This paper describes, analyses and evaluates changes in teaching methodologies of the English curriculum formally proposed for Hong Kong secondary schools from 1975 to 1998. “Formally proposed” means “stated in written documents produced by agencies with official authority”. Aspects of the formal, or planned curriculum in Hong Kong have been stated in written documents produced by agencies such as the Educational Management Board (EMB) and the Curriculum Development Council (CDC). The documents used for this analysis are the 1975 (provisional) Syllabus for English (Forms 1-5) and the 1983 Syllabus for English (Forms 1-5). In additions, since the current research project falls at a time when another major curriculum renewal process is in process, there will be some extrapolation from the 1997 task-based primary English curriculum to the task-based secondary English curriculum planned for the year 2000. The planned curriculum is examined here as the first step in a larger research project which aims to compare the planned and implemented curriculum of the HK Special Administrative Region and Shanghai. The research question relevant to this paper is: “What are the aims, objectives, teaching methodology and assessment of the English curriculum formally proposed in Hong Kong schools?” The planned curriculum is seen as only one aspect of the process which shapes a curriculum. It is acknowledged that a curriculum plan is like a blueprint for a building which may never be constructed, or may not be constructed as planned, or if constructed may not serve its intended functions (Cornbleth, 1990, p.6). The paper focuses on methodology, while other aspects of the planned curriculum are treated in other papers (forthcoming) produced under the auspices of the project.

This chapter describes and evaluates the extent to which the aims of the English language curriculum (1975 to 1999) in Hong Kong secondary schools have changed in response to social changes. Hong Kong society has changed from a manufacturing-based society to a financial and commercial based society. Consequently, the English curriculum has moved in three identifiable stages, from an emphasis on minimal English literacy for all (up to the age of 15) to an emphasis on communication in specific social domains and eventually to an emphasis on individuals' competence in a wide range of personally appropriate domains. In evaluating the extent to which curriculum change matches social change, the chapter assesses the extent to which the three syllabi have been/are context-compatible, and then discusses some implications for curriculum planning and teacher education in light of the assessed context-compatibility.
[Copyright © 2000 The Hong Kong Institute of Education.]

This paper reports the results of a pilot corpus study on English classroom teaching discourse in Chinese-medium, junior secondary schools (S1-S3) in Hong Kong with a focus on the nature of intellectual demand placed upon students in the classroom. Intellectual demand is defined in this study as thinking opportunities provided for students in the classroom, including recall and recognition, comparison, abstract reasoning, analysis etc. Intellectual demand cannot be observed directly. It is mediated through language use in teacher-student interaction in the classroom. A level of intellectual demand too far below the intellectual capacity of students in their L1 is considered a barrier to L2 development. The pilot study explored the issue of intellectual demand from a cross-lingual perspective. This perspective was taken because empirical evidence has proved that literacy skills in the L1 and L2 are strongly related, and are manifestations of a common underlying proficiency (Cummins & Schecter, 2003). Cross-lingual transfer is likely to occur in developing academic language proficiency, which is of prime concern in the study context. Cross-lingual transfer occurs between languages of the same family, and between remotely-related languages such as English and Chinese (see Geva & Wang, 2001). While there is continued need for high English proficiency personnel in the high-tech economy in Hong Kong, the transferable proficiency possessed by students in their L1 such as higher order thinking skills etc. did not seem to be taken into consideration in English curriculums or classroom practice, which was a major impetus of the study. A question, therefore, arose – can Hong Kong’s English language instruction take advantage of students’ conceptual maturity in Chinese and use it for the benefit of their second language learning? To undertake such a cross-lingual investigation, we used detailed classroom interaction data as a window to observe intellectual demand. Corpus approach

Lesson Study' is an approach to improving teaching, with very good effects on learning outcomes in Japan. This systematic process, as implemented in Hong Kong, draws on Ference Marton's theory of variation in teaching/learning, and involves teacher collaboration in a cycle of 'research lessons' to continuously refine one lesson on a selected topic. The approach is potentially empowering for all participants, not only teachers, and is more 'bottom-up' than most other processes of curriculum change. This paper is a report of one Lesson Study across one year, in the English department of one English-medium secondary school. The paper describes the successes and failures of this process, with video evidence where appropriate. The paper then evaluates learning outcomes at several participant levels. Specifically, student outcomes were positive to a large extent, with one surprising deficit; and teacher/teacher educator outcomes exhibited considerable variation, posited as involving personal, cognitive and affective factors. The paper finally evaluates the suitability of the lesson study approach to language teaching, raising issues concerning alternative models of pedagogical grammar, for example, which might facilitate this potentially powerful tool for change.

This colloquium addresses the issue of the effectiveness of content teaching and learning through English in Hong Kong secondary schools in the context of the current moves to change the eligibility of schools to adopt English as their medium of instruction. It brings together some recent classroom-based research and development on teaching and learning through English in Hong Kong secondary schools in order to promote debate as to how this can be improved. Cummins will present an overview of the value of integrating second language and content learning. Kong and Hoare will focus on the use of English by teachers and students in the local English medium classrooms, based on data drawn from two studies on teacher explanations and student writing. Man will discuss some adaption issues of Secondary 1 English medium students switching from Chinese medium primary schools and will examine some support measures for their content learning. Walker will report on some of the difficulties students face using English for content learning in S4 and the role of an enrichment programme in supporting them. The colloquium will include an extended time for discussion on ways forward in English medium teaching and learning.

There have been three revisions of the HK Secondary School English language syllabus in the last 25 years, one in 1975, the next in 1983, and another currently underway. Changes in syllabus aims are analysed and evaluated for general context-compatibility by using a framework devised by Skilbeck (1982) and applied by Clark (1987) and Morris (1995) which takes into account changes in the sociocultural context. Between 1975 and 1998, English syllabus aims have been largely compatible with the socio-economic context. That is, they have moved from typifying "reconstructionist" to "progressivist" value systems. More specifically, in 1975, ELT aimed at providing opportunities for social mobility through developing minimal English oral proficiency and literacy for all children under 15. By 1983 social change through education was still a prime aim, and English syllabuses aimed to achieve functional competence in explicit, socially important domains of use. By 1998, the aims of the "Target Oriented Curriculum" already implemented in primary schools, typified "progressivist" values which are claimed to be more personally oriented. ELT in today's complex HK context aims at English development as a part of healthy whole person development.
[Copyright © 2000 The Hong Kong Institute of Education.]