English Language Education Key Learning Area

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English Language Education Key Learning Area

English Language

Curriculum and Assessment Guide (Secondary 4 - 6)

Jointly prepared by the Curriculum Development Council and the Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority

Published for use in schools by the Education Bureau HKSARG

2021

Effective from Secondary 4 in the 2021/22 school year

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Preamble

This Curriculum and Assessment (C&A) Guide, jointly prepared by the Curriculum Development Council (CDC) and the Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority (HKEAA) in 2021, is based on the goals of senior secondary education and on other official curriculum and assessment documents, including the Basic Education Curriculum Guide (2002), the Basic Education Curriculum Guide – To Sustain, Deepen and Focus on Learning to Learn (2014), the Senior Secondary Curriculum Guide (2009) and the Secondary Education Curriculum Guide (2017). It is published for use in secondary schools and should be read in conjunction with all related documents.

The CDC is an advisory body that gives recommendations to the Government of the HKSAR on all matters relating to curriculum development for the school system from the kindergarten level to the senior secondary level. Its membership includes heads of schools, practising teachers, parents, employers, academics from tertiary institutions, professionals from related fields/bodies, representatives from the HKEAA and the Vocational Training Council, as well as officers from the Education Bureau.

The HKEAA is an independent statutory body responsible for the conduct of public assessment, including the assessment for the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education (HKDSE). Its governing council includes members from the school sector, tertiary institutions and government bodies, as well as professionals and members of the business community. The subject curriculum forms the basis of the assessment designed and administered by the HKEAA. In this connection, the HKEAA will issue a handbook to provide information on the rules and regulations of the HKDSE Examination as well as the framework and format of the public assessment for each subject.

The CDC and the HKEAA will keep the subject curriculum under constant review and evaluation in the light of classroom experiences, student performance in the public assessment, and the changing needs of students and society. All comments and suggestions on this C&A Guide can be sent to:

English Language Education Section Curriculum Development Institute Education Bureau

Room 1206, Wu Chung House 213 Queen’s Road East

Wanchai, Hong Kong Fax: 2834 7810

Email: english@edb.gov.hk

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Chapter 1 Introduction

This chapter provides the background, rationale and aims of English Language as a core subject in the three-year senior secondary curriculum, and highlights how it articulates with the junior secondary curriculum, post-secondary education, and future career pathways.

1.1 Background

The English Language Curriculum and Assessment Guide (Secondary 4 – 6) was first published in 2007. With the implementation of the New Academic Structure in senior secondary in 2009 and the inaugural Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education Examination in 2012, the Short-term Review and the Medium-term Review were conducted in 2012 and 2014 respectively to fine-tune the senior secondary English Language curriculum and assessment. Following the recommendations set out in the two reviews, the English Language Curriculum and Assessment Guide (Secondary 4 – 6) (2007) was updated in January 2014 and November 2015.

In 2017, the English Language Education Key Learning Area Curriculum Guide (Primary 1 – Secondary 6) and Secondary Education Curriculum Guide (2017) were released to provide further information and updates on the direction for the development of the English Language Education curriculum. In the same year, the Task Force on Review of School Curriculum (Task Force) was set up to holistically review the primary and secondary curricula. Upon completion of the review, the Task Force submitted the final report entitled “Optimise the curriculum for the future, Foster whole-person development and diverse talents” in September 2020. With due consideration given to the recommendations set out in the review report, the relevant committees under the Curriculum Development Council and the Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority formulated the measures to create space for students and cater for learner diversity announced in Education Bureau Circular Memorandum No.39/2021 “Measures to Optimise the Four Senior Secondary Core Subjects”. This Guide was updated to incorporate the directions set out in the two aforesaid curriculum guides, the review report and the circular memorandum for use by schools from Secondary 4 in the 2021/22 school year.

The English Language Curriculum and Assessment Guide (Secondary 4 – 6) (2021) delineates the overall aims as well as the learning targets and objectives of the subject. It also provides guidelines, suggestions and examples to promote effective learning, teaching and assessment practices, and to help schools and teachers plan, develop and implement their own school-based curriculum. For a more comprehensive understanding of the curriculum, this Guide should be read in conjunction with the English Language Education Key Learning Area Curriculum Guide (Primary 1 – Secondary 6) (2017).

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1.2 Rationale

The rationale for studying English Language as a core subject at the senior secondary level is presented below:

 English is the language of global communication. With the rapid development of the Internet and technology, English has become not only a powerful learning tool, a medium by which people gain access to knowledge from around the world, but also a medium through which they develop positive values and attitudes, establish and maintain meaningful relationships with people, increase their cultural understanding and expand their knowledge and world- views.

 English is the language of international business, trade and professional communication.

Traditionally much emphasis has been placed on English language learning in school. Such a tradition must be continued, since proficiency in English is essential for helping Hong Kong maintain its current status and further strengthen its competitiveness as a leading finance, banking and business centre in the world.

 English plays a crucial role in empowering students with the capabilities necessary for lifelong learning, critical thinking, problem solving, creativity, and innovation and for adapting to the rapid changes and demands of society.

 English opens up a world of leisure and entertainment for students.

The mastery of English is, therefore, vital to students in Hong Kong, as it opens up new possibilities for intellectual and social development, educational attainment, career advancement, personal fulfilment, and cultural understanding.

1.3 Curriculum Aims

English Language (Primary 1 – Secondary 6) is a core subject in the English Language Education Key Learning Area (KLA) curriculum, whereas Literature in English (Secondary 4 – 6) is an elective subject. The curriculum framework for the English Language Education provides an overall structure for organising learning and teaching for both subjects. The overall aims of the English Language Education curriculum are:

 to provide every student of English with further opportunities for extending their knowledge and experience of the cultures of other people as well as opportunities for personal and intellectual development, further studies, pleasure and work in the English medium; and

 to enable every student to prepare for the changing socio-economic demands resulting from advances in information technology; these demands include the interpretation, use and production of materials for pleasure, study and work in the English medium.

