XN000022-1977-10-21 — Page 2

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 21, 1977

NEW APPROACH TO MAKE LEARNING ENGLISH MORE INTERESTING

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THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT HAS INTRODUCED A NEW APPROACH TO MAKE LEARNING ENGLISH IN SCHOOLS MORE INTERESTING.

THE METHOD IS TO HAVE TEACHERS OF ENGLISH MAKE BETTER USE OF AUDIO/VISUAL AIDS IN THEIR TEACHING AS STUDENTS WILL FIND THAT LEARNING ENGLISH WITH THE HELP OF THESE AIDS MORE MEANINGFUL AND PRACTICAL.

EXPLAINING THE NEW APPROACH, A SPOKESMAN FOR THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT SAID TEACHERS UNDERGOING IN-SERVICE TRAINING IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHING (AUDIO/VISUAL) WORKSHOP ARE FORMED IN SMALL GROUPS AND ENCOURAGED TO PRODUCE RESOURCE MATERIALS TO MEET THEIR SPECIAL TEACHING NEEDS IN A SIMPLE AND ECONOMICAL WAY.

+FOR EXAMPLE, THE SPOKESMAN SAID, THE PARTICIPANTS WHO WORK UNDER THE ADVICE OF A SCHOOL INSPECTOR AND A TECHNICAL ASSISTANT, ARE TOLD HOW TO USE A WASTE CARTON BOX TO MAKE A SCREEN FOR SHOWING SLIDES WHICH WOULD COST A FEW HUNDRED DOLLARS ON THE MARKET.+

HE POINTED OUT THAT THE PARTICIPANTS ARE ALSO ENCOURAGED TO MAKE USE OF PICTURES AND TAPE RECORDERS TO GET THEIR MESSAGES ACROSS TO STUDENTS.

THE ONE-WEEK TRAINING PROGRAMME HAS SO FAR PROVED VERY POPULAR. A TOTAL OF 132 PRIMARY SCHOOL TEACHERS OF ENGLISH ARE ATTENDING THE WORKSHOP AT THE DEPARTMENT'S LANGUAGE TEACHING CENTRE ON HONG KONG ISLAND.

THE SPOKESMAN SAID THAT DUE TO THE SUCCESS OF THE WORKSHOP ANOTHER COURSE FOR TEACHERS IN KOWLOON WILL START SHORTLY.

+ IN ADDITION, A SIMILAR IN-SERVICE TRAINING FOR SECONDARY SCHOOL TEACHERS OF ENGLISH SUBJECTS IS BEING ORGANISED AND WILL SOON TAKE IN ITS FIRST BATCH OF PARTICIPANTS,+ HE SAID.

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