CURRICLUM STUDIES IN ENGLISH MARKING SCHEME

                      UNIVERSITY OF CAPE COAST

                    CURRICULUM STUDIES IN ENGLISH

                                  MARKING SCHEME

 

QUES 1

Explain curriculum integration and discuss any 4 benefits of it

Integration curriculum came about when innovative educators concerned with theimprovement of students achievements were looking for ways to create a vibrant, relevant andengaging curriculum.

What is integration• Integration is the coordination of different teaching activities to ensure the harmoniousfunctioning of the educational process for more effective healthy manpower development.

What is Integrated Curriculum• An integrated curriculum is a curriculum that promotes teaching across disciplines or subjectsand pursuing learning in a holistic way.

 

BENEFITS OF AN INTEGRATED CURRICULUM1. Integrated curriculum makes significant connections between subjects or skills of different subject areas2. It improves learning experiences .3. It addresses the learning essentials objectives and values, apply differentiation modifications, outcomes and scope and sequence.4. It provides students , teachers and parents with a shared understanding of the roles within and across school contexts

5.It engages all students with diverse learning abilities and challenging learning experiences.6. It leads to better opportunity for creative teaching and learning activities.7. It provides more opportunity for teacher planning and supportive evaluation8. It provides strong value foundations which prepares learners for life success through their learning and education

9.It is delivered with strategies such as active learning , experiential learning, problem solvingand real life contexts.10.In assessment it provides learners a chance to demonstrate the extent and depth of their learning.

 

QUES 2

State all the types of Integration and discuss any two of them

Types of Curriculum There are four types or categories that offer a starting point for understanding the different approaches to integration.

1. Multidisciplinary Integration Approach: This approach focuses primarily on the (different)disciplines or subjects. Its used to organize standards from the disciplines around a theme. It also shows the relationship of different subjects to each other and to a common theme. To create multidisciplinary integrated curriculum Example 1. Social Studies:1. Develop a central theme focused on social studies2. Teach history ,geography, economics and government in that theme. Example 2. Mathematics:1. Develop a central theme focused on mathematics2. Teach fractions ,percentages , decimals and ratios in that theme. You may also achieve this by teaching the relationship between the topics or the subjects

 2. Intra disciplinary Integration Approach: This is when teachers integrate the sub disciplines within a subject area . For example in English language , we can integrate reading, writing and speech work. In social studies we can integrate history, geography ,economics and government. Intradiscipline integration is effective for specialism1. Individual teachers could specialize in the different subdisciplines of a particular subject area.2. Teachers should plan together to develop specific competencies and related concepts across the sub disciplines3. The different teachers should now teach the related concepts and competencies of the sub disciplines of the same subject area.

IMPORTANCE:

1. Teachers expect students to understand the connections between the different subject disciplines and their relationship to the real world.2. There is a positive impact on achievement.

 3. Interdisciplinary Integration Approach: Teachers organize the curriculum around common learnings across disciplines• They chunk together the common learnings embedded in the different disciplines to emphasize interdisciplinary skills and concepts.• It is a method used to teach a unit across different curricular disciplines eg. Literature , Science and Social studies teachers might work together to form an interdisciplinary unit on nature natural disasters etc.

Example 1

1. In a physics class ( which is Science)the teacher is teaching how to make wind and rain machines while learning language skills.2. The students will learn the interdisciplinary skill of communication which are thinking and writing in a structured and coherent way and research skills3. The teacher will also focus on big ideas in the concepts of evaporation, condensation and thermal energy.These concepts transfer to other lessons beyond wind and rain machines.• As a result the physics lesson develops a higher level ofthinking than if students focused on the wind and rain machines only.Example 2

• Students can work interdisciplinary projects that integrate laptop computers

 4. Trans disciplinary Integration Approach:  This is when teachers organize curriculum around students questions and concerns.

• Students develop life skills as they apply interdisciplinary and disciplinary skills in a real life situation .There are two ways to achieve Transdisciplinary integration ;1. Project –based learning2. Negotiating the curriculum 

Project Based LearningIn this method ,students tackle a local problem.Some call it problem –based learning or place-based learning.Planning a project –based curriculum involves three steps;. Teachers and students select a topic of study based on students interest, curriculum standards and local resources.. The teacher finds out what the students already know andhelps them to generate questions to enable them explore.. Students share their work with others in a culminating activity . They then display the results of their of their exploration and review and evaluate the project.