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1.4 Interface with the Junior Secondary Curriculum and Post-secondary Pathways

The senior secondary English Language curriculum (Secondary 4 – 6) is premised on the tenet that a person’s development is a rising continuum and that a lifelong approach should be adopted for English Language curriculum planning and development, rather than a selective approach exemplified by separate and isolated syllabuses. The senior secondary curriculum is therefore part of the English Language Curriculum designed for the full range of diversity of students from Primary 1 to Secondary 6.

While the six-year primary curriculum focuses on laying the foundation of English Language development, the secondary curriculum at both junior and senior levels focuses on the application of English for various everyday learning and developmental purposes. Specifically, the senior secondary English Language curriculum comprises a broad range of learning targets, objectives and outcomes that help students consolidate what they have learnt from Primary 1 to Secondary 3, as well as broaden and deepen their learning experiences to help them develop the necessary language knowledge and skills for their future needs, whether they choose to pursue vocational and professional training, or university education, or to work after they complete secondary education.

To prepare students for the senior secondary English Language curriculum, a solid groundwork must be laid at the junior secondary level. Schools are encouraged to continue with the following practices to build a strong interface between the junior and senior secondary curricula:

 Make use of the learning targets and objectives and the broad learning outcomes provided in the English Language curriculum framework to plan and develop a coherent school-based language curriculum with built-in pedagogical approaches which facilitate learning progression and which suit students’ needs, interests and abilities at both junior and senior secondary levels.

 Provide a language-rich environment to encourage students to learn and use English, and to support their learning of other subjects in English.

 Make use of a broad range of activities and materials (including those involving the use of creative or imaginative texts) to enhance students’ motivation, and to develop their creativity, critical thinking skills and problem solving skills.

 Promote a habit of reading and the academic use of English to equip students with essential language knowledge and skills to cope with the language demands from other subjects using English as the medium of instruction and prepare them for further studies/higher education.

 Develop learning-to-learn skills as well as positive values and attitudes conducive to independent and lifelong language learning.

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 Provide, if appropriate, additional support (e.g. materials adaptation, promotion of cross- curricular and extra-curricular language learning, designing activities to develop students’

self-directed language learning strategies) to prepare classes for the switch to the English medium of instruction at Secondary 4.

By broadening and enriching students’ knowledge, skills and experience, the senior secondary English Language curriculum also provides a firm foundation for further studies, vocational and professional training and work. It opens up a variety of post-secondary educational and career pathways, particularly in the areas of language and communication, translation, media production, performing arts, education, business, law and social sciences.

1.5 Cross-curricular Links

Consistent with the primary and junior secondary English Language curricula, the senior secondary English Language curriculum recognises the importance of fostering greater connection between English Language and other subjects through Language across the Curriculum and Reading across the Curriculum. Such a vision is rooted in the belief that students should explore knowledge and gain experience in a comprehensive and integrative manner. When they are able to make connections among ideas and language use, their motivation will be raised and their learning strengthened. Likewise, the knowledge they acquire, and the skills and positive attitudes they develop in each KLA will be enhanced.

To facilitate the transition from school to work, it is desirable for the senior secondary English Language curriculum to widen students’ exposure to language use in simulated workplace or applied learning contexts. Schools may explore ways to establish connection between English Language and Applied Learning (ApL), which is a valued elective subject in the senior secondary curriculum. For more information on cross-curricular collaboration in curriculum planning and development as well as the provision of English-related ApL courses, such as Applied Learning (Vocational English), please refer to Sections 3.3.4 and 3.3.5.

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Chapter 2 Curriculum Framework

The curriculum framework for English Language embodies the key knowledge, skills, values and attitudes that students are to develop at the senior secondary level. It forms the basis on which schools and teachers plan their school-based curriculum and design appropriate learning, teaching and assessment activities.

2.1 Aims of the English Language Curriculum

In alignment with the overall aims of the English Language Education curriculum in Section 1.3, the English Language curriculum aims to:

 provide students with learning experiences to increase their language proficiency for study, work, leisure and personal enrichment;

 develop their knowledge, skills, values and attitudes; and

 promote lifelong learning so as to enhance their personal and intellectual development, cultural understanding and global competitiveness.

The English Language curriculum at the senior secondary level specifically aims to enable students to:

 broaden and deepen the language competencies they have developed from Primary 1 to Secondary 3, so that they are able to use English with increasing proficiency for personal and intellectual development, effective social interaction, further studies, vocational and professional training, work and pleasure;

 further develop their interest and confidence in using English as their understanding and mastery of the language grow;

 further broaden their knowledge, understanding and experience of various cultures in which English is used;

 develop and prepare themselves for further studies, vocational and professional training or work; and

 further develop learning-to-learn skills and positive values and attitudes conducive to meeting the needs of our rapidly changing knowledge-based society. These include the interpretation, use and production of texts for pleasure, study and work in the English medium.

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2.2 The English Language Curriculum Framework

The English Language curriculum framework sets out what students should know, value and be able to do at various stages of schooling from Primary 1 to Secondary 6. It gives schools and teachers flexibility and ownership to plan and develop a range of diverse strategies to meet their students’ varied needs.

The curriculum framework comprises a set of interlocking components including:

 subject knowledge and skills;

 generic skills; and

 positive values and attitudes.

The three interconnected components above can be represented in the figure below:

2.2.1 Subject Knowledge and Skills

Subject knowledge and skills are expressed in the form of learning targets in the Interpersonal, Knowledge and Experience Strands, and learning objectives, which will be further explained in Sections 2.3 and 2.4.

