XN000022-1986-02-02 — Page 5

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 1986

HISTORY OF LANGUAGE TEACHING UNFOLDED

*****

THE HISTORY OF LANGUAGE TEACHING IN HONG KONG IS UNFOLDED IN THE INAUGURAL ISSUE OF A JOURNAL PUBLISHED BY EDUCATION DEPARTMENT'S INSTITUTE OF LANGUAGE IN EDUCATION.

IN AN ARTICLE IN THE JOURNAL, THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION IN CHARGE OF THE INSTITUTE, DR VERNER BICKLEY, WROTE THAT EDUCATION IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE IN HONG KONG WAS FIRST PROVIDED IN THE ANGLO-CHINESE COLLEGE AND IN ST PAUL'S COLLEGE, BOTH OF WHICH WERE FOUNDED IN 1843 TO TRAIN MINISTERS FOR THE LONDON MISSIONARY SOCEITY AND THE ANGLICAN CHURCH.

IT WAS NOT UNTIL 10 YEARS LATER THAT ENGLISH TEACHING WAS INTRODUCED IN SCHOOLS.

ON THE RECOMMENDATION OF AN EDUCATION COMMITTEE, A NUMBER OF SMALL GOVERNMENT SCHOOLS WERE MERGED INTO THE CENTRAL SCHOOL IN 1862, WHICH WAS LATER RENAMED THE QUEEN'S COLLEGE.

IN THE ENSUING YEARS, THE GROWTH OF HONG KONG AS A TRADING CENTRE LED TO A DEMAND FOR BILINGUAL CLERKS, COMPRADORES AND INTERPRETERS TO WORK NOT ONLY IN BUSINESS HOUSES IN HONG KONG,

AS A BUT ALSO IN TRADING PORTS IN CHINA AND OTHER COUNTRIES. RESULT, ENGLISH TEACHING IN THE CENTRAL SCHOOL WAS VALUED BY STUDENTS WHO WANTED TO SECURE EMPLOYMENT IN THE COMMERCIAL SECTOR.

SOON AFTER ASSUMING GOVERNORSHIP IN 1877, SIR JOHN POPE- HENNESSY APPOINTED A COMMITTEE TO LOOK AT LANGUAGE TEACHING IN HONG KONG. THE COMMITTEE MADE FAR-REACHING RECOMMENDATIONS TOWARDS THE DEVELOPMENT OF LANGUAGE EDUCATION. AMONG OTHER THINGS, IT SUGGESTED THAT THE TEACHING OF ENGLISH SHOULD BE THE PRIMARY CONCERN OF THE GOVERNMENT AND THAT MORE ENGLISH SPEAKING MASTERS BE APPOINTED AND SMALLER CLASSES BE ARRANGED.

IN THE FOLLOWING DECADES, THE GOVERNMENT GRADUALLY INCREASED ITS PARTICIPATION IN EDUCATION BY PROVIDING MORE SCHOOLS AND BY THE NORTHCOTE TEACHER INTRODUCING TEACHER TRAINING FACILITIES. TRAINING COLLEGE WAS OPENED IN 1939.

IN THE IMMEDIATE POST-WAR PERIOD, THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT IN ITS ANNUAL REPORT (1946-47) STATED THAT THERE SHOULD BE A GREATER PARTICIPATION BY THE GOVERNMENT IN THE PROVISION OF PRIMARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION IN CHINESE.

SUBSEQUENTLY, MEASURES WERE TAKEN TO EXPAND CHINESE-MEDIUM EDUCATION. THESE INCLUDED THE OPENING OF THE GRANTHAM TEACHER TRAINING COLLEGE IN 1951 TO TRAIN PRIMARY SCHOOL TEACHERS WHO WOULD TEACH THROUGH THE MEDIUM OF CHINESE,

THE LANGUAGE