ICSE Class 6 English, Unit 1: Listening and Speaking

What this unit aims at

Listening at this stage is crucial so that children listen carefully to views put forward, reflect on them, and respond accordingly. They listen to a range of texts with comprehension. From this stage onwards listening to radio, film, television and other media occupy a major space. Appreciation of non-verbal clues are also developed. While speaking children express themselves with confidence that reflects a sense of persuasiveness and interpretation.

Your child should be able to

• understand and answer a variety of questions on a given passage for aural/written comprehension
• comprehend issues/topics raised in spoken texts (public address, guest speaker, televised interview, social media/internet videos) and ask for clarification or elaboration of ideas
• participate in group discussions as leader or facilitator, enhancing the levels of discussion by asking probing/ reflective questions
• use class-level appropriate vocabulary to express their point of view
• apply their understanding from the use of multi-media to make presentations adding perspective to texts/issues. (the use of visual aids is accompanied by a commentary citing sources of information or diverse points of view
• develop a sense of confidence and self-control while making presentations or challenging a stated opinion
• evaluate and respond to opposing points of view logically using appropriate language and physical gestures
• develop the ability to analyse, interpret and evaluate the use of language in different contexts (newspapers, television, billboards and advertising campaigns). adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks
• accustom language as appropriate to the purpose: to persuade, explain/provide information, or express an opinion
• include multimedia components (e.g., graphics, images, music, sound) and visual displays in presentations

Key concepts in this unit

• Listen to a range of texts such as story, poems, narratives, lecture etc. for aural/written comprehension.
• Listen and comprehend issues/topics raised in spoken texts (public address, guest speaker, Group discussions, debates, speech, drama, presentations etc.
• (use of graphics, images, music, sound and visual displays in presentations.)
• Analyse and evaluate the use of language in different contexts (newspapers, television, billboards and advertising campaigns) and its interpretation.
• Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks e.g.; tone; gestures; stress; facial expressions; body language; voice modulation
• Dictation of Chunks of language.