背景： 教統局檢討中學教學語言政策，提出微調的方案。
目的： 本文主要是為回應中學教學語言微調政策而寫。
論點： 文中指出主要有經濟、政治和教育三個因素影響著中學使用何種教學語文，在正常情況下，經濟為主導因素，故1949年之前，學生多選讀中文中學，1950-97年間則選讀英文中學，惟政府在回歸時的強制性母語教學政策，將政治因素放在首位，引至近年中學教學語文的亂局。核心問題是：教育署(1989)將「中英混用方式來教學」和「校本分流教學語文調適」混淆，將「在雙語教學的世界中，課堂上的講解多是英語輔以粵語，書面語才是全英文」這種學習第二語時的必經過程，貿然定性為錯誤。
總結：要解救現今中學教學語文的困境，校本分流中學教學語言微調政策應是溫和的良方。
Background: The Education Bureau reviewed the on medium of instruction in secondary schools and proposed the fine-tuning of policy.
Aim: This article is in response to the fine-tuning policy of medium of instruction.
Exposition: The economic, political and educational factors were found to be the main ones influencing the choice of medium of instruction in secondary schools. In particular, the economic factor was found to be the dominant one under normal situations. Before 1949, students chose to study in Chinese middle schools. They switched to choose Anglo-Chinese secondary schools during 1950-97. The scene has been seriously distorted recently due to the Government's strong policy of imposing mother tongue education to a majority of secondary schools after 1997. Parents, students, and educators are unhappy about the Government's explicit intervention. Crucial issue: the Education Department (1989) mixed up the [mixed code teaching] and [school based mixed mode teaching according to subjects and levels]. They wrongly concluded the auxiliary use of Chinese in some English medium class were unacceptable which is against the general trend of linguistic development of students.
Conclusion: The fine-tuning policy of medium of instruction, particularly the school based mixed mode teaching according to subjects and levels, language streaming within school will be a moderate but good way to resolve the dilemma of medium of instruction in secondary schools.
[Copyright of New Horizons: The Journal of Education, Hong Kong Teachers' Associationl is the property of Hong Kong Teachers' Association at http://www.hkta1934

Background: Cantonese-English mixed code is ubiquitous in Hong Kong society, and yet using mixed code is widely perceived as improper. This paper presents evidence of mixed code being socially constructed as bad language behavior. In the education domain, an EDB guideline bans mixed code in the classroom. Teachers are encouraged to stick to Cantonese or English, depending on the school-based medium of instruction policy (i.e. EMI vs. CMI schools).
Aims or focus of discussion: This paper analyzes the major reasons why mixed code is so difficult to avoid, both inside and outside the classroom. One important factor is the 'medium-of-learning effect'. Empirical evidence will be presented to demonstrate students' cognitive dependence on English terminologies as a direct result of English medium education. The paper draws implications for classroom code-switching, which is pedagogically a valuable linguistic resource.
Arguments / comments / suggestions: The EDB guideline banning mixed code in the classroom is too rigid. Code-switching has great potential for helping the bilingual teacher to achieve context-specific teaching and learning goals like clarifying difficult concepts and reinforcing students' bilingual lexicon (e.g. melamine/三聚氰胺, financial tsunami/金融海嘯). For EMI teachers, switching to Cantonese helps maintain class discipline, build rapport and reduce social distance with students. The assumption or claim that mixed code leads to declining English or even Chinese standards is not informed by sound empirical evidence.
Conclusion: Educated Chinese Hongkongers find it difficult to resist using some English in their informal interactions with others in Cantonese, resulting in mixed code. Instead of banning mixed code indiscriminately, a more proactive and productive approach will be to conduct empirical research with a view to (a) better understanding the circumstances under which classroom code-switching is necessary, (b) identifying pedagogically

背景： 教統會在今年二月發表檢討中學教學語言及中一派位機制的諮詢文件，邀請各界回應。
目的： 本文主要是為回應上述的中學教學語言政策而寫。
論點： 文中指出主要有經濟、政治和教育三個因素影響著中學使用何種教學語文，在正常情況下，經濟為主導因素，故1949 年之前，學生多選讀中文中學，1950-97 年間則選讀英文中學，惟政府在回歸時的強制性母語教學政策，將政治因素放在首位，引至近年中學教學語文的亂局。
總結：要解救現今中學教學語文的困境，校本分流應是溫和的良方。
Background: The Education Commission is now reviewing the policy on medium of instruction and school places allocation in secondary schools of Hong Kong. They invite response from different sectors about the present policy.
Aim: This article is in response to the above invitation on the policy of medium of instruction.
Exposition: The economic, political and educational factors were found to be the main ones influencing the choice of medium of instruction in secondary schools. In particular, the economic factor was found to be the dominant one under normal situations. Before 1949, students chose to study in Chinese middle schools. They switched to choose Anglo-Chinese secondary schools during 1950-97. The scene has been seriously distorted recently due to the Government’s strong policy of imposing mother tongue education to a majority of secondary schools after 1997. Parents, students, and educators are unhappy about the Government's explicit intervention.
Conclusion: Language streaming within school will be a moderate but good way to resolve the dilemma of medium of instruction in secondary schools.
[Copyright of New Horizons: The Journal of Education, Hong Kong Teachers' Associationl is the property of Hong Kong Teachers' Association at http://www.hkta1934.org.hk/]