2.2.2 Generic Skills

The component of generic skills is fundamental in enabling students to learn how to learn. They include:

Basic Skills Thinking Skills Personal and Social Skills Communication Skills Critical Thinking Skills Self-management Skills

Mathematical Skills Creativity Self-learning Skills

IT Skills Problem Solving Skills Collaboration Skills

These skills are to be developed through learning and teaching in all the Key Learning Areas (KLAs). To a large extent, they are embedded in the curriculum content of English Language and

Knowledge

Generic Skills Values & Attitudes

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often used integratively when complex tasks are involved. Collaboration, communication, creativity, critical thinking, problem solving and self-learning skills are in particular nurtured through its delivery.

For more information, please refer to Appendix 7 of the English Language Education Key Learning Area Curriculum Guide (Primary 1 – Secondary 6) (2017).

2.2.3 Positive Values and Attitudes

Values underpin our conduct and decisions. Attitudes are personal dispositions, which may affect our behaviour positively or negatively. Students need to develop positive attitudes such as responsibility, open-mindedness and co-operativeness for healthy development. Among all values and attitudes, perseverance, respect for others, responsibility, national identity, commitment, integrity, care for others, law-abidingness and empathy have been identified as the nine priority values and attitudes.

For more information, please refer to Appendices 8 and 9 of the English Language Education Key Learning Area Curriculum Guide (Primary 1 – Secondary 6) (2017).

To illustrate the inter-relationship between different curriculum components, a diagrammatic representation of the English Language curriculum framework is provided below:

English Language Curriculum Framework Aims of the English Language Curriculum

To provide students with learning experiences to increase their language proficiency for study, work, leisure and personal enrichment;

To develop their knowledge, skills, values and attitudes; and

To promote lifelong learning so as to enhance their personal and intellectual development, cultural understanding and global competitiveness.

Strands

Interpersonal Knowledge Experience Learning Targets and Learning Objectives

Flexible and diversified modes of curriculum planning +

Effective learning, teaching and assessment

Generic Skills Values and Attitudes

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2.3 Subject Targets and Strands

2.3.1 Subject Targets

The subject target of English Language is for students to develop an ever-improving capability to use English:

 to think and communicate;

 to acquire, develop and apply knowledge; and

 to respond and give expression to experience;

and within these contexts, to develop and apply an ever-increasing understanding of how language is organised, used and learnt.

2.3.2 Strands

The curriculum content and learning targets of English Language are primarily organised under three interrelated Strands:

 Interpersonal Strand

 Knowledge Strand

 Experience Strand

Strands are categories for organising the curriculum. Their major function is to organise content for the purpose of developing knowledge, skills, and values and attitudes as a holistic process.

They also define the broad purposes of learning English Language.

At the senior secondary level, students are expected to achieve the following targets for English Language under the three Strands. These are built on those for Key Stage 3 (Secondary 1 – 3):

Interpersonal Strand

a. to establish and maintain relationships and routines in school, community and work situations

b. to converse, discuss, compare, argue, evaluate and justify points of view about feelings, interests, preferences, ideas, experiences and plans

c. to communicate a range of more complex messages, both oral and written, for different audiences and purposes

d. to participate with others in planning, developing, organising, carrying out and evaluating more complex and extended events

e. to obtain and provide objects, services and information in a wider and more complex range of real and simulated situations

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Knowledge Strand

a. to provide or find out, select, analyse, organise and present information on familiar and unfamiliar topics

b. to interpret and use more extensive and complex information through processes or activities such as ordering, describing, defining, classifying, comparing, explaining, justifying, predicting, inferring, summarising, synthesising, evaluating and drawing conclusions

c. to identify and discuss critically ideas, issues, themes, arguments, views and attitudes in spoken and written texts, make connections, refine or generate ideas, and express or apply them

d. to identify and define more complex problems from given information, consider related factors, explore and discuss options, solve the problems, evaluate and justify the solutions, or offer alternatives

e. to develop, refine and re-organise ideas, and to improve expression by making appropriate revisions to one’s own written texts independently and collaboratively

f. to understand how the English language works in a wide range of contexts and how more complex texts are organised and expressed; and apply this understanding to one’s learning and use of the language

Experience Strand

a. to develop a response to a wider range of imaginative or literary texts¹ through activities such as:

- participating in the presentation of such texts - identifying, interpreting and discussing themes

- appreciating the use of language including the use of rhythm and rhyme, other sound patterns and rhetorical devices

b. to respond to characters, events, issues and themes in imaginative and other narrative texts through oral, written and performative means such as:

- making predictions and inferences

- analysing the actions and motivations of characters and the significance of events - relating the characters and events to one’s own experiences

- articulating and presenting one’s views and feelings - putting oneself in the roles and situations in the story

1 Throughout this document, the term “imaginative or literary texts” refers to a broad range of language arts materials including poems, novels, short stories, dramas, films, film scripts, jokes, advertisements, song lyrics, radio and television programmes, etc.

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- participating in dramatic presentations and reflecting on the way in which authors use language to create effects

c. to give expression to imaginative ideas through oral, written and performative means such as:

- reading aloud and solo or choral speaking

- role-plays, dramatic presentations or improvisation

- providing oral and written descriptions (or drawings) to illustrate one’s personal response to a situation, object or character, or one’s analysis of them

- writing journals or diaries

- writing stories with a sound awareness of purpose and appropriate development of plot and character

- creating poems and lyrics - creating short dramatic episodes

d. to give expression to one’s experience through activities such as providing oral and written descriptions of feelings and events, dramatic presentations or monologues, incorporating where appropriate reflections on their significance

2.4 Learning Objectives

Learning objectives define more specifically what students are expected to learn. They serve as a reference list for curriculum, lesson and activity planning. The learning objectives for English Language at the senior secondary level are built on those for Key Stage 3 (Secondary 1 – 3) and are organised under the following general areas:

 Language Forms and Communicative Functions;

 Language Skills and Language Development Strategies; and

 Attitudes Specific to English Language Learning.

