XN000022-1990-02-14 — Page 12

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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 1990

MR YEUNG

SAID VARIOUS LANGUAGE IMPROVEMENT

MEASURES WHICH

DISCRIMINATED IN

FAVOUR OF THE USE OF CHINESE AS THE MEDIUM OF INSTRUCTION, AND WHICH AT THE SAME TIME STRENGTHENED THE TEACHING OF ENGLISH AND CHINESE, HAD BEEN IMPLEMENTED SINCE SEPTEMBER 1986. THESE INCLUDED:

(A) THE SETTING UP OF A CHINESE TEXTBOOKS COMMITTEE IN MAY 1986 TO ENCOURAGE PUBLISHERS TO PRODUCE GOOD QUALITY TEXTBOOKS IN CHINESE: THIS HAD RESULTED IN THE PRODUCTION OF 59 ADDITIONAL SETS OF SUCH BOOKS FOR USE IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN A WIDE RANGE OF SUBJECTS, WITH A FURTHER 16 SETS NOW BEING DEVELOPED FOR PRE-VOCATIONAL SCHOOLS;

(B) THE PUBLICATION OF HANDBOOKS WITH TECHNICAL TERMS IN BOTH ENGLISH AND CHINESE FOR 19 SUBJECTS BY THE ADVISORY INSPECTORATE OF THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT TOWARDS THE END OF 1986;

(C) THE MODIFICATION OF ALL TEACHER TRAINING COURSES SINCE SEPTEMBER 1986, 80 AS TO PROVIDE FOR A WIDER USE OF CHINESE AS THE MEDIUM OF INSTRUCTION AND THE ORGANISATION OF IN-SERVICE TRAINING COURSES FOR TEACHERS TO ASSIST THEM TO COPE WITH THE CHANGE IN THE MEDIUM OF INSTRUCTION; AND

(D) THE PROVISION SINCE SEPTEMBER 1988 OF ADDITIONAL

RESOURCES TO THOSE PUBLIC-SECTOR SECONDARY SCHOOLS

WHICH

HAD OPTED TO INCREASE THE USE OF CHINESE AS THE MEDIUM OF INSTRUCTION, IN THE FORM OF:

(1)

ADDITIONAL TEACHERS OF ENGLISH;

(2) FUNDS FOR PARTITIONING OF CLASSROOMS TO CREATE SMALLER ROOMS FOR SPLIT-CLASS LANGUAGE TEACHING;

(3)

A SECONDARY WIREFREE INDUCTION LANGUAGE TEACHING; AND

LOOP SYSTEM

FOR

(4)

A ONE-OFF LIBRARY GRANT FOR THE PURCHASE OF ADDITIONAL READING MATERIALS AS WELL AS OTHER

TEACHING/LEARNING AIDS.

MR YEUNG SAID THESE ADDITIONAL RESOURCES WERE PROVIDED ON A SCALE RELATED TO THE EXTENT TO WHICH INDIVIDUAL SCHOOLS OPTED TO USE CHINESE AS THE MEDIUM OF INSTRUCTION.

HE SAID RESEARCH ON THE CHANGE OF MEDIUM OF INSTRUCTION IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS HAD BEEN CARRIED OUT BY THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT SINCE SEPTEMBER 1988.

THE RESEARCH WAS A THREE-YEAR PROJECT, DESIGNED ΤΟ STUDY THE EFFECTS OF THE CHANGE OF THE TEACHING MEDIUM ON THE ACADEMIC STANDARDS OF STUDENTS AND ON OTHER VARIABLES, SUCH AS OPERATIONAL ASPECTS IN CLASSROOM SITUATIONS AND STUDENTS' ATTITUDES TOWARDS LEARNING.

/THE SAMPLE