XN000022-1991-04-17 — Page 54

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WEDNESDAY, APRIL 17, 1991

HE POINTED OUT, HOWEVER, THAT SCHOOLS WOULD STILL CONTINUE то MAKE THEIR OWN DECISIONS AS то WHICH MEDIUM TO EMPLOY, WHETHER ENGLISH OR CHINESE.

"BUT THE TEACHING AND THE LEARNING REALLY MUST BR IN ENGLISH OR REALLY MUST BE IN CHINESE. WE WANT TO REDUCE THE USE OF SO-CALLED 'MIXED CODE' IN FAVOUR OF THE CLEAR AND CONSISTENT USE IN RACH CLASS OF CHINESE OR ENGLISH, IN RESPECT OF TEACHING, TEXTBOOKS AND EXAMINATIONS.

THOUGH THE WIDER USE OF

CHINESE WAS BEING ENCOURAGED

MEDIUM OF INSTRUCTION IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS, MR LI STRESSED THAT WAS NO PROPOSAL TO DOWNGRADE ENGLISH.

THE AIM, HE SAID, WAS NOT TO CAUSE ONE LANGUAGE TO THE EXPENSE OF THE OTHER.

AS A THERE

PROSPER AT

"WHAT WE ARE TRYING ΤΟ DO.

ALBEIT WITH SOMB DIFFICULTY, PERHAPS, IS TO BUILD A BILINGUAL SOCIETY IN WHICH THERE IS RESPECT FOR THE MOTHER TONGUE, CHINESE, AS WELL AS THE SECOND OR FOREIGN LANGUAGE, ENGLISH, AND IN WHICH, INCREASINGLY, THERE WILL BE COMPETENT USERS OF BOTH LANGUAGES, THE DIRECTOR SAID.

-

MR LI SAID THE PLACE OF CHINESE WAS OBVIOUS

CANTONESE 13 USED WIDELY IN DAILY LIFE AS THE LANGUAGE OF EVERYDAY COMMUNICATION OF THE GREAT MAJORITY OF PEOPLE, AND AS THE LINGUA FRANÇA OF MEMBERS OF THE CHINESE COMMUNITY, WHO MAY ALSO SPEAK OTHER DIALECTS.

BUT, HE ADDED, ENGLISH ALSO HAD A MOST IMPORTANT ROLE TO PLAY IN MAINTAINING HONG KONG'S INTERNATIONAL POSITION AND IN THE ECONOMIC LIFE OF THE COMMUNITY.

SPEAKING ON TEACHER EDUCATION, MR LI SAID: "TEACHER EDUCATORS ARE, OF COURSE TEACHERS THEMSELVES.

"EACH WILL, FIRST AND FOREMOST, BE AN INDIVIDUAL, WITH PARTICULAR STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES AND PERSONAL QUIRKS AND ENTHUSIASMS THAT AT ONE LEVEL DEFY GENERALISATION. EACH WILL NKED ΤΟ HAVE ASPECTS OF PERSONALITY WHICH ARE NEEDED TO GAIN THE RESPECT OF THE STUDENTS."

HE EXPLAINED THAT THE SUCCESSFUL SUCCESSFUL TEACHER, WOULD BE ABLE TO:

TEACHER

EDUCATOR, AS THE

ESTABLISH A QUIET BUT PURPOSEFUL WORKING ATMOSPHERE;

ORGANISE THE TEACHING AND LEARNING SO THAT THE WORK MATCHES THE DIFFERENT APTITUDES AND ABILITIES OF THE STUDENTS; AND

RELATE AND ADAPT HIS OR HER METHODS ΤΟ THE NEEDS AND CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE MOMENT.

THIS, HE ADDED, WOULD ENTAIL SETTING STUDENTS EXTENDED TO THEIR FULL CAPACITY.

HIGH

EXPECTATIONS, WITH

/THE BEST