Workshop on the Non‐Language Arts Modules : 

Learning English through Workplace Communication

12 December 2014

English Language Education Section,

Curriculum Development Institute, Education Bureau
• a better understanding of the module ‘Learning English 
through Workplace Communication’ in the Elective Part 
of the three‐year senior secondary English Language 
curriculum;

• gained some ideas on how to plan the module, in 
particular how it could be integrated with other 
curriculum components (i.e. the Compulsory Part, 
other elective modules and the SBA) to enhance 
students’ four language skills, grammar knowledge, 
vocabulary building strategies and awareness of text‐
type features;
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• learnt more about how to select and design 
learning activities/materials for the implementation 
of the module;

• acquired some strategies for teaching the module 
and the use of assignments, assessment and 
feedback for improving learning and teaching; and

• shared your experience in planning/implementing 
the module or related learning and teaching 
activities with other participants.

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 Activity 1

To what extent do you agree or disagree with

the following statements?

1. The Workplace Communication module places emphasis on the

teaching of vocational English.
2. It is not necessary for students to produce all sorts of workplace‐
related text‐types in the module.
3. Students’ achievements in the Workplace Communication
module are measured by their performance in writing tasks.
4. The Workplace Communication module benefits mainly the less
advanced students who are likely to enter the workforce upon S6
graduation.
5
Activity 2a
In your group, 
a) write down all text‐types related 
to workplace communication;
b) circle the text‐type that you hear; 
and
c) raise your hand when you have 
circled 4 text‐types in a row! 
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• The text‐types that I have circled above could be 
used to help develop my students’ speaking and 
listening skills.

• The text‐types that I have NOT circled above could 
be used to help develop my students’ reading and 
writing skills.

• To facilitate the development of all the four 
language skills, students should be exposed to a 
balanced variety of written and spoken text‐types.

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Different text‐types provide meaningful contexts
for the learning and purposeful use of language
knowledge and skills. Conscious learning and
explicit, systematic teaching of different text‐types,
including the features they involve, enable learners
to become more proficient language users.

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 Activity 3
You have asked your students to complete the 
following task:
Task: You are a Customer Service Officer of Johnson Electronics Limited. Yesterday 
you received a letter from a customer who complained about a repairman failing to 
show up at the agreed time to fix a defective oven. Your supervisor has asked you 
to write in response to the letter of complaint. 
 
Write the reply. 
 
Read the draft reply written by a student. What do
you think are the problems of the draft? How could
the draft be improved?
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 Understanding the Topic 

Purpose: To explain and offer 
solutions
Customer Service Officer of 
Role of the Writer:
Johnson Electronics Limited
Customer of Johnson 
Audience:
Electronics Limited
A letter of reply to a 
Format:
complaint
A complaint about poor 
Topic: after‐sale service
To enable students to comprehend and produce 
a range of spoken and written text‐types related 
to workplace communication, it is important to 
familiarise students with:
• words/expressions for different language 
functions
• the appropriate register (i.e. degree of 
formality) for communicating politely
• the organisational framework
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 Teaching organisational framework

A typical structure of a reply to a complaint

Describe the complaint being referred to
Respond to the relevant facts of the problem provided by the customer
Propose option(s) to resolve the issue
Offer an apology and appeal to the customer for trust in the business

A generic organisational framework across text-types

Setting the scene: What is the context for writing? Why do I need to write?
Body: What is the writing for – to inform, persuade or explain?
Conclusion: What impact do I want to make on the reader(s) ultimately?

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 Workplace‐related text‐types in the 
HKDSE English Language Exams

Minutes Leaflet Interview notes

Speech Statistics Survey report

Formal letter Note sheet Advertisements 

Memo Article Email

Webpage Presentation Discussion

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 Activity 4
Read through the job advertisements and think of an 
activity that help to develop students language skills

Skills to be focussed on: _____________________
Learning objectives: ________________________
Tasks to be completed:______________________
_________________________________________
_________________________________________

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15
16
Possible Approaches to Implementing the 
Elective Module
1. Arranging module‐specific lessons
‐ 2‐3 module‐specific lessons in each week/cycle 
throughout a year
‐ module‐specific lessons in one or two blocks at different 
times of a year 

2. Integrating into the school‐based curriculum
‐ The elective module coherently integrated with the 
Compulsory Part, one/several elective module(s) or the 
SBA component
 The Compulsory Part
Reading/ Writing
Meaningful use of Listening/ Speaking

Vocabulary

Text-types

Grammar Forms &

Communicative
Functions

through exploration of themes in varied contexts by adopting 
different approaches and strategies
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SBA
Elective modules

Integrate: to combine two or more things in order to 
become more effective 
(from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)

