The teaching of Chinese to ethnic minorities students needs to focus on function and building their confidence and motivation, a University of Hong Kong language expert has said.
Tse Shek-kam, director of the Centre for Advancement of Chinese Language Education and Research, said teachers needed to change their approach from simply teaching coursework to actively assessing students' needs and learning patterns.
'Most teachers really don't know how to deal with these students,' Professor Tse said. 'We don't know how they best learn Chinese yet.'
However, he suggested classes should start with practical language from daily life rather than bogging students down with grammar.
'Motivation and interest are very important,' he said. 'Teachers should focus on functional language and not worry about getting everything perfect from the beginning. If you don't motivate the students they will never be able to learn.'
The Education Bureau is conducting a public consultation on its proposals for a supplementary guide on how schools can adapt the standard Chinese curriculum to teach non-Chinese-speaking students.