Faculty Publications and Conference Presentations

by Eunice Tang and Venus Kam

Differentiated instruction starts with instructors who ‘mark/identify in both students and possible teaching strategies and make adjustments according to what will benefit students most and best facilitate learning in the classroom’ (Blaz, 2016).  

Before this term even emerged in our head, we were discussing our students in different course sections with contrastive learning styles and trying to put our heads together about what we can do more for quiet sections. Were they introverts? Did they prefer listening to speaking? And we even wondered if they had a lack of interest in learning? Should we give them more time to think? Should we let students contribute to the class in different media like polling and writing – not just speaking? Should we add some warm-up questions before the first questions in the lesson materials? 

This was our initial stage trying to identify the needs and possible teaching strategies for our students in different sections. As can be seen in the questions above, initially we considered students’: 

• Possibility of having different personalities; 

• Different learning preferences or forms of presentation; 

• Motivation for learning; 

• Readiness to contribute their ideas; 

• Reactions to interactive and digital technology; 

• Assistance needed for understanding the initial questions in the materials – and so on.   

The process does not stop here, and neither does Blaz (2016)’s definition: ‘they then develop and implement, bit by bit, the characteristics of a differentiated classroom’. This is followed by a stage of ‘development’ - ‘assessment, evaluation and reflection are the keys to finding what works and what doesn’t work, and trying to fix the latter’. 

Venus and I will share with you in the next article more about our application of these scholarship-informed principles in our classrooms.  

Reference:  

Blaz, D. (2016) Differentiated instruction: a guide for world language teachers. New York: Routledge   

By Eunice Tang and Venus Kam

(Link to Part 1- In Theory: https://project.cle.hkust.edu.hk/dps/differentiated-instructions-fit-class-sections-diversified-learning-styles-increase-their-learning)

While there is no single approach to differentiation, some basic principles can guide lesson planning and in-the-moment instructional adjustments. Tomlinson and Imbeau (2010) define differentiation as balancing attention to individual learners and curricular objectives. At its core, differentiation involves customizing the "content (what to teach)," "process (how to practice)," and "product (how to assess)" based on students' readiness, interests, and preferences to ensure appropriate challenges. 

Joseph et al. (2013) examined differentiated instruction with university students. As shown in Table 1 below, they outlined strategies like: 

• Varying content complexity, abstractness, and style of presentation; 

• Using flexible grouping, tiered assignments, and different levels of scaffolding to differentiate process; and 

• Employing rubric choice, self-assessment, and portfolio-based assessments to differentiate products. 

Note. Retrieved from “The impact of differentiated instruction in a teacher education setting: Successes and challenges,” by Joseph, S., Thomas, M., Simonette, G., and Ramsook, L., 2013 International Journal of Higher Education, 2(3), p.31-32. Copyright 2013 by Sciedu Press. 

As we found the above strategies insightful, we tried to experiment with them by incorporating some of them into our EAP (LANG1402 and LANG1403) classes. 
 
 

Our experiences in EAP classrooms 

Venus: 

Progressive EAP writing activity with the incorporation of differentiated instructions  

In one lesson on paraphrasing and summarizing in LANG1402, students had a 10-minute task to rephrase the sentence "Tom is tall" to practice varying expressions and patterns. 

I differentiated content based on class profiles. With a section with more passive students, I first introduced possible modifications like vocabulary, structure, and techniques to provide more guidance and scaffolding before the task. However, for the higher-proficiency students, they were given more flexibility and room to create as many sentences as they could without the need of pre-task scaffolding.   

I also differentiated the process. For the quieter class, each group produced one sentence using only one technique, and strategies could not be repeated across groups. I provided support when needed, and taught them how to use ChatGPT to generate ideas. Meanwhile, the more active class strove to create at least six varied sentences employing different language skills. 

The products were also differentiated. Passive groups recapped paraphrasing strategies employed after the task in a more general and simple way, e.g. changing the vocabulary, sentence patterns, word order, etc. But active groups were required to delve deeper and be more technical and specific in explaining which strategies they applied to their constructed sentences, e.g. changing the vocabulary specifically by using synonyms. This addressed uneven needs and engagement levels through gradual release of responsibility and customized expectations.  

Writings produced in the section with more passive students: 

Writings produced in the section with more proficient students: 

Implementing differentiation strategies in my LANG1402 classes yielded some promising successes but also created challenges that point to opportunities for improvement. Scaffolding content and employing small groups for the quiet class boosted engagement and performance, as evidenced by their enhanced comfort level and participation. Additionally, pushing the active class to generate varied complex sentences stimulated and elevated their thinking. However, finding the right balance of support and independence for varied learners, and planning distinct approaches within one lesson proved more difficult and time-consuming than anticipated. Going forward, differentiating key elements like gradually building skills over time for the quiet class, and varying concepts between lessons for the active class, shows potential to better optimize student experiences and outcomes. Collectively, these strategies addressed diverse needs but also highlighted the nuanced nature of differentiation requiring refinement. Tweaking aspects such as content coverage, activity sequencing and use of exemplars will help strengthen my ability to meet all learners where they are. 

