a brief paragraph about the planet they had chosen. We did the first draft, revised one and the final copy for publishing. The writing parts were assigned as homework. They shared their writing with their team in the group discussions and did the proofreading for each other. 


Step 4 Assembly and presentation

We combined visual and written components into a cohesive poster.  I also talked to the school where to showcase the posters. All of my students had gained a great sense of self-achievement. Time to time, I saw them introduce the poster to other students with pride and smiles. 


To implement extension activities requires detailed planning and it does add extra work for a teacher on their regular curriculum. However, it not only advances students' language proficiency but also enriches their learning experiences. It is definitely a worthy investment for young learners.  





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