香港推行母語教學已有十年，在這十年中，它始終是香港教育界備受爭議的話題。本文概述了十年來香港母語教學改革政策的變化，各方的意見以及其成效。同時本文反思了香港母語教學政策的推行所出現的問題以及其原因。
The adoption of native language as a medium of instruction has been implemented in the past decade. However, the policy remained to be controversial. In this article, the author attempts to reflect the change of the policy and its effects.
[Copyright of Hong Kong Teachers' Centre Journal is the property of Hong Kong Teachers' Centre at http://www.edb.org.hk/hktc]

本文透過檢視香港的教學語言政策制定及執行背後所奉行的理性依據，指出其立論的局限性。有別於語言只是傳遞訊息的工具之觀點，筆者指出學習和語言與公民參與和身份建構等教育原則的密切關係，並藉此檢視香港的教學語言政策在過去二十多年來，不論在政策的制定取向和執行方法，和其在教育及對學習的認知上，有否展示出吸收新思維的能耐。
This paper attempts to revisit the rationale underlying the formation and implementation of the language policy in Hong Kong for the past twenty years or so. It is pointed out that the policy has not been well informed manifested by its approach in policy enactment and not being aware of the close relationship between language and learning and its implications for the importance of cultivating civic participation and identity construction during the schooling process. In virtue of this, this paper argues that the language policy in Hong Kong has been weak in its capacity to learn.
[Copyright of Hong Kong Teachers' Centre Journal is the property of Hong Kong Teachers' Centre at http://www.edb.org.hk/hktc]

Linguistic theories distinguish between human faculty for language, for any language, and the realization of that capacity through the use of particular language in particular situations. There exists a fundamental contradiction between the linguist's endorsement of the human faculty for language that inevitably emerges equally in all of us and the popular belief of the different worth of varying ways of speaking. Regrettably, this latter belief is as unfortunate as it is real. While linguists have to contend with the political realities of labeling speech as languages and dialects, as standard languages or jargons, as mixed or not, there is no room in their theory for degrees of adequacy for the human language faculty. It is a matter of dogma in linguistics that human beings have the same potentials for expression and that capacity for language matures fully in each individual (with the exception of individuals who have been raised in inhumane conditions) and it finds its realization – its expression -- in an individuals' proficiency of use of some variety of language. There is no contradiction between this dogma, with its implication that varieties of language are adequate for the purposes of expression to which they have been put, and the obvious fact that individuals a) conform to social norms that also embrace language expression and b) strive for better expression to suit particular purposes of expression. What then should these norms be and what is better expression?
In this note, I will attempt some partial answers. My main point will be that individuals will accomplish adequate communication quite happily through participation in communicative interaction that is meaningful to them. I base this point on my fundamental belief that learners as any other communicating individuals manage their speaking so as to note and adjust inadequacies, relative to the interactive situation they find themselves in.
[Copyright of Hong Kong Teachers' Centre Journal is

不少文獻顯示全語文學習，可以促地幼兒的語文發展，尤其對提升語文學習的興趣有莫大幫助 · 本文建基於實語研究 · 旨在探討幼稚園全語文學習的成效，並提出建議 · 以求提升幼兒語文學習的效能。
Whole Language Learning as indicated by literature is a way of nurturing language development of children, especially in increasing the interest of language learning. Based on empirical research, this paper attempts to examine the effectiveness of Whole Language Learning in the context of kindergarten education and to suggest ways to improve language ability of children.
[Copyright of Hong Kong Teachers' Centre Journal is the property of Hong Kong Teachers' Centre at http://www.edb.org.hk/hktc]

本文主要從兩方面去闡述：
( l ）語文教合政策的歷史回顧，從傳統香港社會的母語教育為什麼會變為重英輕中，從而檢討在回歸前後香港語文教育政策的變化過程。經歷了一百多年後，香港形成為一個特殊的語言地區，這是與回歸前英國管治香港後大力鼓吹英語教育有直接的關係。從而促成香港在日後成為國際城市，本文也利用相關資料分析這個現象。
( 2 ）當前怎樣才能較快的提升兩文三語水平，有關提升語文教育水平的幾點個人看法。
The article discusses the topic in two ways:
(1) The writer attempts to review the history of language teaching policies and explore the development of medium of instruction in schools in the past century while undermining the use of mother-tongue teaching. The writer also reviews the changes of language teaching policies in Hong Kong before and after the unification of Hong Kong with her motherland, thus making Hong Kong a unique language area after a period of over one hundred years. This is mainly due to the encouragement of using English as a main teaching medium in most schools under the British rule before the unification. This may contribute Hong Kong to become an international city.
(2) The writer suggests ways to raise the level of "bi-literate and tri-lingual" (language policy) skills at a faster paceand also brings out eleven personal opinions on how to improve the standard of language teaching.
[Copyright of Hong Kong Teachers' Centre Journal is the property of Hong Kong Teachers' Centre at http://www.edb.org.hk/hktc]