Letters to the Editor, December 21, 2014

With reference to Kelly Yang's article ("Tongue Twister", November 26), I am writing about the assumed decline in Hong Kong students' English proficiency compared with that of their counterparts on the mainland.

I doubt that the promotion of bilingualism is to blame. To my knowledge, although Putonghua is the official language on the mainland, students may speak a different dialect at home.

There are, in fact, Cantonese-speaking students on the mainland who try as hard as those in Hong Kong and Macau to master Putonghua, which is their teaching and learning medium. If they can make constant progress in their English, so can our students.

I do agree, though, that a change in the instruction medium might be worth careful consideration to help students' English proficiency improve.

The advantages of having all subjects except Chinese taught in English are obvious. Using mainly English textbooks and worksheets would mean far more exposure to the language, more frequent language practice both in and out of the classroom, and greater motivation from English-speaking teachers in whichever subject.

I agree, too, that a shift to discussion- and project-based learning should be emphasised, as this will encourage better communication among learners. This will force students to be more active in the language, and they'll benefit more from doing their research and citing evidence in English.