7.1 This chapter summarizes our recommendations on the long-term arrangements for the MOI for secondary schools and SSPA mechanism.
The MOI Policy for Secondary Schools – Upholding Mother-tongue Teaching and Enhancing English Proficiency Concurrently
7.2 In principle, all secondary schools should adopt mother-tongue teaching at junior secondary levels. There is no objection to individual schools choosing to adopt English as the MOI if they fully meet the three prescribed criteria of student ability, teacher capability and support measures. All secondary schools (including schools adopting mother-tongue teaching) should endeavour to enhance students’
proficiency in both Chinese and English (see paragraphs 3.3 and 3.7).
Prescribed Criteria for EMI Teaching
7.3 Schools adopting English as the MOI must fulfill the following prescribed criteria:
Student Ability
(a) Students’ IA results in primary schools, as scaled by the existing pre-S1 HKAT, will be used to identify the EMI-capable students.
Samples of the pre-S1 HKAT results will be collected biennially.
The average of the results of the two most recently sampled pre-S1 HKATs will be used to scale the primary schools’ IA results of the
coming cohort of P6 students proceeding to S1. The scaled IA scores of all P6 students will be put into a pecking order. The top 40% of students will be taken as having the ability to learn through English (see paragraph 3.13).
(b) For a school to meet the student ability criterion for EMI teaching, it must have at least 85% of its S1 intake being capable to learn through English (see paragraph 3.13).
(c) For “through-train” secondary schools intending to adopt English as the MOI, the threshold percentage of EMI-capable S1 intake can be flexibly lowered to 75%, but this percentage only applies to S1 entrants from the linked primary schools. As for S1 intake from other primary schools, the threshold percentage should be maintained at 85%. Since the proportion of S1 entrants from the linked primary schools is different for each “through-train” secondary school, a weighted average methodology should be used to calculate the threshold percentage required for individual “through-train”
secondary schools (see paragraph 3.23).
(d) The deadline for feeder/nominated schools complying with the
“through-train” principles to decide whether or not to form
“through-trains” should be deferred to 31 May 2012 (see paragraph 3.23).
Teacher Capability
(e) In principle, all teachers teaching through English must be “able to
communicate the subject content to students intelligibly in English and that their use of English should have no adverse impact on students’ acquisition of the English language”. The specific requirement is anchored at Grade C or above in English Language (Syllabus B) of the HKCEE or its equivalent. Those possessing any one of the following qualifications will also be regarded as having the ability to teach in English (see paragraph 3.35):
(i) Band 6 or above obtained in the IELTS (academic domain);
(ii) Grade D or above in Use of English obtained in the HKALE, or Grade D or above in Use of English obtained in the defunct University of Hong Kong Advanced Level Examination;
(iii) Grade C or above in English Language obtained in the defunct HKHLE, or Grade C or above in English Language obtained in the defunct Chinese University of Hong Kong Matriculation Examination;
(iv) a pass or above in English of the General Certificate of Ordinary Level (Overseas) Examination;
(v) a pass or above in English of the General Certificate of Examinations (London Examinations);
(vi) a pass or above in English (First/Second) Language of the International General Certificate of Secondary Education Examination;
(vii) a score of 210 (computer-based) or 550 (paper-based) or above
in the TOEFL;
(viii) having met the Language Proficiency Requirements (English) (only the four parts on reading, writing, listening and speaking are required); or
(ix) possessing MIL (having studied in courses related to the English language).
(f) Serving EMI teachers who do not possess any of the qualifications set out in paragraph (e) above can opt for classroom observation by subject experts and language experts. The EMB will set up an expert panel to work out the operational details (see paragraph 3.35).
(g) EMI teachers should attend a minimum of 15 hours of EMI-related continuous professional development activities every three years (see paragraph 3.35).
Support Measures
(h) Schools using English as the MOI should purposefully and strategically devise school-based measures for supporting EMI teaching and should set out the related strategies and measures in their school development plans and annual reports. The EMB should assess and monitor the implementation of the support measures under the existing framework of quality assurance and schools’
self-evaluation. The related strategies include (see paragraphs 3.36 and 3.40):
(i) strengthening the teaching and learning of English as a subject;
(ii) creating an English-rich environment;
(iii) devising well-designed bridging programmes;
(iv) strengthening the learning of English through language-across-the-curriculum; and
(v) adopting English as the MOI in non-academic subjects as far as possible.
