English Enhancement Scheme

Strategy and Implementation Plan for

Sheung Shui Government Secondary School

(A) Present State of Play

Strengths

1. A strong team of English teachers

z The English Department is made up of a team of 13 enthusiastic and experienced
teachers who are very supportive and cooperative.
z All teachers are patient and are always ready to implement schemes which boost
the English proficiency of students.
z All teachers are ready to share teaching experience with team members via peer
observation of lessons.

2. Support of the School

z Split class system for English teaching in S1 – S3, confining each group to an
average size of 28 students.
z Provision of free On-line English News Reading Programme to students of all
levels
z Provision of free On-line SBA Training Platform to all S4 & S5 students.
z Frequent English lessons in the 2 MMLCs .
z Joining the “Assessment For Learning Project” run by HKIEd
z 20-minute morning reading sessions on Tuesdays & Thursdays.

Weaknesses

1. Most of the members are not trained for the teaching of language arts and drama.
2. Most of the students of S1 – S5 do not have much exposure to English due to the fact
that all lessons other than English are conducted in Chinese.
3. Most of the students do not have confidence in expressing themselves in English.
4. Many of them are passive in their learning.

Opportunities

1. More junior form students visit the English Corner for the English film shows and
their interest in the target language is effectively boosted.

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2. More students join the Best Reader Award Scheme jointly run by the English
Department and the school librarian. Better reading records were set in the past two
years.

Threats

1. Have to start teaching Elective Modules of NSS by 2009, related training has to be
arranged for the teachers as soon as possible.
2. Students have limited training on language arts.

Needs

1. To provide professional training to all the members and equip them for teaching
Language Arts to the Junior Forms and Elective Modules to the Senior Secondary
Classes.
2. To offer opportunities for students to learn and appreciate language arts.
3. To raise students’ motivation and interest in learning English through the creation of an
English-rich environment.
4. To help all students build up a reading habit.
5. To train all students to be more independent learners.

(B) A Holistic School-based Plan

Existing Measures to Continue

1. Small group teaching for English in S1 – S3, with a maximum size of 30 students per
group.
2. Opening the English Corner on Tuesdays and Thursdays for film shows and English
games.
3. Continuation of the 20-minute morning reading sessions on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
4. Continuation of the Best Reader Award Scheme for the whole school.
5. Regular English lessons in the MMLCs.
6. Joining the “Assessment for Learning Project” run by HKIEd.
7. Language activities like Comic-strip Competition, Book Cover Design
Competition, Book Mark Competition, Penmanship Competition & Singing
Contest.
8. Training students for the Hong Kong School Speech Festival.
9. Peer Lesson Observation and Experience Sharings among members.

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Proposed New Measures

1. English Poetry & Songs Learning

Target Group : All S1 – S2 Students

The course is designed to train students to tackle English poetry and songs with
confidence and ease through using English in a fun and dynamic way. Through reading
and learning poetry and songs of different poets and lyric writers, the students’ word
recognition abilities and reading performance will be enhanced.

Implementation Period : 2007 – 2009

Capacity Building:
z Improve students’ word recognition abilities and reading skill.
z To develop students’ self-confidence by taking up the challenge of presenting
their writing in front of strangers.
z Provide professional ideas and guidance to school teachers in the selection and
teaching of poetry and songs so that teachers will be able to take over the
training in subsequent years.

2. Learning English Through Drama

Target Group : All S3 Students

The course is designed to provide opportunities for students to learn and appreciate
language arts and develop their capability to use English to respond and give
expression to real and imaginative experience. It can also enhance students’ abilities in
listening, speaking, writing and reading English. Most important of all, the training
can prepare the students for the SBA.

Implementation Period : 2009 – 2010

Capacity Building:
z The teachers will sit in all of the drama lessons. Every lesson could be seen as
part of the teacher development process. Monthly teacher workshop will also be
organized for the teachers so that they can take over the drama lessons in the
following year.
z Students are provided with more opportunities to use English and a positive
learning environment is created to encourage creativity, teamwork and

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 self-confidence.

3. Junior Journalist Writing Course

Target Group : All SS1(S4) Students

In this course, the students will learn about the essentials of being a journalist. They
will learn the skills of expressing themselves, asking questions and writing/reporting
their observations and opinions. They will be able to improve their English skills in
speaking, reading and writing in a fun and motivating manner. At the end of the course,
they will be given the task of producing their own newspaper, which may be
developed into a “Sheung Shui Government Secondary School Newspaper”.

Implementation Period : 2010 – 2011

Capacity Building:
z Teachers learn how to support the production of a school newspaper.
z The interests and skills of the students may be sustained through the production
of an English class/school newspaper.
z Senior or trained students and teachers will be able to lead and train up other
students in journalist writing and newspaper productions.