2. Negotiating the curriculum

In this type , students questions form the basis for curriculum.In other situations students develop their own curriculum , teaching methods, and assessment around the areas of interest to them.

 

QUES. 3

Identify any three teaching methods you will use in your English class.Give your reason for choosing to use these methods.

i. Teacher-Centred Approach to Learning: With this method, the teacher is the main authority figure in a teacher-centred instruction model and students are viewed as ―empty vessels‖ who passively receive knowledge from their teachers through lectures and direct instruction, with an end goal of positive results from testing and assessment. In this style, teaching and assessment are viewed as two separate entities; student learning is measured through objectively scored tests and assessments. Teacher is seen as master of the subjects. Example includes Lecture Method.  

ii.Student-Centred Approach to Learning: With this the teacher‘s primary role is to coach and facilitate student learning and overall comprehension of material, and to measure student learning through both formal and informal forms of assessment, like group projects, student portfolios, and class participation. In the student-centred classroom, teaching and assessment are connected because student learning is continuously measured during teacher instruction. The teacher is also a learner, participation of the students, the teacher learns as he teaches.  

iii. High Tech Approach to Learning: Advancements in technology have propelled the education sector in the last few decades. As the name suggests, the high tech approach to learning utilizes different technology to aid students in their classroom learning. Many educators use computers and tablets in the classroom, and others may use the internet to assign homework. The internet is also beneficial in a classroom setting as it provides unlimited resources. Teachers may also use the internet in order to connect their students with people from around the world. Below are some tech tools used in classrooms today: . G Suite External link (Gmail, Docs, Drive, and Calendar) . Tablets/laptops . Gamification software (such as 3DGame Lab External link and Class craft External link ) . Education-focused social media platforms . Technology for accessibility External link for students with disabilities  

iv.Low Tech Approach to Learning/ Kinesthetic Learning: While technology undoubtedly has changed education, many educators opt to use a more traditional, low tech approach to learning. Some learning styles require a physical presence and interaction between the educator and the student. Additionally, some research has shown that low-tech classrooms may boost learning. For example, students who take handwritten notes have better recall and spelling and writing mastery than students who take typed notes. Ultimately, tailoring the learning experience to different types of learners is incredibly important, and sometimes students work better with a low-tech approach.

 

QUES. 4

Writes short notes on the following

a.Subject Centred curriculum: Subject-centered curriculum design revolves around a particular subject matter or discipline. For example, a subject-centered curriculum may focus on math or biology. This type of curriculum design tends to focus on the subject rather than the individual.

OR

Subject matter is the most used and accepted curriculum Design, it is also the oldest curriculum Design. We see the earliest example in the medieval era in the Middle Ages the monastery and Cathedrals and the organizations of the seven liberal arts in the schools of ancient Greece and Rome. The seven liberal arts were consisted of two divisions:1. Trivium2. QuadriviumThese subjects were broad. In the modern period the Trivium was further divided to include literature and history and the quadrivium to include algebra, trigonometry, geography, botany, zoology, physics and chemistry. In this manner subjects added one after the other so much so that in 1930 there were over 300 different subjects.After centuries the curriculum design of the seven liberal arts are still the nucleus of the subject curriculum. In a subject base curriculum every subject is separate unit. In this kind of curriculum four or five subject are placed in curriculum and each subject has a separate teacher. Every teacher try to teach his own subject, no one intervene in the subject of other

 

b.Teacher Centred curriculum: Teacher-centered curriculum refers to a body of assumptions about the purposes of education, beliefs about knowledge, learners, and learning observable in teacher behaviors and classroom practices. 

c.Learner Centred curriculum: This design aims to customize the curriculum as per the needs of the student. Its core philosophy is that each student is unique and there is no standard curriculum which can fit all of them.Differentiated instruction plans can be prepared to suit each student as per their requirement. But since there is a constraint of time and also to figure out what each student needs uniquely this method also has its disadvantages. 

d.Activity/Experience curriculum: The experienced curriculum refers to how the child responds to, engages with, or learns from the events, people, materials, and social or emotional environment of the classroom. The concept of experienced curriculum is not synonymous with either child-centered curriculum or teacher-centered curriculum. 

