The STAR Meets MGS: A Cross-School Speaking Initiative

The STAR meets MGS is a collaborative initiative by the English language panels of MGS and STAR, aimed at fostering English-speaking confidence among students by encouraging them to converse beyond their usual classroom environments. The programme was also designed to reduce the anxiety often associated with interacting with the opposite gender, while promoting communication in a relaxed, social setting.

A total of 40 girls from Methodist Girls' School (MGS) and 30 boys from Sekolah Tuanku Abdul Rahman (STAR) participated in this two-hour speaking programme, which featured a series of engaging and interactive speaking activities.

Activity 1: Ice-Breaker – Signature Hunt

The session began with a lively ice-breaking activity. Students were given a table of 25 questions and asked to walk around the hall, approach their peers, and engage in short conversations based on the questions. After each exchange, they signed each other’s sheets and moved on to meet someone new. Each student had to speak to at least two people per question within the allocated 20 minutes. This activity successfully warmed up the students and eased any initial awkwardness, setting the tone for a lively session ahead.

Adapted this from an English language module by JPN Kedah

Activity 2: Memory Chain

Students were then grouped into teams of eight for a game called Memory Chain. The first student would say, “I’m going on a trip and I’m packing a toothbrush,” and the next would add an item while repeating the previous ones. The challenge was to keep the chain going without forgetting any item. If a student hesitated or made a mistake, they were eliminated, and the chain restarted. The last student standing was declared the winner. This game not only encouraged spontaneous speaking but also honed students' memory and quick-thinking abilities.

Activity 3: Picture Prompt Storytelling

Next, students were divided into smaller mixed groups of four (two boys and two girls). Each group received a strange or funny picture and had to discuss and construct a story based on the characters, what happened before, and what might happen next. This task, which took around 15–20 minutes, helped build fluency and collaboration skills, while strengthening their ability to speak imaginatively and confidently.

Activity 4: Four-Element Storytelling

In this creative task, students picked four random elements from four separate baskets; a character, a place, an object, and a situation. With only these quirky prompts, they were challenged to craft and orally present a story. Adapted from a creative writing activity, this task was designed to promote spontaneous storytelling, creative thinking, and coherent speaking within a short time frame.

Activity 5: Speaking Stations

The final activity was a dynamic Speaking Station game. Fifteen speaking prompts which was adapted from the SPM textbook’s and developed into bubble maps. They were placed around the hall. Students rotated from station to station every five minutes, practising their responses aloud. In just 15 minutes, students had the chance to familiarise themselves with common SPM topics in a fun and engaging way.

With all five activities successfully completed, the workshop came to a close. Both MGS and STAR students expressed great enthusiasm and appreciation for the opportunity. Many even requested a follow-up session — something we are currently considering. The workshop proved to be a rewarding platform for meaningful interaction, collaborative learning, and confident English speaking.

Turning Plots into Powerful Stories: ChatGPT in Action

I must admit, I have been slightly behind schedule with my writing lessons, but I have managed to squeeze in three sessions so far. This week, however, I decided to take a different approach and integrate AI into my Form 5 writing lesson. The task was based on Unit 2 from English Download, where students had to write a short story, incorporating both a map and a surprise message. Since I had secured eight smartphones for classroom use, I divided the students into eight groups, assigning one device per group.

We kicked off the session with a brainstorming activity. Each group was tasked with drafting a suitable plot for their story within 15 minutes. After their initial discussions, groups presented their plots to me for feedback.

The next step was where ChatGPT came into play. Students were given 30 minutes to utilise the AI tool to enhance their ideas. Their goal was to explore creative ways to elevate their stories to a B2 mid level, focusing on key storytelling elements. These included structuring their narrative effectively, enriching vocabulary, using direct speech, and engaging the five senses to bring scenes to life.

For instance, if a group initially wrote, 

"He walked through the door inside the house," 

they were encouraged to elevate this sentence by adding vivid descriptions and sensory details. Instead of the basic version, they could write something like, 

“He pushed open the creaking, weathered oak door, its rusty hinges groaning in protest, and stepped into the dimly lit hallway where the scent of damp wood and old paper filled the air.”

Using ChatGPT, students researched how to describe the door’s appearance – was it cracked, ornate, heavy, or splintered? – and how to set the atmosphere inside the house. Was it cold and silent, warm and inviting, or eerie with flickering shadows? They were also guided to weave in sensory details, such as the musty smell lingering in the air or the chill that brushed against his skin as he entered.

I reminded them to stick to British spellings and to be mindful of their usage since the free version on their DELIMA accounts limited them to fifteen attempts. To support them, I also shared sample prompts and guided them on how to structure queries to get better responses from ChatGPT.

Once the AI research was done, students translated their findings into mind maps on A3 paper, which they presented briefly (around two minutes per group). I listened to their ideas, provided corrections where necessary, and then set them off on their final task – writing the full story. They were given forty minutes to complete and submit their essays.

What I can reflect from this session was how ChatGPT, when used in a controlled and guided manner, streamlined the lesson planning process for me. I did not need to spend as much time preparing vocabulary lists, grammar notes, or brainstorming examples as I usually do.

More importantly, this approach fostered learner autonomy. Students actively explored, experimented, and learned from their research using AI. It encouraged them to think critically about their writing and to collaborate effectively within their groups. The integration of ChatGPT also brought an element of excitement and novelty to the classroom, which boosted their engagement.

Combining AI tools with traditional classroom strategies proved to be a meaningful step towards promoting research-based learning and enhancing students' writing skills.