Evidence from the Case Study Findings

(B) Views of NETs

NETs clear and confident about their role

Most of the NETs interviewed expressed certainty and confidence about the positive influence they were having on students; despite the constraints they experienced arising from the school system (See Section 7 J.2.2.B above).

Focus on communicative activities and classroom atmosphere

NETs introduced communicative activities they felt to be more conducive to language learning and valued good student-teacher relationships in the classroom. For this reason they generally promoted a less stringent regime in their classes, which paid dividends especially among higher ability students, in terms of a classroom atmosphere more conducive to the practice of oral skills.

Better preparation the key to success in handling difficult classes

It is unfortunate that these approaches sometimes had to be abandoned in poorly disciplined classes in favour of strategies, learned from their local colleagues, more conducive to handling deliberately disruptive students (see Section 73.2.2 B above). There is evidence in the Case Study findings that NETs who were given more realistic expectations before joining the school and who were able to benefit from a team teaching mode with a local English teacher would be better able to handle such problems.

11.1.2.2 View of Students

Enjoyable lessons involving lots of games with a less forbidding approach

One of the reasons for the success of NETs in the primary schools is related to their role as resource persons. Most pupils liked to have lessons with the NETs because the lessons were enjoyable and involved lots of games. In PA, the lower primary pupils who displayed obvious affection for their NET described their NET as one whose lessons were always enjoyable and who was less forbidding than some of their local teachers. Even though most students did not favour the idea of having only the NET to teach them due to potential communication difficulties, most of the junior pupils wanted more NET lessons. It is interesting to note that during the last interview, some P.3 students took the initiative to use English to talk about their experience with the NET. The majority of students (PA, PB, SD, SE, SG) found the lessons taught by the NET more activity-based and therefore more enjoyable. Secondary students expressed similar satisfaction with the teaching approach of their NET. They felt that the NET was very warm and friendly.

Informal, more liberal, emphasising positive affect and communication

The less formal approach adopted by some NETs, with an emphasis on enjoyment, communication and facilitation of learning rather than stringent control constitutes evidence of the NETs bringing in a fresh approach to the teaching of English, part of the role of serving as a resource person in the school as we have defined it in our research questions.

Use of humour in a dynamic approach using a variety of interesting tasks and activities Young, dynamic, humorous NETs (as opposed to NETs who are more formal and serious;

NETs who scold students for speaking in LI) seem better able to get even low-ability students to participate in class activities and interactions (PA). In our case study data, we see that young, dynamic, humorous NETs also tend to use a greater variety of interesting activities and tasks

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while the more formal, serious and somewhat distant NETs (e.g. SC and SF) tend to cling to textbook worksheets and tasks.

Enjoyment based activities (more suitable for junior forms which do not suffer exam pressure)

However, students in a high ability secondary school were of the strong opinion that the NET may be more suitable for junior forms, but not for classes under exam pressure because what they needed was skills and knowledge to pass exams, and not the enjoyment-based activities the NET excelled at.

More accurate and standard pronunciation & grammar, more friendly, and game-oriented Students acknowledged that their listening skills and confidence in speaking seemed to have some improvement and that the NETs had considerable merits including having more accurate and standard pronunciation, more accurate grammar, being more friendly, and more game-oriented in teaching. On the other hand, these students would prefer to have a local teacher to do most of their teaching so that when they had problems, they could ask about them in LI. Some students in SF said that if their NET could understand Cantonese, they would like her lessons much better. All these highlight the fact that the NET was introducing innovative approaches and attributes to the teaching of English, even if some of these did not match the predilections of the students.

Free writing, newspaper reading and text-based exercises avoiding spoon-feeding

Students in SC 'complained* that they had to do a lot of free writing, newspaper reading or text-based exercises mainly on their own without much explanation or concrete feedback from the NET. This suggested that the NET was introducing resource-based and task-based teaching and attempting to give more autonomy to the learners than they might be used to in the - approaches adopted by local teachers.

NET accommodates approach to needs of students

A few students ftom the same F2 class in SF appreciated the teaching of the NET. They said that even though they had some difficulties with understanding the NET at the beginning, they had later overcome the problem because the NET would try to use simpler words, illustrations and body language to get her meanings across. They also said that they were quite used to having English lessons taught in English, as this was the practice in their former primary schools.

NET appreciated by higher proficiency students

High L2 proficiency students in non-public exam classes across all sampled schools in general have positive attitudes towards NET teaching. They hold the NETs* English speech models and expertise in high regard and feel that they can learn better and acquire more standard English from the NET. Their positive self-image (though few would explicitly claim to have high proficiency in English), positive attitudes toward NET teaching, plus their own adequate L2 linguistic ability to interact with the NET (e.g. students demonstrated and reported few communication problems in the NETs classes) all serai to serve as a good foundation to enable them to participate in NET classes and benefit from NET teaching.