2.4.1 Language Forms and Communicative Functions

Language Items and Communicative Functions

Language items include a range of grammatical forms and structures that students need to develop as they perform the communicative functions. Students at the senior secondary level should already have encountered most of the essential structures of English and have applied them in various situations. Items learnt at Key Stage 3 (Secondary 1 – 3) should be consolidated and extended to a greater degree of complexity at this level.

The language items and communicative functions that students are expected to learn in Key Stages 3 – 4 (Secondary 1 – 6) are outlined in Appendix 1 of this Guide. The list is by no means

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exhaustive. Exponents may vary according to contextual elements, such as physical location and the relative social status of the addresser and the addressee. Teachers are encouraged to provide meaningful contexts in which the language items can be used for purposeful communication.

Vocabulary

The vocabulary items that students encounter, acquire and use at each key stage vary with the tasks and the amount of language support that students experience in the learning process. Students need to be exposed to an increasingly wide range of vocabulary items, including phrasal verbs, idioms and fixed expressions to help them communicate and carry out various learning tasks effectively.

Vocabulary is best introduced in context using reading, listening or multimodal texts, and practised through tasks and language games. In helping students build vocabulary, besides identifying whether the target words are for active or passive use, teachers should also take note of their frequency of occurrence across different text types and the vocabulary demand in non-language subjects. It is not advisable to prescribe a vocabulary list out of context or provide a list of unfamiliar words with explanations and their different parts of speech for rote learning.

It is also essential to introduce students to a range of vocabulary building strategies such as:

 using knowledge of word formation

 using knowledge of collocations

 using knowledge of lexical relations

 guessing meaning and inferencing with available clues

 using dictionaries and thesauri

 creating word webs to record words learnt

 retaining words using mnemonics

For more information on how to help students develop and use these strategies, please refer to Appendix 2 of this Guide.

Text Types

Text types refer to different forms of speech and writing. The intended purpose and audience of each text type determine its structural, stylistic and linguistic features.

To assist students in their development as proficient users of English, it is important that they are introduced systematically to a good variety of text types. Different text types provide meaningful contexts for the learning and purposeful use of specific language items and vocabulary. An awareness of the demands of different text types is essential for successful and effective communication.

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The range of text types widens at higher levels of learning. At the same time, the text types that students are exposed to and expected to produce increase in complexity according to the levels of learning. The selection of text types will depend on students’ needs, experiences and interests and it may also partly depend on the resource materials available for students. While students may only be required to produce a limited range of text types in writing and speaking, they can be exposed to other text types through reading and listening.

For the text types that students are expected to have encountered from Key Stages 1 – 4 (Primary 1 – Secondary 6), please refer to Appendix 3 of this Guide. The list is not intended as a checklist.

Rather, it suggests the variety and range of texts that students may be exposed to and produce at each key stage.

2.4.2 Language Skills and Language Development Strategies

In order for students to be able to use English effectively for the purposes described in the learning targets, it is essential that they develop competence in the skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing. Students also need to develop language development strategies in order to become motivated, independent and responsible for their own learning. For the English language skills and language development strategies that students are expected to develop at Key Stage 4 (Secondary 4 – 6), please refer to Appendix 4 of this Guide.

2.4.3 Attitudes Specific to English Language Learning

The development of positive attitudes, along with knowledge and skills, is an integral part of the English Language curriculum. Opportunities for exploring, developing and encouraging positive attitudes should be provided in all English learning tasks. Some positive attitudes (e.g. confidence in using English) should be further developed when students move towards a higher level of learning. Some other positive attitudes (e.g. an open-minded attitude towards different cultures, ideologies and points of view) will only be consciously developed in specific tasks. For the attitudes specific to English language learning for Key Stages 1 – 4 (Primary 1 – Secondary 6), please refer to Appendix 5 of this Guide.

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2.5 Curriculum Organisation

2.5.1 Learning Time

English learning is not confined to English lessons or school hours. Students’ learning time includes:

 lesson time (i.e. English lessons);

 school time other than lesson time (e.g. assembly, recess, lunch, before/after school, open day, post-examination activity day); and

 time outside of school (e.g. weekends, holidays, time after school).

As a core subject, English Language accounts for 10.5% – 13% of the total lesson time for the senior secondary curriculum². Schools are reminded that learning time is not rigidly calculated according to the number of English lessons per week or cycle. To cater for learner diversity, they are encouraged to allocate additional learning time to conduct differentiation programmes/activities (e.g. pull-out remedial/enrichment programmes, cross-curricular programmes such as Language across the Curriculum and Reading across the Curriculum), and make flexible use of the time during and outside school hours to integrate English learning into Other Learning Experiences and Life-wide Learning. With due consideration to holistic planning at the whole school and KLA levels, schools can flexibly make timetabling arrangements to enrich students’ English learning experiences.

For more information on how to extend language learning beyond the classroom and make effective use of learning time to cater for learner diversity, please refer to Chapter 3 of this Guide.

2.5.2 Modules of Learning

The structure of modules, units and tasks is recommended for organising the learning and teaching of the English Language curriculum. A module is an organising focus which can be broken down into units and tasks that are thematically or conceptually related. These themes and concepts are explored through tasks to help students make connections between their learning experiences.

When designing the English Language curriculum with the modules, units and tasks as the organising structure, teachers are encouraged to expose students to a variety of themes to broaden

2 Starting from Secondary 4 in the 2021/22 school year, the four senior secondary core subjects are optimised to release lesson time for flexible arrangements to cater for learner diversity. Under the optimising arrangements in 2021, it is recommended that the four senior secondary core subjects take up no more than half of the total lesson time. For more information, please refer to the Supplementary Notes to the Secondary Education Curriculum Guide (2017).