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The Language Arts Modules
• Learning English through Drama
• Learning English through Popular Cultures
• Learning English through Poems and Songs
• Learning English through Short Stories

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Comic strips about the workplace:
• http://www.glasbergen.com/
• http://www.jantoo.com/
Salient features of comic strips
• Humour (e.g. jokes)
• Irony (a satirical tone)
• Word play (e.g. double meaning of words)
• Use of thought / speech bubbles (i.e. informal/ 
conversational language and tone) 
• Concise and to‐the‐point
• A hidden message or metaphorical meaning
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Songs about the workplace and worklife:
Hard Days Night (Beatles)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WUIEZ5hst_E
9 to 5 (Dolly Parton)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T‐gqMpZroy8
Minimum Wage (The Expendables)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGwE5exs1kw
The Employment Law Sing‐A‐Long Song 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMjz6WktOno
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Songs about the workplace and work life:
Jack of All Trades (Bruce Springsteen)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3OAl932TqhY
My Cubicle (Parody of James Blunt “I am Beautiful”)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxqsWHpznsg&list=RDuxqsW
Hpznsg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Abt3xjaaig

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Themes: Work life
Language features/poetic techniques in the lyrics
• Simile
• Metaphor
• Alliteration
• Rhyming words (both end rhymes and internal rhyme)
• Imagery
• Colloquial language forms common in lyrics

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The Non‐Language Arts Modules
• Learning English through Debating
• Learning English through Social Issues
• Learning English through Sports 
Communication

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Debating on workplace related motions: 
1. Should a legal limit be imposed on weekly working 
hours?
2. Should the minimum wage in Hong Kong be raised to 
$40 per hour?
3. Should working fathers be entitled to paid paternity 
leave?
4. Should social media be blocked in the workplace?
5. Should secondary school graduates take a gap year to 
gain work experience before their tertiary education?
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Exploring workplace‐related social issues:
• Labour rights
• Corporate social responsibility
• Discrimination in the workplace (gender, race, age, 
religion, sexual orientation, family status)
• Stress at work and work‐life balance
• Social welfares to encourage full employment (e.g. 
low‐income working family allowance, Work 
Incentive Transport Subsidy Scheme)
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Could you think of some activities to connect 
students’ learning experience in the Workplace 
Communication module with the following 
modules?
• Learning English through Drama
• Learning English through Short Stories
• Learning English through Sports 
Communication

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 •Make a proposal to a company on ways to enhance the 
Social Issues corporate image through promoting care for the 
community and social responsibility
• Make a presentation to persuade your colleagues to 
Debating
support your proposal on setting up a daycare centre
• Write a letter of appeal to local businesses to ask for 
Sports
donations and sponsorships for a sports event
• Act out a scene in which a customer complains about 
Drama
bad service

Poems and Songs • Read/write an acrostic poem about a particular job

• Write a story/diary entry about a horrible night at the 
Short Stories workplace
• Create a commercial to promote your company’s new  
Popular Culture
product    
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 Reading 
Non‐fiction books about: 
• workplace etiquette
• workplace attitudes
• career planning
• workplace skills
• successful people

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 Some Possible Titles: Non‐fiction
• Women in Business (by David Evans) 
• Seven  Habits of Highly Effective People (by Stephen R. Covey)
• Creating a Career Mind: Steps For Your Success (by Judy Chin 
and Laura Fink) 
• How To Get a Job: The Ultimate Guide To Getting Your Dream 
Job (by Andrew Adams)
• Job Interview Success (by Oscar Goldman)
• Etiquette in the Workplace (by Jane Carlson)

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Fiction books about:
• workplace romance
• balance between life and work
• sexual harassment in the 
workplace
• Office boredom and tedium 

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 Some Possible Titles: Fiction
• The Devil Wears Prada (by Lauren Weisberger )
• Personal Days (by Ed Park)
• A Visit from the Goon Squad (by Jennifer Egan)
• Flippin' the Script (by Aisha Ford) 
• Then We Came to the End (by Joshua Ferris)
• Slab Rat (By Ted Heller)
• What Stays in Vegas (by Beth Labonte) 

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Films, TV series and documentaries about:
• Business ethics
• The work life of different occupations in 
different fields and trades
• Office politics and business rivalry
• Relationships between employers and 
employees
• Stories of successful businesses or leading 
business people

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 Possible Film Titles
• The Devil Wears Prada (2006; David Frankel)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zicgut4gpwU
• Up in the Air (2009; dir: Jason Reitman)
• The Social Network (2010; dir: David Fincher)
• Jobs (2013; dir: Joshua Michael Stern) 
• Bridget Jones’s Diary (2001; dir: Sharon Maguire)

