Building communication skills through interaction

Training of English ambassadors

While we aim to optimise students’ interaction in English outside the classroom, a scheme on the training of students as English ambassadors has been established. Students showing a keen interest in learning and speaking English are often invited to join the scheme and we also welcome potential students who volunteer their participation in the programme. These ambassadors, under the guidance of our native English-speaking teacher and other teacher advisers, make effort to help expand the English-speaking environment outside classroom. They sometimes prepare themselves for putting up performances and doing presentations in the morning assemblies. They also assist teachers in conducting various school activities, such as the English Week, the Primary One English Oral Show and so on. With many thanks to these devoted ambassadors, we believe that it is also a precious opportunity for them to further enhance their language skills and develop experience in using the target language in various authentic contexts.

Fruitful experience for our English ambassadors of various grade levels

Optimising the application of English

With a view to widening our students’ exposure to the use of everyday English, we have been encouraging all students to communicate in English both inside and outside the classroom. Students are also expected to listen to announcements given in English and participate in morning assemblies presented in English by their schoolmates or the teachers. It is believed that this whole school approach to the learning of English will help optimise the time and opportunities for students to apply the target language in an authentic, meaningful way..

Providing a supportive environment for interaction

We also believe that fun learning activities and games are often effective in motivating learners, especially young ones, to apply the use of a second language. Our department has thus designed a booklet called the English Passport for our students, which provides them with theme-based tasks, supporting materials and organisers for tapping language inputs and exploring ideas on their own. These inputs thus serve as interesting prompts for them to exchange minds and interact verbally with the teachers and English ambassadors on the school campus, offsetting the anxiety often brought by using a second language. The topics for sharing and interaction, revised and updated on a yearly basis, are all closely related to students’ everyday life as well as their perception of the world around them. These face-to-face interactions not only stretch students’ abilities and skills in expressing feelings and thoughts but also develop and expand their vocabulary knowledge. They are also offered the opportunities to apply the language structures and skills learned in the curriculum for a solid foundation. Students who have tried particularly hard in these activities are often awarded gifts for appreciation of their keen efforts.