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their learning experiences. Below is a list of suggested modules and units for the senior secondary level:

 Getting along with Others - Friendship and Dating

- Sharing, Co-operation, Rivalry

 Study, School Life and Work

- Study and Related Pleasure/Problems - Experiments and Projects

- Occupations, Careers and Prospects

 Cultures of the World

- Travelling and Visiting

- Customs, Clothing and Food of Different Places

 Wonderful Things

- Successful People and Amazing Deeds - Great Stories

- Precious Things

 Nature and Environment

- Protecting the Environment

- Resources and Energy Conservation - Biodiversity

- Animal Protection

 The Individual and Society - Crime

- Human Rights (personal rights, civic rights, respect)

 Communicating

- The Media and Publications - The Internet

 Technology

- Changes Brought about by Technology

 Leisure and Entertainment - The World of Sports - “Showbiz”

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2.5.3 Enrichment Components

To add variety to the English Language curriculum, broaden students’ learning experiences and cater for their diverse needs and interests, the following elements are to be incorporated:

Language Arts Elements³ Non-language Arts Elements³

Drama Sports Communication

Short Stories Debating

Poems and Songs Social Issues

Popular Culture Workplace Communication

Schools are encouraged to use the above elements to extend and deepen learning and enrich students’ language learning experiences. Based on school contexts and students’ needs, teachers are free to decide which of the above elements to teach, the breadth and depth of teaching, as well as the amount of time to be allocated to the enrichment components. The incorporation of these elements in the school-based curriculum aims to widen students’ language exposure and heighten their language and cultural awareness, as well as to provide opportunities for application and integrative use of language and generic skills (e.g. creativity, critical thinking skills, communication skills).

The above elements can be flexibly and easily integrated into different modules of learning suggested in this Guide. The table below shows some examples:

Suggested Modules and Units

Enrichment

Components Suggested Activities

Getting along with Others

 Friendship and Dating

 Sharing, Co-operation, Rivalry

 Drama

 Poems and Songs  Developing a script and role- playing a scene on the conflict between two friends

 Listening to songs about friendship and love and understanding the theme and figurative language used in the lyrics

Study, School Life and Work

 Study and Related Pleasure/Problems

 Experiments and Projects

 Popular Culture

 Workplace Communication

 Writing a letter for a newspaper column to offer advice on teenage problems

3 These elements are taken from the eight elective modules of the Elective Part of the previous curriculum. Under the optimising arrangements in 2021, there is no division between the Compulsory and Elective Parts.

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 Occupations, Careers and Prospects

 Conducting a mock job-interview in a Career Expo

Cultures of the World

 Travelling and Visiting

 Customs, Clothing and Food of Different Places

 Poems and Songs

 Popular Culture  Reading poems and listening to folk songs about other places and cultures

 Reading reviews on travel blogs and websites to plan trips and itineraries Wonderful Things

 Successful People and Amazing Deeds

 Great Stories

 Precious Things

 Short Stories

 Sports

Communication

 Reading stories/biographies of Nobel laureates

 Watching documentaries of famous athletes

Nature and Environment

 Protecting the Environment

 Resources and Energy Conservation

 Biodiversity

 Animal Protection

 Debating

 Social Issues

 Conducting a debate on environmental conservation vs economic development

 Designing a questionnaire and conducting a mini-survey on sustainable development

The Individual and Society

 Crime

 Human Rights (personal rights, civic rights, respect)

 Short Stories

 Social Issues

 Reading and analysing the theme and plot of a detective story

 Giving a speech on

discrimination/the importance of an inclusive community

Communicating

 The Media and Publications

 The Internet

 Social Issues

 Workplace Communication

 Discussing the pros and cons of social media and suggesting solutions to problems caused

 Writing a memorandum to staff on cyber security at the workplace Technology

 Changes Brought about by Technology

 Debating

 Social Issues

 Conducting a debate on whether Artificial Intelligence does more harm than good

 Writing an article about how technology changes the ways students learn

Leisure and Entertainment

 The World of Sports

 “Showbiz”

 Sports

Communication

 Drama

 Writing a proposal to suggest a new sport to be included in the Olympic Games/a new city to host the Olympic Games

 Recreating the ending of a play/

musical

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Schools should exercise professional judgement and flexibility over the choice of learning elements for integration into the theme-based learning modules. Alternatively, they can select appropriate learning elements as the focus for some short school-based modules/programmes (e.g.

“Exploring Short Stories”, “Fun with Drama”) or activities (e.g. inter-class debating competition, song dedication activities, drama performance)⁴.

4Schools may refer to the Suggested Schemes of Work for the Elective Part of the Three-year Senior Secondary English Language Curriculum (Secondary 4 – 6) (2007) and the resource packages on the eight elective modules in the previous curriculum for more topics and activities they can adapt when designing their school-based curriculum.

The relevant resources can be accessed at https://edb.gov.hk/en/curriculum-development/kla/eng-edu/references- resources.html.

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Chapter 3 Curriculum Planning

This chapter provides guidelines to help schools and teachers develop a flexible and balanced curriculum that suits the needs, interests and abilities of their students, and the contexts of their schools, in accordance with the central framework provided in Chapter 2 of this Guide.