SEMANTICS

LAST HOUR QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ON SEMANTICS

In communication, apart from miscalculations and misconstruing, ‘speaker meaning should be equal to hearer meaning. This means that...…… 
ANS: When the speaker says something, he makes meaning and get understood by the hearer while the hearer in turn makes meaning and gets understood by the speaker because meaning is shared or it is a common property of one speech community.

‘‘Linguistic semantics is the study of the systematic ways in which languages structure meaning in words and sentences’’ True/False…. ANS: TRUE

What are the two ways in which many writers have investigated to explain the meaning of what we call ‘‘meaning?’’ ANS:  The meaning of meaning by the noun ‘‘meaning’’ and the verb ‘‘to mean’’
………. critically looked at the meaning of ‘meaning’ using both the noun ‘meaning’ and the verb ‘to mean’ in their investigation
ANS: Ogden and Richards (1962)
……. claim that ‘meaning of meaning’ is the definition of something b. (Palmer, 1982). (Finegan and Besmer,1989), Ogden and Richards (1962:186-7). ANS: Finegan and Besmer (1989)
The listing of the defining features of an entity is called…..
Ans: componential analysis.
Using Ogden and Richards semiotic triangle, explain the following terms: (i) symbol (ii). Thought (iii). referent. 
The symbol is a word, a phrase or a sentence -  written or oral). The thought or reference. The physical entity or real experience becomes the referent. 
Conceptual meaning can also be referred to as…. ANS: Denotative meaning

What are the two main kinds of meaning? ANS: Denotative and connotative (associative meaning)
The primary meaning of words found in dictionaries are……………….

How does a word achieve a connotative meaning? 1. Through repetition 2. Momentous ( occurrence of one important incident)
Conceptual meaning is associatively and stylistically neutral (True or False) False

Bad smell and the ugliness of sight are part of the sense of faeces in many cultures. With this strong association, the mention of faeces gives the idea of pungent smell and the ugly, repulsive sight. What type of meaning is present here? -Reflected

While Akosua was eating, Adamu mentions feaces; immediately, Akosua winces and stops eating. What type of meaning does Akosua get?- Reflected

Utterance meaning depends on certain factors. Mention two.-= Participants, time, event, speaker’s gestures and facial expressions, things said before and after a text, etc

State one way a word meaning contributes to sentence meaning?= It is the totality of meanings of individual words that give us sentence meaning.

Mention one way sentence meaning contributes to word meaning = Sentence meaning helps in identifying the meaning of most function words and morphemes.
Mention two problems associated with words. ANS: I.Lack of uniformity in the demarcation of word boundaries. II. Word seems to be boundary by rules of writing instead of the consideration of meaning

Instead of saying, ‘the car hit the boy, the speaker says, ‘‘the boy was hit by the car’’ What kind of meaning is derived the above similar statement= Thematic meaning.

The semiotic triangle helps in componential analysis. (True or False)

Mention two characteristics of word . ANS: i. A word does not permit interruption, ii. words are the smallest mobile units of language

What is lexical relation? = It is the connection, association or relation that exists between one word and another. 

Ama is shorter than Esi is an example of which type of which lexical relation? ….Graded or Gradable antonyms

Male -female, True -false, is a type of which Complementary antonym 

What are homonyms? They are words that sound alike but are different in meaning.
Buy-bye, read-reed, her-hair, are examples of…. Homophones

WHAT IS HOMOGRAPHS?
What is the difference between homonyms and homophones? 
Mosquito, cockroach, beetle, ant, are all …..of insect
……. is the capacity for a word or group of words to have multiple meanings or senses = Polysemy

MARKING SCHEME : SEMANTICS 

Question 1: Discuss the meaning of‘Meaning’.
Recommended answer:

Introduction: Candidates are expected to discuss the various attempts made in the literature to define meaning. The introduction should include a background showing that the definition of meaning is a problem in the discipline of linguistics and that various attempts have been made in the literature to define meaning (e.g. the survey of definitions by Ogden and Richards, Leech’s seven types of meaning, etc ). There are several ways the candidate can approach this question. There should be a thesis statement clearly focusing the topic and an advanced organiser indicating the issues that will be discussed.