MOI Arrangements at School Level Junior Secondary Levels
7.4 The mother tongue should be the principal MOI for secondary schools and the between-school streaming arrangement should be maintained. A school should adopt the same MOI in all junior secondary classes (see paragraphs 3.41 and 3.55).
If individual schools choose to adopt English as the MOI, they have to meet the three prescribed criteria of student ability, teacher capability and support measures. The choice of EMI for these schools should be subject to a review every six years for quality assurance (see paragraphs 3.56 and 3.60).
7.5 Schools changing their MOI status should announce their arrangements one year before implementation. Any changes should start with the S1 classes and progress each year to a higher grade level (see paragraphs 3.56 and 3.60).
7.6 The Government should continue to provide the existing additional resources for schools adopting mother-tongue teaching and enhance the flexibility in
the deployment of these resources. Moreover, further additional resources should be provided for these schools to enhance students’ English proficiency (see paragraphs 3.55 and 4.18 - 4.21).
Senior Secondary Levels
7.7 Subject to the fulfillment of the criteria on teacher capability and support measures, secondary schools adopting mother-tongue teaching at junior secondary levels may, in consideration of the student ability, choose to adopt EMI teaching at senior secondary levels for certain subjects in some classes. In making this choice, they are required to:
(a) put in place well-designed bridging programmes and support measures systematically and strategically at junior secondary levels so as to help students get prepared; and
(b) meet the same criteria on teacher capability and support measures as prescribed for EMI teaching at junior secondary levels.
Schools are required to include in their school development plans and annual reports the relevant information (see paragraphs 3.68 - 3.70).
7.8 Schools adopting EMI teaching at junior secondary levels should continue to adopt English as the MOI at senior secondary levels. They should, in principle, also use English to teach Liberal Studies under the new academic structure for senior secondary education. The EMB may, however, determine which modules/themes under Liberal Studies may be allowed to be taught in Chinese by these schools with
reference to the following principles (see paragraph 3.73):
(a) The modules concerned involve Chinese culture and the key teaching materials are available in Chinese only; and
(b) Students are given the option to answer the questions related to those modules in public examinations in Chinese or English.
MOI Arrangements for DSS Schools
7.9 DSS secondary schools may basically maintain the existing flexibility in MOI arrangements, including the following:
(a) They have to meet the prescribed criteria of student ability, teacher capability and support measures if they choose to adopt EMI teaching.
For teacher capability and support measures, the requirements stipulated in paragraphs 3.35 and 3.40 also apply.
(b) They may adopt different MOI by class according to students’ ability.
However, they are not allowed to adopt different MOI by subject at junior secondary levels (see paragraphs 3.74 and 3.78).
(c) They should set out in their school development plans and annual reports the supporting educational considerations, implementation strategies and their readiness for EMI teaching (see paragraph 3.79).
Enhancing Students’ English Proficiency
7.10 With “upholding mother-tongue teaching and enhancing English
proficiency concurrently” as the direction of the MOI policy, schools adopting mother-tongue teaching should endeavour to enhance their students’ English proficiency. We recommend the following strategies:
Strategy (1): EMI extended learning activities
7.11 Schools may allocate, on top of English Language lessons, not more than 15%, 20% and 25% of the total lesson time at S1, S2 and S3 respectively for extended learning activities conducted in English with a view to increasing students’
exposure to English. The teacher capability requirement for EMI teachers will also apply to teachers conducting EMI extended learning activities. In order to help schools utilize the lesson time for extended learning effectively, the EMB should conduct a study with a view to collecting information on local and overseas experiences, developing effective models for dissemination to schools and providing professional support (see paragraphs 4.10 - 4.15).
Strategy (2): Chinese and English learning resources
7.12 Irrespective of the MOI, teachers should make good use of learning materials in both Chinese and English in order to enrich the source of teaching materials and students’ learning experiences (see paragraph 4.17).
Strategy (3): Provision of additional resources
7.13 The Government should continue to provide schools with the existing additional resources and to allow them the option of a cash grant in lieu of part or all
of the additional teaching posts (see paragraph 4.18).