3.1 Guiding Principles

The senior secondary English Language curriculum allows for flexibility and innovation in curriculum planning. To provide access to a rich variety of learning experiences, a balanced and coherent school-based curriculum emphasising the active role of students in the learning process should be developed. When planning and developing their own English Language curriculum at the senior secondary level, schools and teachers are encouraged to:

 facilitate continuity with the junior secondary curriculum through a comprehensive coverage of the learning targets and objectives to promote integrative use of skills and provide balanced and diversified learning experiences in the Interpersonal, Knowledge and Experience Strands;

 plan and devise appropriate and purposeful language learning materials, tasks and projects to develop students’ language abilities, critical thinking skills, creativity, learning to learn strategies, and positive values and attitudes conducive to lifelong learning;

 set and work on clear and manageable curriculum goals to develop a progressive and appropriate curriculum that serves to bring about pleasurable, meaningful and productive language learning experiences;

 work closely together as a team to plan the senior secondary English Language curriculum, to select and develop learning materials, activities and tasks, and to collaborate with teachers of other Key Learning Areas (KLAs) on promoting Language across the Curriculum (LaC) and Reading across the Curriculum (RaC) to heighten students’ awareness of the academic use of English;

 use textbooks and other language learning resources, including authentic materials, appropriately to suit students’ needs and interests;

 make flexible use of learning time to facilitate learning (e.g. re-scheduling lesson time, implementing long and short days and using time during and outside school hours for Other Learning Experiences (OLE), Life-wide Learning (LWL) activities and school-based programmes that promote language learning and address students’ learning needs);

 collect and reflect on evidence of effective learning and teaching to inform further curriculum development;

 make use of both formative assessment (e.g. process writing, projects, portfolios) and summative assessment to inform learning and teaching, taking into account the School-based

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Assessment (SBA) implementation arrangements as specified in Chapter 5 of this Guide; and

 plan and review the curriculum flexibly and make appropriate re-adjustments where necessary.

3.2 Central Curriculum and School-based Curriculum Development

The open and flexible senior secondary English Language curriculum framework delineated in this document sets out the following key learning elements:

 subject knowledge and skills developed through the learning targets and objectives of the English Language curriculum;

 generic skills; and

 positive values and attitudes.

Schools are strongly encouraged to capitalise on this central framework to develop their own school-based curriculum, taking into consideration factors such as students’ needs, interests and abilities, teachers’ readiness, and the school context. It is recommended that schools:

 make purposeful use of tasks and activities and ensure a balanced coverage of the learning targets in the Interpersonal, Knowledge and Experience Strands, learning objectives such as grammatical forms and communicative functions, and the four skills;

 extend students’ learning experiences through promoting the academic and creative uses of English, and cater for their different needs, abilities and interests with the use of both language arts and non-language arts materials; and

 make better use of formative assessment to enhance learning and teaching through providing timely feedback to help students make improvements and teachers review teaching plans and strategies.

3.3 Curriculum Planning Strategies

Consideration could be given to the following when planning the school-based senior secondary English Language curriculum.

3.3.1 Developing Modules of Learning Using the Module-Unit-Task Structure

Teachers are encouraged to adopt the task-based approach and make use of the structure of Modules, Units and Tasks (the M-U-T structure) to organise learning and teaching. A module is an organising focus, which usually contains a number of thematically or conceptually related units.

These themes and concepts are explored through tasks. The M-U-T framework enables students

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to learn in purposeful and authentic situations and facilitates cross-curricular planning, as themes/topics can be the focus for connecting knowledge and learning experiences across different subjects.

The figure below shows how units and tasks can be developed and organised within the module

“Study, School Life and Work”, which is one of the modules suggested for students at the senior secondary level.

Organisation of Modules, Units and Tasks: An Example

Module

Study, School Life and Work

Unit

Through Students’ Eyes

Unit Part-time Work?

Task 1 Peer Counsellors

Task 2 The School

Paper

Task 3 English Week

Task 4 How Do You Enjoy School?

Task 1 Career Week

Task 2 Making the Right Choice

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Extended tasks and projects can be further developed from tasks. The figure below shows the relationship among Tasks, Extended Tasks and Projects.

Relationship among Tasks, Extended Tasks and Projects

For suggestions on task-based learning and teaching, see Section 4.2.1.

Organising the thematically or conceptually-related areas of learning into modules helps students make better connections in what they learn. For example, a module such as “Nature and Environment” at the senior secondary level (see Section 2.5.2) allows students to examine different but related areas of knowledge such as environmental protection and resources, energy conservation and biodiversity. It engages them in using English to explore and discuss topics in a variety of ways, such as acting as a tour guide to introduce a conservation park, writing a pamphlet to urge people to re-use, reduce and recycle, or inviting schoolmates to join a “Beach Clean Up Campaign”.

The modular approach can also make it easier to link classroom learning to real-life experience.

For example, events that take place in the local and international communities can be drawn upon to develop modules that broaden students’ knowledge of the world as well as develop their language proficiency.

Where appropriate, teachers can incorporate and integrate language arts (e.g. drama, poems, songs) and non-language arts (e.g. social issues, debating) elements into the theme-based modules to cater for the interests, needs and abilities of their particular group of students, as well as to extend and enrich their learning experiences.

Task Task

Extended

Task Project

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3.3.2 Developing Learner Independence and Self-directed Learning Skills

To achieve the goal of lifelong learning, students at the senior secondary level should be encouraged to progress towards autonomy and independence. Teachers should see the development of self-access and self-directed learning (SDL) as an integral part of every student’s learning experiences. They should make an effort to integrate classroom and independent learning when planning and designing their English programmes. In addition, teachers can make use of e- learning platforms and application software to help students foster the habit of independent learning outside class. In the learning process, teachers can help students:

 develop enabling, metacognitive and SDL skills;

 set goals and make informed choices as to what, when and how they want to learn;

 use a range of language development strategies;

 carry out self-assessment and self-reflection;

 plan, monitor and evaluate the strategies adopted and their own learning effectiveness, which forms the basis for goal-setting in subsequent tasks or activities; and

 develop the knowledge, skills and strategies, attitudes and perseverance essential for lifelong language learning.

