Whereas a great deal of literature based upon the context of Western societies has concluded criminology is an ideal discipline for active learning approach, it remains uncertain if this learning approach is applicable to Chinese learners in the discipline of criminology. This article describes and provides evidence of the benefits of using active learning approach in a criminology class in a publicly funded university in a Chinese city - Hong Kong. Using quantitative and qualitative data collected from four cohorts of students enrolled in the course over four years (2008-2011) through structured questionnaire, focus group meetings and students' self-reflection, it was evident that active learning could not only enable Chinese learners to achieve the course-intended outcomes but also could advance their attitude, knowledge and skills of learning. The findings were further discussed with respect to the feasibility and constraints of launching active learning for Chinese learners.
[Copyright of Innovations in Education & Teaching International is the property of Routledge. Full article may be available at the publisher's website:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14703297.2013.796720]

We tested the overlap in the bottom 25% of scorers (termed "poor readers") in word reading in Chinese and English, respectively, among statistically representative groups of 8-year-olds from Hong Kong and Beijing in order to determine the chances of being a poor reader in English given that one was already a poor reader in Chinese. The overlap in the status of poor reader was 32% in Hong Kong and 40% in Beijing. For the Beijing sample only, we also examined longitudinal correlates of children who were poor readers of Chinese only, of English only, or poor readers in both, relative to controls at age 8. Poor readers of either Chinese or English scored the same on phonological awareness relative to controls, and poor readers of Chinese were lower than those who were poor readers of English on morphological awareness. Those children who were poor in both scored significantly lower in phonological awareness and morphological awareness, as well as slower in rapid automatized naming, over time, relative to the other groups. Results suggest that it is possible to be poor in reading of either Chinese or English or both and that the cognitive correlates of such difficulties may differ by orthography.
[Copyright of Scientific Studies of Reading is the property of Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Full article may be available at the publisher's website:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10888438.2012.689787]

In the era of globalisation, language-in-education policies continue to present challenges as policy-makers across the globe aim to balance the emphasis given to students' first language and the pressing need for students to be proficient in English as the global lingua franca Hanna, P. (2011). Gaining global perspective: Educational language policy and planning. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 14(6), 733-749]. Within this debate, the impact of the medium of instruction (MOI) on students' linguistic, cognitive and affective development has received much attention (Tam, A. C. F. (2011). Does the switch of medium of instruction facilitate the language learning of students? A case study of Hong Kong from teachers' perspective. Language & Education, 25(5), 399-417]). This study focuses on the case of the Maldives, a small Asian nation with its own unique language and homogeneous culture that adopted English as an MOI in an early partial immersion model half a century ago. Using a case study research design, it seeks to uncover the perspectives of students, educators and parents on the benefits and challenges of a policy that adopted a second language as the MOI in a monolingual, monocultural situation, without providing any options for gaining an education in the first language. The survey data indicate that while the need for students to be proficient in English is not disputed, questions are raised regarding its role as the MOI throughout a student's school education. Observational data from classrooms and analysis of instructional materials show the need for urgent reform of the language policy so as to promote students' linguistic diversity and enhance academic achievement. Policy changes that can foster student learning and satisfy language-based civil rights are recommended.
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http://dx.doi.org