Body: Students are expected to discuss some the various ways in which meaning has been categorised and defined in the literature. The following aspects of meaning are expected to be discussed (students will be expected to acknowledge the many definitions in the literature and discuss at least four for a full mark):
Denotative/referential/conceptual meaning
Connotative meaning
the seven types of meaning identified by Leech: conceptual, reflected, collocative, affective, stylistic, thematic, and social meaning.
word meaning, sentence meaning, utterance meaning
Alternatively, a candidate may also decide to discuss the different theoretical approaches to meaning: traditional semantics, behavioural semantics, generative semantics, contextualism, mentalism, etc.

All points raised in the body should be illustrated and illustrations clearly explained for a full mark.
Conclusion: The conclusion should restate the thesis of the essay. Candidates are expected to summarise the points discussed and reiterate that it is difficult to identify a single definition of meaning and that various attempts have been made in the literature to define meaning only some of which could be discussed in the essay.

Question 2: With examples, discuss four ways by which context is useful in determining meaning.
Recommended answer:
Introduction: Candidates are expected to define context and identify the different types of context (i.e. co-text and situational context). They may also (or may not) highlight some characteristics of context such as relevance, indeterminacy, continuity, context as shared knowledge, etc. There should be a thesis statement clearly indicating that the purpose of the essay is to discuss four ways in which context is useful in determining meaning and an advanced organiser identifying the points to be discussed.

Body: Students are expected to discuss any four of the following. Please accept other relevant points from other sources:
to disambiguate structures
to supply the meaning of elliptical constructions
to supply referents/antecedents of deictic elements
to determine the definiteness of referring expressions
to determine class and function of language items
to determine the locution of an utterance
All points raised must be clearly illustrated and the illustrations explained to show how context is needed to determine/clarify meaning.

Conclusion: The conclusion is expected to restate the thesis of the essay and summarise the four points discussed. The candidate is expected to reflect on the importance of context in determining meaning.

Question 3: Using relevant examples, examine four causes of ambiguity.
Recommended answer:

Introduction: Candidates are expected to define ambiguity as a semantic problem: “the semantic situation in which one form ... has two or more meanings” (Sekyi-Baidoo, 2002: 129). A good candidate may acknowledge that ambiguity is a natural property of language. Candidates are also expected to identify the different types of ambiguity: lexical, referential and structural or intentional versus unintentional. There should be a thesis statement clearly indicating that the purpose of the essay is to discuss four causes of ambiguity. Candidates are free to select points from any of the three types of ambiguity or choose all the four points from one general type of ambiguity (e.g. structural ambiguity). Candidates are also expected to identify the four points to be discussed in an advanced organiser.

Body: Candidates are expected to discuss any four of the following as causes of ambiguity:
Lexical ambiguity
homonymy
multiple connotative meaning
confusion of juncture, etc.
Structural ambiguity
Modification
Confusion of head
Dangling modifiers
Confusion of grammatical form/function, etc
Pronoun reference
All points raised must be clearly illustrated and the illustrations explained to identify the two meanings involved in the ambiguity. A good candidate will suggest how the ambiguity can be resolved (where necessary, e.g. in the case of dangling modification).

Conclusion: The conclusion is expected to restate the thesis and summarise the four causes of ambiguity discussed. Candidates are expected to reiterate that ambiguity is a natural property of language.

Question 4: With good illustrations, discuss four kinds of semantic change.
Introduction: Candidates are expected to define semantic change - the process by which there is a shift in meaning in the language. A good candidate will identify that semantic change is a natural property of language. An illustration may be given to clarify the definition. There should be a thesis statement clearly indicating that the essay will discuss four kinds of semantic change. An advanced organiser identifying these kinds of change is expected.
Body: Candidates are expected to discuss any four of the following (please accept other relevant points outside this list):
Narrowing
Broadening
Amelioration
Pej oration
Metaphorical change
Weakening
Derivation
Borrowing
All points raised must be clearly illustrated and the illustrations must be explained to show the process of change involved.

Conclusion: The conclusion is expected to restate the thesis and summarise the four kinds of semantic change discussed. Candidates are expected to reiterate that semantic change is a natural property of language.





 

Post a Comment

Feel free to comment

Previous Post Next Post