XN000022-1992-11-04 — Page 23

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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 1992

INITIATIVES BEING TAKEN TO IMPROVE STANDARD OF ENGLISH

THE GOVERNMENT IS FULLY AWARE OF THE NEED TO IMPROVE THE ENGLISH STANDARD OF SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS, THE SECRETARY FOR EDUCATION AND MANPOWER, MR JOHN CHAN, TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

IN A WRITTEN REPLY TO A QUESTION BY THE HON HENRY TANG, MR CHAN NOTED THAT THE GOVERNMENT WAS TAKING A NUMBER OF INITIATIVES TO IMPROVE THE SITUATION.

FIRST, THE INSTITUTE OF LANGUAGE IN EDUCATION IS RUNNING A 16- WEEK IN-SERVICE REFRESHER COURSE FOR ENGLISH TEACHERS IN BOTH PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOLS.

SINCE 1987, MR CHAN SAID, THE COURSE FOR SECONDARY SCHOOL TEACHERS HAS BEEN EXTENDED TO INCLUDE A FOUR-WEEK COURSE IN THE UNITED KINGDOM.

AT

IN ADDITION, ABOUT 100 TEACHER TRAINEES MAJORING IN ENGLISH THE COLLEGES OF EDUCATION ARE ALSO SENT EVERY YEAR

TO BRITAIN ON A SIX-WEEK TOTAL IMMERSION ENGLISH COURSE.

SECONDLY, THE GOVERNMENT PLANS TO SET A CONSISTENT POLICY THE MEDIUM OF INSTRUCTION IN SCHOOLS IN 1994.

ON

TO

"UNDER THIS POLICY, SCHOOLS AND PARENTS WILL BE ENCOURAGED CHOOSE EITHER CHINESE OR ENGLISH AS THE MEDIUM OF INSTRUCTION ON THE BASIS OF OBJECTIVE MEASURES OF THEIR CHILDREN'S NEEDS, MR CHAN SAID.

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"STUDENTS IDENTIFIED AS BEING ABLE TO LEARN THROUGH THE MEDIUM OF ENGLISH WILL BE OFFERED A BRIDGING COURSE IN SECONDARY 1 TO HELP THEM CHANGE OVER FROM CHINESE MEDIUM IN PRIMARY SCHOOLS TO THE ENGLISH MEDIUM.

"THE ENGLISH STANDARDS OF THESE STUDENTS ARE EXPECTED ΤΟ IMPROVE VERY CONSIDERABLY IN THE YEARS TO COME."

THOSE WHO WILL STUDY IN THE CHINESE MEDIUM ARE ALSO EXPECTED TO BE ABLE TO LEARN ENGLISH BETTER BECAUSE OF THE GENERAL IMPROVEMENT IN THEIR LEARNING CAPACITY THROUGH THE USE OF THE MEDIUM THEY ARE COMFORTABLE WITH, MR CHAN ADDED.

THIRDLY, ENGLISH IS ONE OF THE THREE CORE SUBJECTS ΤΟ BE INCLUDED IN THE TARGET AND TARGET-RELATED ASSESSMENTS (TTRA) INITIATIVE WHICH WILL BEGIN WITH PRIMARY 4 IN MAY 1993 AND EXTEND FROM PRIMARY 1 TO SECONDARY 3 BY 1997.

THE TTRA IS DESIGNED TO ENABLE STUDENTS TO ATTAIN THE HIGHEST STANDARDS THAT CAN REALISTICALLY BE ACHIEVED WITHIN THE TIME ALLOCATED TO ENGLISH AS A SUBJECT IN THEIR SCHOOLS.

FOURTHLY, BASED ON RESEARCH UNDERTAKEN BY THE INSTITUTE OF LANGUAGE IN EDUCATION, VOCATIONAL ENGLISH MATERIALS HAVE BEEN WRITTEN AND A CERTIFICATION SCHEME IS BEING PREPARED AT VARIOUS LEVELS.

/"FROM SEPTEMBER