7.14 The Government should earmark funding for setting up an English enhancement scheme for schools adopting mother-tongue teaching. Participating schools will be provided with non-recurrent additional grants. They should undertake to attain agreed performance targets on capacity building for effective teaching of English and on students’ academic attainment in English (see paragraphs 4.19 - 4.20).
Strategy (4): English-rich environment
7.15 Schools should endeavour to create an English-rich environment outside the classroom. Measures may include (see paragraph 4.22):
(a) promoting a culture of using English for day-to-day communication;
(b) making effective use of NETs;
(c) nurturing students’ reading habits; and (d) conducting multifarious English activities.
Strategy (5): Teaching effectiveness of English Language
7.16 Schools should enhance the teaching effectiveness of English by making effective deployment of manpower resources as well as improving the quality of curriculum design, teaching pedagogy, assessment for learning, etc. In particular, schools should facilitate teachers’ professional development when deploying resources (see paragraphs 4.23 and 4.24).
7.17 We recommend that the Government should, in the light of the circumstances of individual schools, consider how to assist EMI schools to further enhance the quality of EMI teaching (see paragraph 4.25).
The SSPA Mechanism
7.18 DP Stage – To provide parents/students with more choices and promote the diversified development of schools and students through:
(a) increasing the DP quota for each secondary school from the existing 20% to 30% (see paragraph 6.9).
(b) allowing parents/students to apply to two secondary schools at the DP stage. Parents/students are only required to indicate their order of preference to the EMB (see paragraph 6.13). The EMB will continue to provide secondary schools with the “rank order list” (see paragraph 6.17).
7.19 CA Stage – To provide parents/students with more choices and reduce examination pressure through:
(a) assigning 10% of the CA places of every secondary school for allocation “unrestricted” by school nets (see paragraph 6.22).
(b) updating the scaling mechanism by using the existing pre-S1 HKAT as a scaling instrument. Samples of the pre-S1 HKAT results will be collected biennially. The average of the results of the two most
recently sampled pre-S1 HKATs will be used to scale the primary schools’ IA results of the coming cohort of P6 students proceeding to S1. The students will then be divided into allocation bands according to the scaled results (see paragraph 6.37).
(c) maintaining the existing three-band arrangement (see paragraph 6.42).
Implementation Timetable
The SSPA Mechanism
7.20 The revised SSPA mechanism will apply to the cohort of students proceeding to S1 in September 2007 and thereafter. The sampled results of the pre-S1 HKAT in July 2006 will, for the first time, be used to scale the primary schools’ IA results of P6 students proceeding to S1 (see paragraph 6.43).
The MOI Arrangements
7.21 The revised MOI arrangements for secondary schools will be implemented with effect from September 2010, starting with S1 classes and progressing each year to a higher grade level (see paragraph 3.64). Schools wishing to adopt English as the MOI should demonstrate to the EMB that they have satisfied the two criteria on teacher capability and support measures when they submit their applications in the 2008/09 school year. The ability of S1 intake in September 2008 and September 2009 will be taken into account in determining whether a school has met the student ability criterion. The EMB will notify the schools of their application results by the end of 2009 (i.e. before the DP process for the S1 intake of the following school year
commences) (see paragraph 3.65).
7.22 The various measures to enhance students’ English proficiency can be implemented starting from the 2006/07 school year.
Annex 1
Working Group on Review of Secondary School Places Allocation and Medium of Instruction for Secondary Schools -
Membership List
Chairman: Mr Michael TIEN Puk-sun
Members: Dr Anissa CHAN WONG Lai-kuen
Mr CHAN Wing-kwong
Dr CHEUNG Kwok-wah
Mr FUNG Ka-ching
Mr HON Hau-sut
Mrs Fanny LAM FAN Kit-fong Mrs LEE SHEK Yuk-yu
Professor LEE Wing-on (until June 2005) Mr LIN Man-sheung
Ms Bernadette LINN (from April 2005 onwards)
Mr PANG Yiu-kai
Mr TAI Hay-lap
Mrs Cherry TSE LING Kit-ching (until April 2005)
Sr WONG May-may
Rev YUEN Tin-yau
(Listed according to the alphabetical order of last name)
Annex2
MOI-Related Research Studies
(I) Studies Conducted Prior to the Implementation of the Guidance
1. The Effects of the Medium of Instruction on Student Cognitive Development and Academic Achievement (1979) (The Chinese University of Hong Kong) Content of Study
• To investigate through tests, questionnaires and classroom observations the effect of MOI on the cognitive development and the linguistic competency (Chinese and English) of students when studying World History, Mathematics and Science subjects under different MOI environments.
