Academic development - English      Photo

As mastery of the English language is a useful tool for both studies and work, the English

Department has been implementing various plans to help students improve their proficiency in

English. These plans are three-fold: integrated into the formal English curriculum to enhance the

effectiveness of learning, designed as extra-curricular activities to create an environment conducive

to the learning of English, and initiated by external organizations such as tertiary institutions.

In order to promote the pleasure of reading in English, the Extensive Reading Scheme was launched

in 1999. Now, we have a huge stock of story books which can suit students of different levels and

interests. The scheme has successfully helped to build up a reading atmosphere and the number of

books read by students has been increasing through the years. Besides written book reports and oral

reports, different kinds of post-reading tasks are designed to assess students' reading progress.

Students are also asked to share their reading experience at the morning assembly, which can be

regarded as both promotion of a reading atmosphere and training of students' speaking skills.

The English Department has recently tried out small-class teaching plans to enhance the

effectiveness of both learning and teaching. Our SS1 and SS2 classes are now divided into six

groups, each of which consists of about thirty students. This plan is positively received by both

teachers and students. In junior forms, there are other kinds of grouping for the English class. All

these plans are designed to maximise students' exposure to English.

Different after-school English classes are organized to cater for students of different needs. There

are classes for high achievers and low achievers. The teachers-in-charge design learning materials

to help improve the English proficiency of the students concerned. There are also classes conducted

by our NET to focus on oral skills required in coping with the coming public examination.

With the help of our NET, general oral classes are organized as part of the formal English

curriculum. In these classes, various activities are organized to create a relaxing atmosphere in

which students can gain more confidence in speaking English.

Extra-curricular activities are also an important part of the learning of English. In view of this, the

English Speaking Day is organized every week with lunchtime activities and games to encourage

students to speak English outside the classroom. Large-scale activities and competitions are

organized especially during Western festivals such as Halloween and Christmas. These include

pumpkin carving competition, mask design competition, Halloween costume competition, "haunted

house", Christmas crossword puzzle and Christmas wishing tree. Other more academic activities

include Scrabble competition and Spelling Bee. To help teachers organize all these activities, a team

of English Ambassadors consisting of JS3, SS1, SS2 and S6 students has been set up. While they

are helping to make the English extra-curricular activities successful, they are indeed improving

their confidence in using English.

Besides plans initiated by the English Department itself, we have also collaborated with external

organizations in supporting students' learning of English. In 2001, we became one of the fourteen

participating schools in "The JS2 and JS3 English Language Enrichment Programme for Chinese

Medium Schools in Hong Kong", which was jointly organized by the Language Centre of the Hong

Kong University of Science and Technology and the Education Bureau. It was a programme to

increase students' exposure to English learning and to provide guidance to schools and teachers in

the development of teaching plans and strategies to achieve the programme targets. The main body

of the programme was a series of teaching modules written and taught in English on

cross-curricular themes or selected topics from a number of learning areas.

In addition, we have successfully implemented different English enrichment activities under the

English Enhancement Scheme. They included JS1 English Phonics Workshops, JS2 Reading and

Writing Workshop, JS3 Drama Workshop, SS1 Learning English through Films Workshop, S5

Magazine Writing Workshops. In academic year 2010-2011, we are going to organize different

kinds of workshops for students such as Creative Writing Workshop, JS2 Reading and Writing

Workshop, Drama Performance and Learning English through films. All these activities have

already increased students’ interest and exposure towards English.

In order to further enhance the quality of English language teaching, our department has decided to

join the first phase of ‘Refined English Enhancement Scheme’ in October, 2010. It mainly aims at

further improving the EES programs we are running and introducing more variety of programs

under the new Fine Tuning Language Policy.

With the concerted effort of teachers, students and parents, we believe that the plans and strategies

we implement will help our students to increase their proficiency in English and their good

command of English will become an important asset for their future studies and work.