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SCMP Reporter

The Chief Executive's call for exit language tests for tertiary graduates has met with a mixed response from academics, with one claiming it was simply a short-sighted reaction to pacify public concerns.

  The Education and Manpower Bureau will allocate $87.5 million to help higher- education institutions develop courses in English, written Cantonese and Putonghua.

  Professor Arthur Li Kwok-cheung, the Vice-Chancellor of the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CU), said implementing an exit language test as a means of combatting falling language standards among tertiary students was the wrong way to tackle the problem.

  'Our culture is too exam- oriented,' he said. 'Setting an exit test will only make students study for the examination.'  Professor Li said any such test should be a means of stimulating student interest in languages.

  'A test is imposed to help students, not to bring troubles to them,' he said.

  'The long-term solution is to develop students' interest and learning motivation for languages and encourage them to use English in daily life.

  'Most of the students lack basic skills on language learning, like using a dictionary.'  Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa tackled the issue in last week's policy address, asking all tertiary institutes to set exit language tests amid growing concern over the deterioration of English skills among new graduates.

 The huge Education and Manpower Bureau Language Enhancement Grants will help institutes develop language-improvement courses in Cantonese, Putonghua and English and establish self-access learning centres for students.

  Professor Li said he was opposed to the idea of having a common exit test for all SAR tertiary institutes.

  Each institute, he said, had its own mission and had different standards for language competence.

  Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) President Professor Poon Chung- kwong, also the convenor of the Heads of University Committee, said an exit examination would act as a reasonable gauge of a student's language ability.

  But he agreed that it was not necessary to devise a common exit language test. 'It is not a must for all universities to have a common exit exam,' Professor Poon said. 'Each university has its own academic standards and educational features, so every institute should have a say on designing its own exit test.

 'For example, physics is taught in various universities and each has it own physics test for students. There is no need for them to have the same exit test.'   Professor Poon said university chiefs would discuss Mr Tung's proposal later.

  Meanwhile, PolyU will ask first-year undergraduates joining the university this year to take an exit test on graduating.

  Some students can refuse to take the test but not those majoring in language-related subjects like translation or business language. Scores received for the exit exam will be stated on a certificate separate from a student's graduation document.

 Six-credit language-enhancement courses covering oral and written skills in English, Cantonese and Putonghua already are compulsory for all PolyU students. Those who fail do not graduate.

  'The exit language test is an additional qualification to show a student's language abilities meet the standards of his or her university,' Professor Poon said.

  Meanwhile, from this year, a 27-hour intensive course on basic language skills is compulsory for all first-year students at CU.

  CU's Professor Li said: 'It is easy to set an exit test. But the problem is that we have to define the standard for university students.'   A CU working group is now attempting to clarify the level of proficiency of students in English, written Cantonese and Putonghua.

 And Lingnan College is first off the blocks, having introduced an exit language test this year.

  College Vice-President Professor Nyaw Mee-kau said this year's batch of first- year undergraduates would have to take the test before graduating. Those who failed could still obtain their degree and take the test again later.

 'It may be necessary for all to have the same exit test,' Professor Nyaw said. 'But more manpower and resources are needed to work it out in the future.'   He said students scoring grade C or above on Advanced Supplementary Level English and Cantonese could be exempted from such a test.



Universities differ on exit language test