Findings
• For students with moderate and weaker academic performance, teaching through English dampened their cognitive and linguistic (Chinese and English) development.
• For high performers, although EMI teaching did affect their cognitive development, their competency in English and Chinese remained at a high level.
• There was less student participation in EMI teaching classroom. Teachers were also inclined to adopt unidirectional teaching with fewer analytical questions raised.
Annex2 2. An Investigation of the Effectiveness of Various Language Modes of
Presentation, Spoken and Written, in S3 in Hong Kong Anglo-Chinese Secondary Schools (1985) (Former Education Department and The University of Hong Kong)
Content of Study
• Over 1 200 S3 students from ten secondary schools participated in this study.
Lesson materials were given in the form of Chinese or English videotapes or printed texts, and tests were given after the lessons.
Findings
• About 30% of the students who attempted the test in English had good performance. Another 30% of the students encountered severe difficulty.
The remainders were somewhat in between.
• The majority of the students who had encountered severe difficulty preferred to learn in the mother tongue.
3. The Effects of the Medium of Instruction on the Achievement of S2 Students in Hong Kong Secondary Schools (1985) (Former Education Department and The University of Hong Kong)
Content of Study
• 29 schools experimented using Chinese or English as the MOI in History and Science in S2 classes.
Findings
• English proficiency was the main determinant of whether a student had the
Annex2 ability to learn through English.
• There was a high correlation between students’ proficiency in English and Chinese, i.e. students with high proficiency in English were normally also highly proficient in Chinese and vice versa.
• 30% of students with the highest proficiency in English could learn through English effectively.
• Notwithstanding additional explanation in Chinese, EMI teaching still posed an obstacle to learning for the rest of the students (about 70%).
4. Studies on the Modes of Language of Instruction at Junior Secondary Levels in Anglo-Chinese Secondary Schools (1985) (Former Education Department) Content of Study
• A two-year study was conducted in S1 to S3 classes of 15 Anglo-Chinese secondary schools. During the study period, students’ proficiency in Chinese and English as well as performance in Mathematics, Science and History was assessed regularly through Chinese, English and bilingual test papers.
Teacher and student questionnaire surveys were also conducted.
Findings
• There was greater use of mother-tongue teaching than before. The subjects involved, in descending order of the frequency of the use of the mother tongue, were Mathematics, Science and History.
• Students with a lower English standard indicated that they understood less than half of the lesson conducted in English.
Annex2
• If the English standard of the students was divided into 14 levels (level 1 being the highest), then full EMI teaching to students at or below level 5 (i.e. levels 5 to 14) was rare. The study also indicated that only 10%, 21% and 28% of the students in S1, S2 and S3 respectively were at level 4 or above.
5. A Comparison of Academic Performance of Junior Secondary Students in Anglo-Chinese and Chinese Middle Schools (1985) (Former Education Department)
Content of Study
• A comparison was made between S1 - S3 students in Anglo-Chinese secondary schools and their peers in Chinese Middle schools in their performance in Chinese Language, English Language, Mathematics, Science and History.
Findings
• The students in Anglo-Chinese secondary schools performed better in English Language while the students in Chinese Middle schools performed better in Chinese Language and History.
• As to the performance in Mathematics and Science, the difference between the two groups of students was not significant, though students of Chinese Middle schools performed slightly better.
Annex2 6. A Study on the Relation between Initial Language Proficiency at Secondary 1
Level and Subsequent HKCEE Performance for MOI Grouping (1992) (Former Education Department)
Content of Study
• A correlation analysis was conducted between the performance of a cohort of S5 students in the 1990 HKCEE and their P6 IA results in English Language and Chinese Language as scaled by the AAT under SSPA in 1985.
Findings
• There was a high correlation between the SSPA scaled score in Chinese Language and English Language and performance in the HKCEE.