4. Teachers’ Professional Training

Target Group : All The Panel Members

Training programmes on The Teaching of Poetry, The Teaching of Drama, The

Teaching of Short Stories & The Teaching of Popular Culture will be arranged for the
teachers. These programmes will help our members to adapt to the changes in the
English curriculum and empower them with practical teaching methodology and
interactive classroom activities. After the training, our members can teach the Elective
Modules of the new senior secondary syllabus with ease and confidence.

Implementation Period : 2007 – 2013

Capacity Building:
z Professional training for teachers teaching the new Elective Modules of NSS.

5. On-line English Reading Programme

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 Target Group : Students of the whole school

The Reading Programme helps the students to build up a daily reading habit and
improve their English. Besides, this is also a very effective on-line tool to develop the
critical thinking and research skills of the learners, as the content covers a wide range
of topics and subject areas (Arts, Science, Business, Technology, etc.). Students will
therefore find the reading material useful when doing assignments of all subjects
taught in school.

Implementation Period : 2007 – 2013

Capacity Building:
z Students will develop good reading habits and improve their English.
z More extensive use of English in content subject assignments and projects, and
promotion in language-across-the-curriculum.
z The reading interest implanted in the students will continue to motivate them to
borrow and read books purchased with the grants of ERS & SBA.

6. Drama Tour

Target Group : Students of the whole school

The shows can enhance students’ interest in English learning. Through different
exercises, script reading, singing and theatrical games, students will experience a
different learning environment which is livelier than that they have experienced before.
Through songs, acting, games and team building, students can also learn to work with
others towards a common goal.

Implementation Period : 2007 – 2013

Capacity Building:
z The students are given greater exposure to English culture.
z The students experience an alternative way of learning English.
z Arrangements will be made so that the S3 drama students stage some of their
productions in school.

7. Employing a TA

The TA will help the coordinators with the implementation of all the proposed
measures. They will collect, organize and type the relevant teaching materials for the

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 coordinators, record and analyze performance and progress of students, support the
tutors and performers by means of reserving the venues, preparing the notes,
decorating the stage and helping to check the discipline of the participating students.

Implementation Period : 2007 – 2013

Capacity Building:
z Set up a resource bank with organized and systematic teaching materials and
packages.
z Develop a clear and efficient system to record and analyse performance and
progress of students.
z With the setting up of a resource bank and a record & analysis system by the TA,
the tasks can be taken up by other school personnel.

8. Employing a Full-time English teacher

This teacher will take up some of the lessons of 1-2 permanent English Teachers who
are qualified and interested in tailoring and preparing on-line learning and reading
materials for the school-based E-Learning platform. These materials may serve as
long-term support to strengthen the foundation of the students.

Implementation Period : 2011 – 2013

Capacity Building:
z Set up a school-based English learning platform with tailored materials for all
levels.
z Students develop good reading habits and self-learning practice.

(C) Output Targets to be Attained

z All the English Teachers are trained to take up the teaching of language arts to Junior
Form students via co-teaching with service providers and attending workshops
organized for such purpose.
z All regular teachers will be ready to teach elective modules by 2009.
z The passing percentage in the internal listening & speaking examinations of S1 – S7
will be raised by 5%.
z The number of merit certificates scored at the Hong Kong Schools Speech Festival
will be increased by 5%.

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z The average reading record of the Best Reader Award Scheme will be raised by 5%.
z Drama performances by the participating classes at the end of the programme.

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 Appendix

SHEUNG SHUI GOVERNMENT SECONDARY SCHOOL

English Enhancement Scheme Strategy and Implementation Plan

OVERALL ARRANGEMENT

07/08 08/09 09/10 10/11 11/12 12/13

S1
S1 Songs S1 Songs S1 Songs Songs Songs
Songs
(SSGSS) * (SSGSS) * (SSGSS) * (SSGSS) * (SSGSS) *
(S.P.) *
S2 Poetry S2 Poetry S2 Poetry Poetry Poetry
-
(S.P.) * (SSGSS) * (SSGSS) * (SSGSS) * (SSGSS) *
S3 Drama S3 Drama Drama Drama
- -
(S.P.) * (SSGSS) * (SSGSS) * (SSGSS) *
SS1 Junior SS1 Junior SS1 Junior
Journalist Journalist Journalist
- - -
Writing Writing Writing
(S.P.) * (SSGSS) * (SSGSS) *
Teachers’ Teachers’
Professional Professional
Training Training
(2 modules) (2 modules)
--------------- ---------------
(1) The (3) The
- - - -
Teaching Teaching
of Poetry of Popular
(2) The Culture
Teaching (4) The
of short Teaching
shories of Drama
On-line On-line On-line On-line On-line On-line
English English English English English English
Reading Reading Reading Reading Reading Reading
Programme Programme Programme Programme Programme Programme
- Drama Tour - Drama Tour - Drama Tour
Employing a Employing a Employing a Employing a Employing a Employing a
TA TA TA TA TA TA
Employing a Employing a
Full-time Full-time
- - - -
English English
Teacher Teacher

* S.P. - Lessons conducted by Service Providers

SSGSS - Lessons conducted by English teachers of Sheung Shui Government Secondary
School