Overview

Programme Aims

This programme aims at upgrading teachers’ knowledge and skills in the teaching of English at both primary and secondary level. They will focus on areas of English language knowledge and skills relevant to the current needs of teachers in the local school sector with particular emphasis on the implementation of recent updates in the English Language curriculum.

Upon completion of the programme, participants should be able to:

Content Objectives

• demonstrate an enhanced understanding of aspects of the English language system;
• demonstrate an enhanced understanding of aspects of the English language learning and teaching;
• demonstrate an understanding of how this enhanced knowledge is applicable within the Hong Kong primary and secondary curriculum.

Pedagogical Objectives

• demonstrate enhanced skills in teaching English to Hong Kong primary and secondary students.

Programme Structure

For the 2024/2025 academic year, the course options offered will be as follows:

Course options (3 credit points) (Choose any one theme)

i. Cohort 1
Enhancing English Language Learning in Primary and Secondary Classrooms with Emerging Technologies (Subject to the University’s final approval)

This course is designed to enhance the digital literacy of ESL/EFL teachers at the primary and secondary levels, focusing on the effective integration of emerging technologies, such as generative artificial intelligence (AI), wearable technologies, and virtual and augmented reality into the English Language curriculum. Participants will gain a thorough understanding of the principles of technology integration, enabling them to effectively apply these emerging technologies to meet diverse student needs and align with educational goals. Key concepts include media and information literacy and the ethical use of emerging technologies, and using these emerging technologies in lesson planning for productive and receptive language skills. Teachers will learn to select and adopt emerging technologies responsibly, foster appropriate technology use among their students, and adapt their approaches to local curricula and requirements. This will ensure that technology integration supports effective teaching and learning in primary and secondary classrooms.

ii. Cohort 2
Effective use of e-resources in the English classroom 

This course introduces a wide range of e-resources and their applications in promoting effective English teaching and learning in Hong Kong primary and secondary schools. The effective evaluation of e-resources is also included. Focus will be given to using e-resources to facilitate arousing students’ interest in English, integrating language skills more effectively, increasing interaction and collaboration between teachers and learners, and assisting learners in beginning to take charge of their own learning. The course includes how e-resources can be integrated with a variety of teaching approaches to tailor a school-based English Language curriculum suited to the needs of learners. Aims of the English Language curriculum, including assisting students to be more flexible, independent, motivated and engaged in their learning activities will be addressed. IT resources covered in the course include a variety of websites, software, hardware tools, apps and e-books (including e-textbooks) appropriate to the learning level of both primary and secondary students.

iii. Cohort 3
Supporting English Language Learners with Reading Difficulties

Acquiring an additional language is of vital importance in today’s increasingly globalised world. Some language learners, however, are put in a disadvantaged position due to their reading difficulties. This course aims to help teacher participants to develop an understanding and current knowledge of how teachers can effectively support students with reading difficulties in the language classroom. To achieve this aim, teacher participants will first need to understand the nature and possible causes of reading difficulties, which is a prerequisite for developing a positive teacher attitude and establishing a supportive learning environment. Then teacher participants will be acquainted with current knowledge regarding essential components of effective language teaching and specific up-to-date teaching approaches, techniques and strategies that can effectively meet the needs of students with reading difficulties. Lastly, teacher participants will reflect on existing practice in Hong Kong schools and draw on what they have learned to design teaching and learning activities that suit the needs of all language learners, whether with or without reading difficulties. They will also evaluate activities designed by fellow teacher participants and give suitable recommendations with a view to increasing awareness of considerations necessary for creating supportive learning conditions for learners with reading difficulties in the regular language classroom.

iv. Cohort 4
Language Assessment Literacy for English Teachers

Language assessment is an integral part of teaching and learning. An assessment that is thoughtfully set up provides the teacher with an accurate estimation of students’ English level and at the same time allows the teacher to understand students’ needs. This course aims to help teacher participants develop knowledge of the role of assessment in the English Language curriculum, as well as the skills to design valid and reliable assessment tools. Teacher participants will first learn some key concepts on language assessment, and then based on these key concepts, they will examine how the four skills, vocabulary and grammar are assessed in the language classroom. They will also be given opportunities to evaluate various assessment tools and reflect on their own assessment practices. Finally, they will collaborate in groups in designing some effective school-based assessment tools and obtain feedback from the lecturer and peers. This course does not assume any pre-requisite knowledge about language assessment, and is suitable for all teachers who would like to improve their assessment practices and make professional judgements when designing assessment tasks.

More detailed course outlines can be found on https://www.eduhk.hk/ele/programmes/professional-development-programmes

Medium of Instruction

The medium of instruction is English.

Entrance Requirements

To be eligible for admission, applicants should be:

• in-service primary or secondary school English language teachers in Hong Kong; and
• recommended by their respective school principals.

Award

To be awarded a Certificate of Completion, participants must obtain a pass in course assessment tasks required and successfully fulfill the attendance requirements as stipulated by the programme.

Other Information

This Government-funded programme is supported by the Education Bureau (EDB). Schools which release teachers to take this programme are eligible for appointing supply teachers, if deemed necessary. Government and aided schools shall contact the EDB for detailed arrangements. Private and DSS schools shall make their own arrangements for the employment of supply teachers.

Remarks: Each school can recommend more than one teacher.