• For students who obtained 14 points or above in the HKCEE and who were studying in Anglo-Chinese schools that used English as the sole MOI, their abilities in English and Chinese were mostly above the 60th percentile.
• Students taught solely through one language (either English or the mother tongue) performed better in the HKCEE than those taught through a mixed code of English and Chinese.
7. A Comparison of Pupils’ HKCEE Results between Schools Using Chinese as MOI in All Subjects and Schools Using Chinese/English as the MOI by Subject (1994) (Former Education Department)
Content of Study
• To examine the difference in the 1993 HKCEE results between these two groups of schools.
Annex2 Findings
• For students of comparable abilities, the overall average performance of students from schools using Chinese as the MOI in all subjects was higher than those from schools using Chinese or English as the MOI in different subjects.
Such observation was especially apparent in Chinese Language, English Language (Syllabus B) and language-loaded subjects such as Geography, History and Economics.
• There was no significant difference in the performance in science subjects between these two groups of students.
8. Research on Change of MOI in Secondary Schools (1994) (Former Education Department)
Content of Study
• The experimental group comprised 11 Anglo-Chinese schools with over 50%
of the subjects switched to mother-tongue teaching. The control group was another 11 schools. An index of levels 1-5 was used to represent the language environment in schools (level 1 for a school language environment being mainly English, levels 2-4 representing varying degrees of English environment in descending order, with level 5 being mainly Chinese).
Findings
• Students in a relatively predominant English environment performed better in English Language while students in a relatively predominant Chinese environment performed better in Chinese Language, Science, History and
Annex2 Geography.
• More frequent use of mother-tongue teaching was conducive to inducing students’ learning motivation and adoption of higher-level cognitive strategy of learning.
• Schools were advised to adopt a single MOI.
9. Educational and Social Determinants of Language Education Policy (1995) (The Chinese University of Hong Kong)
Content of Study
• Students were examined to see whether they had the basic level of language
proficiency for bilingual learning.
Findings
• If obtaining 14 points or above in the HKCEE was used as the criterion, the following groups of students could benefit from bilingual learning: (a) those with a high standard in both Chinese and English; (b) those with a high standard in Chinese and a moderate standard in English; and (c) those with a high standard in English and a moderate standard in Chinese.
• If having five or more subjects passed in HKCEE was used as the criterion, apart from the above three groups, students with a moderate standard in both Chinese and English could also benefit from bilingual learning.
Annex2 10. Evaluation Study on the Implementation of MOI Grouping in Secondary
Schools: 1994/95-1996/97 school years (1998) (Former Education Department) Content of Study
• Performance under different modes of teaching medium (English, Chinese and varying degrees of mixed mode in English and Chinese) of S1 entrants of 56 schools were tracked over three years.
• Assessments on Chinese Language, English Language, Mathematics, Science, Geography and History were conducted annually.
Findings
• Mother-tongue teaching helped students achieve value-added performance.
For students of comparable abilities, students taught in the mother tongue performed better than those learning through other modes of MOI.
• There was no evidence suggesting that EMI teaching could raise the English standard of students.
• Generally speaking, students taught in English (especially those studying in schools which ignored the former Education Department’s advice on the adoption of mother-tongue teaching) had encountered some language impediments to learning, particularly in language-loaded subjects such as History.
Annex2 11. Late Immersion and Language of Instruction in Hong Kong High Schools:
Achievement Growth in Language and Non-language subjects (2000)32 (Herbert W. Marsh, Hau Kit-tai and Kong Chit-kwong)
Content of study
• The study aims at evaluating the effects of mother-tongue teaching and EMI teaching on the effectiveness of learning by assessing the performance of more than 12 700 S1 students from 56 Chinese and Anglo-Chinese secondary schools. Assessment was based on standardized tests administered to the students in S1 to S3 and their achievement test results in P6 for placement to S1.
Findings
• Performance of EMI students lagged far behind their CMI counterparts of comparable ability in History, Geography and Science.
• As compared to EMI students, CMI students with comparable abilities performed better in non-language subjects, while their performance in language subjects was slightly disadvantaged.
• The extent of negative effect of EMI teaching was not reduced even for students with better academic performance, but students with better English experienced less disadvantages in EMI learning.
32 The study was conducted before the implementation of the Guidance and the findings were reported in 2000.