Outspoken students more comfortable with the NET ^ In one student interview, a student with a higher L2 proficiency from SC was advising the others with lower L2 proficiency to be daring enough to speak up and ask questions because the

NET was very willing to answer questions on a one-to-one basis when she walked near to the students. In not-very-high L2 proficiency classes, preferred learning style and culture seem to be important factors affecting student participation and interest in NET lessons. Those students who were outspoken, outgoing, risk-taking, tolerant of uncertainty, eager to make guesses and attempt to solve communication problems, not afraid of making mistakes or being laughed at are found to be participating the most in interactions with the NET and in class activities. These students also seem to enjoy NET lessons more. In contrast, those students who seem to be less adventurous, less outspoken and less tolerant of uncertainty are found to be quiet or not engaged in lessons taught by the NET. Their facial expressions show that they seem to be at a loss (e.g., not knowing what's happening, or what to do, or what the NET is talking about).

Apprenticing puptts into the culture ofL2 speaking and "acting" by modelling L2 speech The NET also seems to have a unique role to play in apprenticing pupils into the culture of L2 speaking and "acting" by modelling naturally how target L2 speakers speak and act,with appropriate paralinguistic features - the verbal and non-verbal expressions that go with the speaking.

COUNTER EVIDENCE

Puptts love to be taught by less strict NET

Comparatively speaking, the upper primary students interviewed in PA expressed more difficulty in understanding the NET and had moire reservations about being taught by the NET than the lower primary students. The P5 group we interviewed said they still loved to be taught by the NET because the local teacher was very strict with them. However, they complained that lessons taught by the NET were somewhat monotonous and lacked variety.

Higher expectations

There is evidence, in some negative comments made by secondary students, of NETs having higher expectations in their teaching approaches than local teachers. For example, although secondary students (SE) commented on the insensitivity of the NET to their learning difficulties, they also said the NET always had 'unrealistic' expectations of their performance and made high demands on their language accuracy. While higher expectations may be viewed as a positive attribute, but in this case (SE) it seemed to indicate a mismatch between the unrealistic expectations of the teacher and the capabilities and self-perceptions of the students.

Not exam-oriented enough

On the other hand, the NET (SE) failed to teach them the exam skills F6 students wanted to learn. From a different perspective, these approaches migjit be considered to constitute fresh approaches of value to flic students - ie. an approach which challenges their abilities rather than providing than with test-taking skills. However, the school culture is probably not ready to deny F6 studoits the exam preparation training they have come to expect This may be too iBdical an innovation for the NET to introduce.

NET lessons a useful complement to exam-oriented syllabus

Indeed while making negative comments on the NET, students also expressed their appreciation of the value of the NET, A group of F6 students in a middle banding school (SF) who were tau^it by fee NET for one oral lesson every cycle welcomed the teaching of the NET for a small percentage of their English lessons. This appreciation was tempered by explaining first, that local teachers who understand the exam syllabus better should be the chief persons to help them through the public exam and second that they experienced difficulties in

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understanding the NET when more abstract concepts were handled and complex structures used.

Focus on production, avoidance of LI use in class

Other negative comments on the NET from secondary students are also indicative of their relative discomfort with an inherently beneficial and fresh approach. Examples of such approaches include "complaints*' that the NET gave students lots of writing activities and did not use Cantonese in the lessons.

11.1.23 NET Effects through Extra-CurricuIar Activities

Modelling appropriate language and coaching students in culturally appropriate behaviour The unique role of the NET is well illustrated in drama or acting activities with students, both inside and outside the classroom. In such activities the NET can model appropriate language and coach students in culturally appropriate ways of acting, gesturing and moving that accompany L2 ways of speaking. It seemed that extra-curricular activities (EGA) might have provided a better means through which a positive relationship between the students and the NET could be developed.

Increased staff and student opportunities to use English for socialisation purposes

Althougji it was difficult to record unplanned interactions taking place outside the classrooms, evidence can be found in the field observations of our researchers to show that the presence of the NETs has increased staff and student opportunities to use English for socialisation purposes.

For example, some students in SG recounted joyfully their experience of having a drink and a nice chat with the NET after playing volleyball together. The NET in SF also reported an interesting activity she had had with a group of boys (all voluntary participants) during which she taught them how to make pancakes and explained the story behind this Shrove Tuesday custom.

ECA and socialisation

The NETs in SC and PB also expressed a stronger sense of achievement in organising extra-curricular activities (e.g, drama, role-play, creative writing workshop, etc.) for the students and having other sorts of social gathering (e.g. lunching together, picnicking together, etc.). To the NETs, these experiences were more memorable than those in the classroom. It is also through these non-institutional social interactions that students experience a meaningful and authentic use of language.

Helping students enact different L2 social roles; modelling, and coaching students in acting and expressing emotions

The students seem to have enjoyed a drama activity immensely and the NET provided appropriate cultural modelling and coaching to help the students to enact the different 12 social roles. In another drama session with the students after school (as an extra-curricular activity), the NET modelled and coached the students in acting out differmt kinds of emotions that go with different L2 utterances. For instance, the NET demonstrated what to say (and what facial expressions to use) when you greet someone whom you have not seen for a long time. The students seemed to greatly enjoy the activity and took up different personas as they produced the L2 utterances with the appropriate accompanying facial expressions, intonations and gestures modelled by the NET. While a local teacher can also possibly lead such drama