PREFACE
The
Working Group on Language Proficiency was appointed
by the Education Commission in October 1993” to
identify the most important factors which, in
the opinion of teachers, teacher educators, curriculum
developers, students and other relevant parties,
help or hinder the acquisition of language3 proficiency
in both Chinese and English; to suggest, for the
consideration of the Commission, possible policy
measures to maximise the effect of any helping
factors and minimise the effect of any hindering
factors, and to suggest topics on which research
may be of benefit having regard to relevant recent
and current research projects.” With the help
of the Education and Manpower Branch and the Education
Department, funds were made available to engage
consultants for four projects. One of them as
a critical review of local academic studies and
policy papers on language in education (Chinese
focus). The authors were invited to prepare the
review as consultants. Team members included Chan
Wing Sat (Hong Kong Polytechnic University), Ho
Wai Kit (Chinese University of Hong Kong), Colleen
Wong, Yu Fong Ying (both at Hong Kong Polytechnic
University) and Tse Shek Kam (University of Hong
Kong). The review contains much useful material,
and the Commission agreed that the authors might
make arrangements to publish it.
The
critical review deals with both the macro-level
concerns such as the role of the Chinese language
in Hong Kong and issues of language planning (or
the lack of it) as well as micro-level questions
of first language learning and classroom teaching.
This review offers not only an anatomy of the
Chinese Language education scene in Hong Kong,
but also insights into why Chinese Language education
is as it is and some practical solutions to the
problems exposed.
The
publication provides a bibliography of various
topics of Chinese Language education. The bibliography
should provide a quite comprehensive introduction
to the literature useful to researchers and educators.
While
working as a team, members took on topics most
familiar to them in carrying out this review.
The division of labour was as follows:
Main
issues, translation of Chapter 6, collation of
report: F. Y. Yu
Historical development of Chinese Language education:
C. Wong; S. K. Tse
Use of Chinese in Hong Kong: S. K. Tse
Standards of Chinese: W. S. Chan
Learning of Chinese by Cantonese speaking pupils,
pronunciation of Cantonese: T. Lee
Chinese as the medium of instruction: C. Shek
Curriculum; teaching; teacher education: S. K.
Tse
Putonghua: W. K. Ho
Use of Information technology in the teaching
and learning of Chinese: N. Law
General conclusion: F. Y. Yu, S. K. Tse (The general
conclusion of the Report to the Education Commission
has been rewritten for this book.)
This
review brings together the views of a group of
language educators and specialist who were brought
up and educated in Hong Kong. They have wide experience
in local primary, secondary, and tertiary institutes
and in research. The Hong Kong perspective refers
not only to the special type of Chinese Education
evolved here but also to the angle from which
that education is viewed.
Tse
Shek Kam
Department of Curriculum Studies
The University of Hong Kong
CONTENTS
Acknowledgements
Abbreviations
Preface
Summary
Chapter1
Developments in Chinese Language education
1.1
The development of Chinese Language as a subject
1.2
Developments in Chinese Language Education
1.3
Important events affecting Chinese Language education
in Hong Kong
1.4
Conclusion and recommendations
Chapter
2 The Chinese Language in Hong Kong
2.1
Introduction
2.2
Varieties of Chinese Language in Hong Kong
2.3
Code-mixing
2.4
Pedagogic implications of varieties
2.5
Uses of Chinese
2.6
Pedagogic implications of uses of Chinese
2.7
Conclusion and recommendations
Chapter
3 The learning of Chinese by Cantonese-speaking
pupils
3.1
Introduction
3.2
The linguistic maturity of primary students at
entry
3.3
Reading
3.4
Writing
3.5
Vocabulary
3.6
Listening and speaking
3.7
Conclusion and recommendations
Chapter
4 Issues in using Chinese as the Medium
of Instruction in Secondary Schools
4.1
Introduction
4.2
Background on educational language policy
4.3
The relationship between medium of instruction
and teaching and learning effectiveness
4.4
Problems/Difficulties encountered in implementing
CMI
4.5
Measures taken to make CMI a viable medium of
instruction
4.6
Conclusion and recommendations
Chapter
5 Standards and Curriculum
5.1
Introduction
5.2
The expected Chinese standards at key learning
stages
5.3
the Chinese language curriculum
5.4
Conclusion and recommendations
Chapter
6 Teaching and Teacher Education
6.1
Introduction
6.2
Teaching in Primary schools
6.3
The teaching of Chinese language in Secondary
schools
6.4
Teacher education
6.5
Conclusion and recommendations
Chapter
7 Putonghua
7.1
Introduction
7.2
The relationship between Chinese, PTH and Cantonese
7.3
The value of learning PTH
7.4
The development of PTY teaching
7.5
The development of the PTH curriculum
7.6
Training PTH teachers
7.7
Difficulties in teaching PTH in Hong Kong
7.8
Putonghua as MOI
7.9
Putonghua proficiency and Putonghua proficiency
tests
7.10
Conclusion and recommendations
Chapter
8 The Use of Information Technology
in the Teaching and Learning of Chinese
8.1
Introduction
8.2
Computer Aided Language Learning in Chinese (Chinese
CALL) in Hong Kong
8.3
Chinese language Call developments outside Hong
Kong
8.4
Information technology in Hong Kong schools—A
review of the hardware and software provisions
8.5
Chinese language education, Chinese as a medium
of instruction and Chinese CALL
8.6
Conclusion and recommendations
Conclusion
Bibliography
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