Eunice: 

Differentiated instructions for peer feedback incorporating multimodality  

I would like to share one example of peer feedback to student presentations that worked well in my LANG1403 that can also be used in other courses. 

One of the most common ways for peer feedback is inviting questions and comments from the peers in a Q&A session after the student presentations. This type of ‘consecutive feedback’ (happens right after the presentation) is timely and easy for instructors to administer but fails to consider students who are less vocal or need more time to organize their answers. It also tends to involve contributions from just a handful of students given the time limit. 

To cater for different communication styles among the students, I changed the format of the Q&A and turned the ‘consecutive feedback’ into ‘synchronous feedback’, in which the peers can start as early as the beginning of the presentation to give feedback. Additionally, ALL the peers can contribute with a choice of media -- instead of just a few students -- by writing down their feedback or speaking during the Q&A.  

In a video sharing session of LANG1403 with 9 students (half the class), you can see that ALL the students (8 in the audience) participated in the feedback session and gave sound advice to the presenting student. 

References: 

Joseph, S., Thomas, M., Simonette, G., & Ramsook, L. (2013). The impact of differentiated instruction in a teacher education setting: Successes and challenges. International Journal of Higher Education, 2(3). https://doi.org/10.5430/ijhe.v2n3p28 

Tomlinson, C. A., & Imbeau, M. B. (2010). Leading and managing a differentiated classroom. ASCD. 

Eunice and I will share some more suggested interactive classroom activities in the next blog. Stay tuned!

In comparison to the longer tradition of business communication studies in the US and Europe, its study in Chinese contexts is less developed. In part this can be attributed to a state planned economy with little need for business communication in the western sense up to the introduction of economic reforms in 1978. However, as China’s economy has risen in a few decades from obscurity to being the second largest in the world, interest has increased dramatically. Three important strands of research within the study of Chinese business communication include: (1) L1 Chinese business communication; (2) intercultural studies of business communication; and (3) cross-cultural studies of business communication. In L1 Chinese business communication research a key theme which emerges is its use to build relationships. In written and spoken discourse, researchers highlight different language strategies used to construct interpersonal relationships. Given the status of English as the business lingua franca, intercultural communication research exhibits a bias in the examination of L2 English business communication of Chinese professionals. Chinese business communication has frequently been referred to as indirect or implicit in style. Studies examining East-West intercultural communication have often concluded that diverging styles of communication associated with the two cultural models have impacted the communication process and outcome. Within intercultural studies the ‘large-culture’ approach of examining national cultures has been criticised for promoting generalisations and stereotypes. To mitigate potential problems of this approach many scholars have adopted a ‘small-culture’ paradigm which abandons national or ethnic comparisons and instead explore smaller social groupings which exhibit cohesive behaviour. Lastly, cross-cultural studies which is distinct from intercultural studies in that instead of examining the interaction of cultures, it is the comparison of cultures when not in contact. Here, Chinese business communication has often been contrasted with the U.S. and like intercultural studies, scholars have often found distinct variations in the discourse of the two cultural models.

本书贯彻落实党的二十大关于“加快建设高质量教育体系，发展素质教育”的相关要求，落实立德树人根本任务，以《关于加强高等学校服务国家通用语言文字高质量推广普及的若干意见》为纲领，以职场新人需具备的专业素质为导向，以普通话口语为呈现方式，结合教育学、心理学等知识，融入中国传统文化和现代礼仪等内容，旨在提升学生的沟通能力、思维品质和综合素养。全书按照沟通与表达的难易程度由浅入深地进行设计，分为初级尝试、中级把握、高级探究3个项目，共18个沟通任务，每个任务下巧设案例导入、知识解析、方法突破、综合训练、自我评估等栏目，有机融入思政元素，突出职场模拟训练，注重沟通中的双向交流，强调语言表达的精确性、生动性、成效性，体现了能力目标与过程训练的结合，使学习者有抓手、见效快。 本书配套有知识拓展、沟通测试等资源，力图构建多样性、实用性和交互性的立体化教学空间。 本书既可作为高职院校沟通与口才、职业素养等课程的教学教材，也可供有意提升沟通能力的社会人士学习实践，亦可作为企业培训的指导用书。

British higher education institutions attract a large number of international students, especially Chinese students, to pursue degrees in the UK every year. This longitudinal mixed-methods study tracked the informal language contact and social networks of Chinese foundation program students in the UK for two terms. A Language Contact Questionnaire and a Study Abroad Social Network Survey were administered to 84 students and semi-structured interviews were conducted with 26 participants in the first term and the second term of study. Data revealed that the participants generally had a high percentage of L1 use, high academic L2 contact, and mainly L1 social networks during studying abroad, with little variation over the two terms. Their relationships with international friends were superficial and a vibrant international student community was not found. L2 topic multiplexity and online L2 contact frequency weakly predicted the total informal L2 contact at Term 1 and Term 2. This study underscores that degree-oriented SA participants may have different prioritization and leisure time routines compared with summer school participants or exchange students abroad. Thus, with an extra foundation year in the host country, the current sample seemed to prioritize academic preparation, rather than social integration.

