XN000022-1986-12-19 — Page 2

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 19, 1986

SIR DAVID STRESSES IMPORTANCE OF LANGUAGE COMPETENCY

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HONG KONG IS VERY CONSCIOUS OF THE FACT THAT IF THE TERRITORY IS TO RETAIN ITS POSITION AS A LEADING INTERNATIONAL CENTRE OF FINANCE, TRADE AND INDUSTRY, ITS PEOPLE MUST BE COMPETENT IN BOTH ENGLISH AND CHINESE, THE ACTING GOVERNOR, SIR DAVID AKERS-JONES, SAID TODAY (FRIDAY).

THIS CONSCIOUSNESS EXISTED EVEN THOUGH THE PATTERN OF LANGUAGE TEACHING IN SCHOOLS WAS ALREADY VERY COMPLEX, SIR DAVID SAID WHEN OPENING THE LINGUISTIC SOCIETY OF HONG KONG'S CONFERENCE ON LANGUAGE POLICY AND PLANNING, BEING HELD AT THE CITY POLYTECHNIC.

HONG KONG HAD A FASCINATING AND COMPLEX LANGUAGE SITUATION, WITH A JUXTAPOSITION OF CHINESE DIALECTS WITH CANTONESE PREDOMINATING BUT WITH VIRTUALLY NO INTERDIALECT BORROWING, HE SAID.

REFERRING TO DEVELOPING STANDARDS IN BOTH ENGLISH AND CHINESE,

HE SAIDI

+WE HAVE TAKEN ACTION TO STRENGTHEN THE LEARNING AND TEACHING OF BOTH BY INTRODUCING NEW TEACHING MATERIALS AND TEXTS, PROVIDING FOR ADDITIONAL TEACHER-TRAINING STAFF AND SECONDARY SCHOOL TEACHERS OF CHINESE AND ENGLISH AND ESTABLISHING AN INSTITUTE OF LANGUAGE IN EDUCATION.

+THE INSTITUTE HAS PARTICULAR RESPONSIBILITY FOR CARRYING OUT RESEARCH INTO LANGUAGE LEARNING AND TEACHING IN HONG KONG SCHOOLS, SERVING AS A RESOURCE CENTRE FOR LANGUAGE TEACHERS AND RUNNING IN-SERVICE LANGUAGE TEACHER EDUCATION COURSES.

+FROM JUNE 1987, IT WILL EXPAND ITS FULL-TIME RETRAINING COURSES FOR ENGLISH TEACHERS TO 23 WEEKS, OF WHICH 19 WEEKS WILL BE SPENT IN HONG KONG AND FOUR WEEKS IN THE UNITED KINGDOM.+

SIR DAVID SAID THE INSTITUTE WAS ALSO EXTENDING ITS TRAINING COURSES IN PUTONGHUA, THE COMMON LANGUAGE OF CHINA, AND, IN ADDITION TO ITS REGULAR FULL-TIME REFRESHER COURSES FOR CHINESE LANGUAGE TEACHERS, WOULD OFFER COURSES, FROM NEXT YEAR, IN THE USE OF CHINESE FOR THE TEACHING OF SUBJECTS OTHER THAN ENGLISH.

HE NOTED THAT THE INSTITUTE'S SECOND INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON LANGUAGE TEACHER EDUCATION WAS HELD HERE EARLIER THIS WEEK AND WAS ATTENDED BY 300 SCHOLARS FROM 18 COUNTRIES AND HONG KONG.

SIR DAVID SAID THE FINDINGS OF SEVERAL RESEARCH PROJECTS CONDUCTED BY THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT AND THE TWO UNIVERSITIES HAD ESTABLISHED THAT, ALL OTHER THINGS BEING EQUAL, TEACHING AND LEARNING WOULD BE MORE EFFECTIVE IF THE MEDIUM OF INSTRUCTION WAS CHINESE AND THAT THE CONSEQUENTIAL LOSS OF EXPOSURE TO ENGLISH MIGHT RESULT IN A FALL IN THE STANDARD OF ENGLISH.

+AGAINST THIS