This paper is dual in purpose. First, it describes what a professional learning community is and how it develops in schools in Hong Kong. A professional learning – 1012 – community is one where teachers relate their own professional learning to the improvement of their students' learning; take collaborative responsibility for students' learning; and work together to maximize their learning. Learning Study, which is premised on a conceptual framework that builds on three types of variation, is employed as the key agent in the development of such community. The three types of variation are: variation in students' understanding of a specific object of learning (V1); variation in teachers' understanding and ways of handling the object (V2); and the use of patterns of variation based on the Theory of Variation (V3). By focusing on the three types of variation in a specific object of learning, teachers in the professional learning communities are able to learn from their students, from each other and from researchers what should be worthwhile for their students to learn, how they can help students learn better and find out if each child is learning. Dissemination through public presentations is also an integral part of the participating teachers' professional learning, as they reflect and prepare a presentation on the results of the Learning Study. Each teacher's personal professional development thus contributes to a collective knowledge base. Second, this papers draws on the data of a Learning Study about the teaching of Three states of water at Primary 3 level to illustrate how teachers' learning can be enhanced through engaging in the study that permits a professional dialogue among colleagues; enhances collaboration with tertiary institution; encourages teachers taking inquiry stance; opens opportunities for multiple means of dissemination; opens opportunities for teachers to reflect on their own practices in a more systematic way.

This paper explores issues arising from large-scale, relatively short-term (4-16 week) overseas language immersion and study abroad programmes for Hong Kong's pre-and in-service teachers. It argues that shortterm study abroad is an under-researched and under-valued field that both benefits and suffers from intuitive, often ill-informed judgements of worth. An overview is provided of: typical issues encountered by staff and students in the course of delivering and taking part in such programmes; possible solutions to problems observed; and the type, range and scale of gains that might reasonably be expected of participants. Reference is made to various contexts - under- and post-graduate programmes; culturally diverse locations ranging over three continents and to changing global circumstances - which may impinge on such programmes. Discussion takes account of the literature on generic study abroad and addresses the specific learning environments required of successful commissioned programmes of this type. In particular, issues of classroom vs communitybased learning, combined focuses of learning within a single multiply-oriented context, implicit learning and reflection vs pedagogical cultural imperialism, intercultural communication and constructive engagement are explored. Finally, recommendations for optimisation and research-based development are offered, based on hard and soft data acquired during extensive formal and informal evaluation and ongoing development of shortterm English language immersion programmes. The paper is of interest to academics seeking a framework from which to approach learning-focused links between tertiary education, language and culture and to current or potential study abroad providers and commissioners.

Substantial funding is currently provided to HK Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) who are required to provide more and better language proficiency outcomes reports to a range of funding stakeholders. They also recruit unprecedented numbers of non-local students in an effort to develop Hong Kong as an 'education hub' in Asia. Added to these external contextual factors, the Centre for Language in Education at the Hong Kong Institute of Education has recently embarked on a curriculum renewal process for its undergraduate English language programmes that entail providing tailored proficiency pathways for the students. These major contextual changes have resulted in a need for the CLE to have an institutional 'end-to-end' English language assessment solution to provide: (1) Language screening and placement; (2) Language formative and summative assessment processes and tasks for the new curriculum; and (3) Language reporting at year end. Such an 'end-to-end' solution will provide a systematic approach to screening and placement assessment, formative and summative assessment and language assessment reporting for all English enhancement programmes. Hitherto, CLE (and other HEI language centres) has relied on ad hoc language assessment solutions to these institutional requirements and/or an over reliance on international certification that is expensive and limited as an end-to-end solution. The Tertiary English Language Test (TELT) being developed at HKIEd, has received seeding funding from the Institute, to develop assessment processes fort he range of purposes outlined above. This paper reports on the work achieved so far with particular reference to the screening and placement test. It will outline the TELT test specifications, stages of piloting, process of item analysis using Rasch Measurement Analysis, scales and descriptors for speaking and writing and calibration issues in speaking and writing. The paper will also report on senior managements' response to the new tool