Phrasal verbs are highly common in informal discourse among native English speakers, yet they pose extraordinary difficulty to second language (L2) English learners. Informed by usage-based theory, this mixed-methods study attempted to determine the relationship between the amount of out-of-class English exposure in study abroad and the phrasal verb knowledge of international adult students in the United Kingdom. It also brought foundation program students (i.e., students in a preparation course for university degrees), a previously under-researched study-abroad population, under the spotlight. One hundred and eighteen foundation program students at a British university completed a modified Language Contact Profile and a productive phrasal verb test. Nine students were interviewed to further unravel how they acquired phrasal verbs via informal language contact. Analyses revealed a significant positive relationship between speaking English with international friends and phrasal verb knowledge. Hierarchical regression identified that overall English proficiency, spoken input contact, and non-interactive language contact were significant predictors of phrasal verb scores. This study points to the importance of having meaningful, emotionally enjoyable, and regular L2 contact to formulaic language competence during study abroad.

This study aims to investigate the representation of gender and the presence of male dominance in spoken discourse in two selected English Language textbooks for junior high school year one students: Longman English EDGE (2nd Edition) 1A and 1B in Hong Kong, and New Horizon: English Course Book 1 in Japan, respectively. This research employs both qualitative and quantitative analyses to examine the content of dialogues in each unit. Key areas of analysis include the number of domestic and occupational roles assigned to male, female, and gender-neutral characters, the range of activities undertaken by these characters, the character initiating conversations, the occurrence of males, females and gender-neutral characters in dialogues, and the number of spoken words and turns by them. The findings indicated an improvement in gender equality in both textbooks in various aspects, compared with other earlier textbooks which were examined by other researchers (Lee & Collins, 2008, 2010; Lee, 2018). In terms of role allocation and activities, a relatively balanced representation of male and female characters was observed. Female characters demonstrated a higher frequency of initiating conversations and taking turns. The average number of words spoken per turn by male and female characters was similar in the LE1A and LE1B textbooks, but male characters still spoke more per turn in NH1 textbook despite female characters taking more turns. Moreover, LE1A and LE1B employed gender-neutral names to mitigate gender stereotypes but gender-neutral names were not utilized in the Japanese textbook, despite the author’s effort to achieve gender equality. Considering these findings, this study reveals that male characters were underrepresented in the textbooks in Hong Kong and suggests that it is crucial to enhance gender awareness among English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers, provide explicit gender-sensitive instruction, and establish specific guidelines by educational authorities to assist textbook authors in creating gender-inclusive educational materials.

Despite the growing interest in researching digital multimodal composing (DMC) in recent years, there were few attempts of tapping how assessments on DMC can best be devised to maximize students’ learning opportunities. To narrow this gap, this study proposed a set of product- and process-oriented classroom assessment rubrics that function as self-and peer-assessment tools for students when collaborating with each other to create DMC in online EAP contexts. During a four-week intervention with a veteran EAP educator, the rubric was tried out in her EAP classes as students worked in pairs to complete a DMC task. Its effectiveness was then evaluated based on the quality of student writings as well as their discussion, which was measured in terms of equality and mutuality. The product-oriented assessment rubrics was found to result in marked improvement in layout, navigation and rhetoric, whilst the process-oriented classroom assessment rubrics also enhanced both the equality and the mutuality of the collaborative process, as the dyads were inclined to establish a collaborative relationship during the task. These findings underscore the importance of using assessment rubrics as a formative assessment activity to help students harness the genre of DMC from different perspectives.

Nouns in human languages mostly profile concrete and abstract entities. But how much eventive information can be found in nouns? Will such eventive information found in sensory nouns have anything to do with the cognitive representation of the basic human senses? Importantly, is there any ontological and/or cognitive motivation that can account for this noun-verb dichotomy via body-and-world interactions? This study presents the first comprehensive investigation of sensory nouns in Mandarin Chinese, examining their qualia structures formalised in the Generative Lexicon Theory, as well as the time-dependent (endurant-perdurant) properties encoded in their sensory modalities. This study fills the gap in sensorial studies by highlighting the pivotal position of nouns in sensory experiences and provides insights into the interactions between perception, cognition, and language. Further, it establishes, for the first time, the cognitive motivation of the categorial noun-verb bifurcation without presupposing any a priori knowledge of grammatical categories.