3.3.3 Extending Language Learning beyond the Classroom

Language learning should not be confined to the classroom and learning time is not limited to lesson time. To maximise opportunities for pleasurable and meaningful language learning, schools can:

 encourage students to interact in English not only during but also outside class time;

 utilise resources to enhance the language environment, so as to provide students with enjoyable experiences in the use of English through various types of extra-curricular activities (e.g. language games, drama, choral speaking, short radio plays); and

 enrich students’ learning experiences in real-life settings and widen their exposure to authentic language use through OLE and English-related LWL activities which revolve around the Five Essential Learning Experiences, i.e. Moral and Civic Education, Intellectual Development, Community Service, Physical and Aesthetic Development and Career-related Experiences (e.g. visits, talks, voluntary work, drama performances, job shadowing).

3.3.4 Cross-curricular Planning

The senior secondary English Language curriculum recognises the value and importance of adopting a cross-curricular approach to language learning, as set out in Section 1.5. Apart from striving to attain the important goal of helping students learn English effectively, a sound and robust school-based senior secondary English Language curriculum should also support students

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in their learning of other subjects. To achieve this, close collaboration among key stakeholders is necessary. This involves not only collaboration among teachers of English within a school, but also the support from the school head and teachers of other KLAs. Close communication among teachers and with the school management in the form of formal or informal meetings, experience- sharing, professional development days, etc. should be established and maintained in school.

Sharing of learning resources among teachers should also be encouraged.

To develop cross-curricular modules of learning, teachers of English can:

 collaborate with teachers of other KLAs to identify students’ language needs in respective KLAs (e.g. understanding the text features, mastery of rhetorical functions and language items commonly used in academic texts), draw up a plan or a schedule of work to achieve specific goals, and then develop the materials and activities to work towards them;

 select suitable themes/topics or language skills (e.g. essay writing, graph and chart description) as the focus to help students connect the learning in English and other subjects, thereby heightening students’ awareness of English commonly used in texts of other subjects and facilitating their current and/or further studies;

 provide students with opportunities to develop a broad range of generic skills that they can apply in other KLAs (e.g. self-learning skills, critical thinking skills); and

 reinforce students’ learning by exposing them to a wide variety of texts covering a wide range of subjects, and encouraging them to read about and discuss the topics they are working on in other KLAs.

When English Language teachers collaborate with teachers of other KLAs to draw up their school English Language curriculum plan, they should take the following into consideration:

 students’ needs, interests and levels;

 the broad topics, themes and concepts that students will come across in the study of other subjects; and

 the genres, text types, language knowledge and skills (e.g. grammatical structures, vocabulary) that students will need in order to learn and express themselves effectively in the other KLAs.

The table on the next page presents some examples of the kinds of tasks or activities that students should be encouraged to undertake to connect English language learning with other KLAs:

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Key Learning Area Examples of LaC/RaC Activities

Chinese Language Education  Compare and discuss the cultural events, literary works, lifestyles and values of Chinese and westerners.

Mathematics Education  Plan surveys, present research findings and prepare arguments using statistics.

Personal, Social and Humanities Education

 Read and discuss texts that examine issues or topics related to healthy lifestyles, customs and traditions, conservation and sustainable development, use of resources and rights, responsibilities and social values.

Science Education  Discuss ideas and clarify purposes prior to and in the process of investigation; and

 Read and research information on science-related topics (e.g. energy, the earth, the solar system) or works of science fiction.

Technology Education  Explore and communicate ideas and information about the development or impact of modern technology;

 Write operating instructions for the gadgets designed in the Design and Applied Technology lessons; and

 Plan and produce coherent and structured texts related to workplace and business communication such as proposals, meeting minutes and reports.

Arts Education  Engage in different forms of creative writing (e.g. poems, short stories, play/film scripts) or give a dramatic presentation of a short play or a scene from a play; and

 Discuss and critique an advertisement, a poster, a film, a painting, a sculpture, or a multimedia artwork in a Visual Arts lesson.

Physical Education  Engage in learning tasks or activities that examine the pros and cons of various physical activities.

3.3.5 Cross-curricular Learning through Applied Learning

Applied Learning (ApL) is a valued senior secondary elective subject which emphasises the importance of linking theory to practice in broad professional and vocational fields. A flexible combination of ApL with the study of English Language at senior secondary level helps broaden students’ learning experiences. Cross-curricular links and collaboration between ApL and English Language can also be strengthened through offering English-related ApL courses, such as Applied Learning (Vocational English) and Applied Learning (Translation Studies). For instance, the former helps further develop students’ language skills by providing them with opportunities to

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understand and produce a variety of texts, both written and spoken (e.g. emails, notices, reports, presentations, telephone calls) in work-related contexts. It also complements learning in other subjects (e.g. Tourism and Hospitality Studies, Business, Accounting and Financial Studies) as these subjects provide relevant contexts for learning and use of workplace English.

3.3.6 Promoting the Creative Use of English through Language Arts

To stretch students’ potential, promote literary appreciation and develop students’ sensitivity to language use, more emphasis can be placed on the creative use of English. When designing the school-based English Language curriculum, teachers can make use of a broad range of language arts materials, such as poems, short stories, films, drama scripts, song lyrics and advertisements, to heighten students’ awareness of the language used and effects achieved.

Relevant English learning activities (e.g. choral speaking, drama performance, film appreciation, talks or writing workshops conducted by authors) can be arranged to widen students’ language exposure and provide opportunities for them to interact with literary/imaginative texts and explore the creative use of language.

For more information on promoting the creative use of English through language arts, please refer to Section 4.2.4.

3.3.7 Catering for Learner Diversity

All students have ever-improving capabilities to learn and perform to the best of their ability. In planning the English Language curriculum, schools should be sensitive to different students’ needs and make use of strategies that will enable each student to learn better and fulfil their potential.

