An urgent need for a relatively large number of qualified Putonghua language teachers in Hong Kong has led the Open University of Hong Kong to establish a distance education programme for in-service language teachers, most of whom are non-native speakers. The programme designed by the university involves distance study coupled with regular face-to-face tutorials, and is designed to enable the in-service teachers to apply their learned knowledge directly in their daily teaching. The article explains how evaluation of the first presentation of the course in 1996 showed that the course alone could not fully address the actual deficiencies in the teachers' Putonghua listening and speaking skills while, additionally, there was also a need to restructure the teaching methodology component of the course. The basis upon which these judgements were made is explained, and the steps taken to strengthen the course to meet these perceived deficiencies, while not adding to the students' workload, are outlined.
[Copyright of Open Learning is the property of Routledge. Full article may be available at the publisher's website:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/026805100115434]

This study considered curricular and instructional influences on early Chinese literacy attainment in Beijing, Hong Kong and Singapore. The participants included 198 pre‐school children, their teachers and parents. Children were administered the Pre‐school and Primary Chinese Literacy Scale at the age of either two or three years, and again one year later. Teachers were asked to report on their beliefs and practices related to literacy education, and classroom observations were conducted to determine the extent to which directives issued by the Beijing, Hong Kong and Singapore governments were implemented. Investigation showed that there were marked differences across the societies in curriculum guidelines and approaches to literacy teaching. Results indicated that by the age of four, pre‐schoolers in Hong Kong and Singapore had significantly better Chinese literacy attainment than those in Beijing. Although age was the best predictor of attainment, location, teachers' qualifications and classroom experience also significantly contributed to children’s literacy attainment.
[Copyright of International Journal of Early Years Education is the property of Routledge. Full article may be available at the publisher's website:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09669760500295870]

這份報告書共有三章。第一章是委員會對這項研究的工作方針，包括工作小組的成員組織，一般觀察所得和報告書的結構等。第二章是現況總觀，第一部分：本港的語文狀況，第二部分：教學語言。第三章是相關的建議。（梁振威整理）

作者指出，跨課程寫作概念源於歐美，從60年代提出到80年代末，全美已有半數大專院校開展此計劃。這計劃取向為通過寫作「學認知與修辭」，及「學習怎麼寫」。作者以香港教育學院的一組學生試行一個跨課程的寫作教學設計，結果發現學生的知識及能力俱有增進；學生回應佳。作者認為這寫作計劃應跨學系共同合作將更具成效。（黃潔貞整理）

作者認為，隨著知識信息社會及新世紀來臨的要求，大專院校的寫作課程也需相應改革：課程方面宜結合基礎寫作、文學寫作及實用寫作三方面而設計，兼及寫作心理、寫作技巧，各類文體寫作、應用立體寫作等；宜加強教學交流，注意教學的美與新鮮；提供自由發展空間，開展第二課堂，期能結合理論與實際。（黃潔貞整理）

作者匯報，小學普通話科課程已於1998年9月於全港各小學由小一開始實施，1986年迄今，試行的舊教材受到多方的批評，新面世的八套教材依據1990年的課程綱要而編訂，全依單元方式編排。從分析課文內容、聆聽、說話、閱讀能力、譯寫能力等各方面的教材設計等看來，作者發現新教材具有生活化、接近真實語言、練習多變化等特點。（黃潔貞整理）

在語文教科書中入選課文語言表達會有美中不足，因此適當的語言加工修改是必不可少的。作者認為修改基於適應社會政治變遷所作的語言修改；提高科學性、規範性、可操作性所入語言修改；並提出適應性、規範性、科學性、可操作性及尊重作者原意及吸收作者取新改筆等修改的原則。（何文勝整理）