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 Possible TV Series
• The Office (2005‐2013)
• Workaholics (2011‐now)
• ER (1994‐2009)
• Ugly Betty (2006‐2010)
• Drop Dead Diva (2009‐now)
• Ally McBeal (1997‐2002)
• 30 Rock (2006‐2013) 

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 Integrating SBA with the Module
• As the executive committee members of the Careers Club, you 
are preparing an exhibition, which is a part of the Careers Week, 
on a leading business figure in the world. You have to:
Task 1 • Research and read stories of successful business people
• Fill out fact sheets about their biodata and achievements
Task 2 Discuss the following with other committee members based on the 
information collected and the completed fact sheets:
 The factors and qualities leading to the success of the business 
people you have read about
 The challenges and difficulties they have encountered in setting up 
their business and how they tackle them
 Which leading business figure to feature in the exhibition and the 
reasons why he/she is the most suitable to be introduced to students
Task 3 Write the board display materials on the chosen business figure. Identify 
five aspects of the figure’s life you would like to present and set 
appropriate subheadings. Write 1‐2 short paragraphs under each 
section.   38
• Language knowledge and skills in focus and 
how the skills can be transferred
• Coverage of text‐types
• Selection of appropriate learning materials
• Activity design (e.g. meaningful job contexts, 
connection between tasks)
• Assessment of students’ learning outcomes

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40
• Provides contexts for 
– meaningful and purposeful use of English for 
communication
– integrated use of language skills
– application of knowledge in grammar and 
vocabulary
• Uses a wide range of learning and teaching 
materials and text‐types
• Promotes a learner‐centred approach 

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 Context

Purpose Hands‐on experience, 
enquiry and problem‐
solving

Application of 
Product knowledge and skills

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 Purpose?
Context?

You are a job seeker. You have enrolled for a course

organised by a career coaching agency which prepares
young people for job seeking. In the course, you will be
trained on how to search for jobs from job ads, apply for
jobs and prepare for job interviews.
Product?
The coach of the course requires you to complete the
following tasks:
1. Searching for a job suitable for yourself
2. Writing a CV and a job application letter
3. Prepare for job interviews

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Task 1 – Job search
Students have to:
•read sample job ads and learn about their features
•play matching games to understand job duties and requirements
•read job ads from own sources, choose a job that suits them and 
explain their choice

Task 2 – Job application What are the text‐types involved?

Students have to:
•listen to a presentation about CV writing
•study sample CVs and job application letters
•write a CV
•write a job application letter for the job they have chosen

Task 3 – Job interview
Students have to:
•discuss the possible questions to be asked at job interviews
•prepare written responses to possible questions
•watch video clips on job interview etiquette and skills
•role‐play a job interview
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Task 1 – Job search
Students have to:
•read sample job ads and learn about their features
•play matching games to understand job duties and requirements
•read job ads from own sources, choose a job that suits them and 
explain their choice

Task 2 – Job application What are the language skills involved?

Students have to:
•listen to presentation about CV writing
•study sample CVs and job application letters
•write a CV
•write a job application letter for the job they have chosen

Task 3 – Job interview
Students have to:
•discuss the possible questions to be asked at job interviews
•prepare written responses to possible questions
•watch video clips on job interview etiquette and skills
•role‐play a job interview
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Task 1 – Job search
Students have to:
•read sample job ads and learn about their features
•play matching games to understand job duties and requirements
•read job ads from own sources, choose a job that suits them and 
explain their choice

Task 2 – Job application What is the language knowledge involved?

Students have to:
•listen to a presentation about CV writing
•study sample CVs and job application letters
•write a CV
•write a job application letter for the job they have chosen
•Features of job ads
Task 3 – Job interview
•Content, language and structure of CVs job 
Students have to: application letters
•discuss the possible questions to be asked at job interviews
•prepare written responses to possible questions
•watch video clips on job interview etiquette and skills
•role‐play a job interview
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 Activity 5

In your group, create a short workplace unit consisting of 
at least two tasks that involve different text‐types and 
language skills.  

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 Learning and Teaching Resources
• EDB websites
– Resource packages by CDI
http://cd1.edb.hkedcity.net/cd/eng/030210EDB_Workplace/EDB_Workplace.html
– NET Section ‐ Networking booklets
http://www.edb.gov.hk/en/curriculum‐development/resource‐support/net/workplace‐
communication.html
– Language Learning Support Section
http://cd1.edb.hkedcity.net/cd/languagesupport/resource/r_l_sec.htm#ks4
– One‐stop Portal
http://minisite.proj.hkedcity.net/edbosp‐eng/cht/home.html
• Examples of other resources on the Internet
– BBC
– British Council
– YouTube

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Thank you

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