Schools should appropriately adapt the curriculum and use a variety of learning materials, activities and instructional/grouping arrangements to suit students’ needs, interests and abilities.

At the school level, schools can adopt a variety of differentiation measures to support students’

English learning and address their learning needs, interests and aspirations:

 offering the elective subject Literature in English and English-related ApL courses [e.g.

Applied Learning (Vocational English), Applied Learning (Translation Studies)] to enrich and complement English learning;

 devising short customised pull-out enrichment/remedial programmes (e.g. phonics programmes for less advanced students, writing workshops for advanced students) to cater for their different needs in English language learning;

 organising short school-based programmes/activities (e.g. drama and public speaking classes) to provide opportunities for using English; and

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 conducting cross-/co-curricular activities (e.g. LaC Week, debating competition) to connect learning experiences.

For more information on catering for learner diversity at the classroom level, please refer to Section 4.3.

3.3.8 Flexible Use of Learning Time

As indicated in Chapter 2 of this Guide, schools can allocate 10.5 to 13% of lesson time to English Language at the senior secondary level. They are strongly encouraged to make flexible use of the learning time during and outside school hours to facilitate English learning and teaching.

Confining the learning of English to the classroom may fail to enable students to develop and apply knowledge and skills coherently and integratively. Schools can:

 make timetabling arrangements (e.g. double- or triple-period sessions per week or cycle, half- day or whole-day activity sessions) to allow continuous stretches of time for learning and assessment tasks, including those for the SBA, projects, visits, etc.;

 in addition to the regular English Language lessons of which reading is an integral part, set aside a short, regular period of time per day for reading to help students develop a habit;

 plan timetables and school calendars flexibly (e.g. adjusting the number and arrangement of lessons in each term to cater for the special requirements of the learning programmes), and explore the use of weekends and long holidays to encourage life-wide learning;

 make flexible timetabling arrangements (e.g. creating a common block in the afternoon by shortening the morning lessons) to allow differentiation measures to take place; and

 allow variations in the allocation of lesson time among students in the same year level based on their needs.

3.3.9 Flexible Grouping and Class Organisation

Flexibility in class organisation is an important consideration if the varied learning and teaching approaches and strategies that teachers are encouraged to adopt are to achieve their intended effects.

Depending on their nature and purpose, learning and teaching activities can be carried out in groups of varying sizes. For example, to cater for a wide range of students’ needs and abilities, a year level of four classes can be split into five or six groups. Where learning levels and needs are shared, students from different year levels can be grouped together. Some activities (e.g.

discussions, projects) work well with smaller groups of students, while other activities (e.g. choral speaking, instruction of a general nature) can be conducted in larger groups to maximise the use of the resources available. Schools are encouraged to exercise flexibility in regrouping students in the same year level to address their diverse needs in English learning. A flexible common block can be created to facilitate the regrouping of students according to their different learning choices

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and needs. In this way, small-class teaching or tailored pull-out programmes can be arranged to specifically address the needs of a particular group of students.

3.4 Managing the Curriculum

To manage the English Language curriculum effectively, school heads/principals, prefects of studies, English Language panel chairpersons, English Language teachers, Native-speaking English Teachers (NETs) and teacher-librarians need to collaborate. When doing so, they are encouraged to remember the importance of:

 keeping abreast of the developments and innovations in the English Language curriculum, and aligning language learning with the school vision and culture and the central curriculum framework;

 developing a school language policy which clearly defines the scope of learning to cater for students’ needs and interests;

 encouraging team-building and collaboration among teachers of English and between teachers of English and teachers of other KLAs;

 creating time for professional development;

 promoting flexible deployment and use of resources; and

 encouraging assessment for and as learning and using evidence to make informed changes to the curriculum.

Depending on the school context, the roles different key players assume may vary from school to school. For more information on the key roles they may play, please refer to Section 3.2.6 of the English Language Education Key Learning Area Curriculum Guide (Primary 1 – Secondary 6) (2017).

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Chapter 4 Learning and Teaching

This chapter provides guidelines for effective learning and teaching of the English Language curriculum. It is to be read in conjunction with Chapter 4 of the English Language Education Key Learning Area Curriculum Guide (Primary 1 – Secondary 6) (2017).

4.1 Guiding Principles

The guiding principles for the learning and teaching of English Language at the senior secondary level are set out below:

 An interactive process of knowledge building and language learning: Language learning is a dynamic, interactive process in which students play an active role in using language to make sense of the world and the information they encounter, and in recreating and expressing meaning in a variety of ways to suit different contexts. Any learning and teaching approaches or strategies that teachers adopt or develop should be rooted in this understanding, and a diversity of learning contexts and activities should be provided to enable students to explore, develop and apply the language.

 An open and flexible curriculum framework: Schools should make use of the open and flexible central English Language Education curriculum framework to plan for a suitable, balanced and coherent school-based curriculum, and to develop effective learning, teaching and assessment tasks and activities.

 Setting learning targets and allowing flexibility in learning: To ensure that students learn purposefully and therefore with motivation, it is sensible to have agreed specific learning targets for them to work towards in and across the Interpersonal, Knowledge and Experience Strands. While the design and implementation of the school-based English Language curriculum should be geared towards helping students achieve the agreed learning targets, there should be sufficient flexibility to accommodate the unpredictable, and to cater for individual learning objectives which may emerge in the learning process, as this facilitates personally motivated construction of knowledge.

 Using a wide range of learning and teaching approaches and strategies: Helping students achieve the learning targets calls for the effective and flexible use of a wide range of approaches and strategies. Depending on the learning context, teachers should design, choose and use approaches and strategies that motivate students, enhance their English proficiency, personal and intellectual development and cultural understanding, and support the development of the generic skills.

English Language Education Key Learning Area