Grade 11: Interpersonal Communication

Prescribed Learning Outcomes

It is expected that students will:

• exchange opinions on topics of interest
• with some supportive detail, describe or narrate an event, situation, or experience
• identify and use common idiomatic expressions
• interact with increased independence in familiar life situations

To view the prescribed learning outcomes for Foundations in other grades click on an icon below.

Suggested Instructional Strategies

In Grade 11, many students are able to communicate with greater confidence. As they work together, they can apply more strategies to present viewpoints.

• Brainstorm a list of words associated with the environment (e.g., recycling, pollution, extinction, reforestation). Clarify spellings and meanings of new Punjabi vocabulary that students introduce. Using the brainstormed words, invite students to suggest ideas for an environment-related group project that they can plan and carry out.
• Conduct a brief, informal debate on a topic or question related to the environment. (e.g., Should animals on the verge of extinction be taken into captivity? Should the government immediately ban the use of all pesticides?)
• Conduct a simulation related to an environmental issue (see Appendix G for detailed suggestions). The general approach is to review the issue with students, indicating that there are several viewpoints to consider. Preparation for this activity may take several class periods to complete. Then divide students into small groups, giving each group some information to support one viewpoint. One group could be designated to act as observers. Each of the other groups prepares an oral presentation to promote its designated viewpoint. Bring the class together to carry out the simulation. Following the discussion period, ask the observer group to give feedback. Highlight the difficulty of resolving such issues and stress the need for a decision-making process that takes account of the various viewpoints.

Suggested Assessment Strategies

Students are expected to show increasing control and accuracy in their oral and written language, but communication and risk taking continue to be more important in most situations. Students' facility with language is an important focus of assessment--not in and of itself, but because it allows them to communicate for an increasing range of purposes, both in and out of school.

• In assessing students' debating skills, consider the extent to which they are able to:
  • clearly offer a relevant viewpoint
  • provide supporting reasons and examples
  • use strategies to keep communication going (e.g., self-corrects, rephrases in Punjabi, tries to apply known structures to new situations)
  • speak with some spontaneity and fluidity (pauses tend to be at the end of phrases or sentences and rarely interfere with meaning)
• Before activities such as the simulated discussion, work with students to develop an assessment and feedback form suitable for teacher and students. (Students and teachers may also find the reference set Evaluating Group Communication Skills Across Curriculum  helpful.) Students can use a simple checklist or rating scale to record their observations about skills such as:
  • offering information that is useful in completing the task
  • acknowledging or responding to information from others
  • offering relevant details or examples to support viewpoints
  • expressing information clearly (speech is readily comprehensible)
  • asking questions to clarify or extend understanding
  • understanding and responding to questions from others

Recommended Learning Resources

Print Material

• G. C. S. E. Panjabi
• Oxford Picture Dictionary English-Punjabi
• Punjabi-English Dictionary
• Simple Punjabi Grammar

• Anandpursahib Lippi Fonts
• GurbaniLippi/Amrit Lippi Fonts

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