Letters | Native-speaking English teachers are an asset Hong Kong mustn’t lose

Readers discuss why Hong Kong must retain native English teachers and how to help Hong Kong youth learn more about the mainland

Education

Letters

Published: 11:30am, 17 Apr 2022

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The news that the turnover rate for native-speaking English teachers has hit an eight-year high is cause for concern. The priority now should be charting the way forward to retain English teachers rather than speculating on their reasons for resigning, which could often be personal.

The argument that teachers who have resigned are driven by fear of falling foul of the National Security Law does not hold much water. In fact, English teachers from overseas are usually more than willing to play a part in nurturing children to be law-abiding individuals who manifest positive values such as diligence, perseverance and empathy. Many have told me that Hong Kong children are more respectful of teachers and generally more well-behaved than their Western counterparts, which encourages them to put in extra effort to not only teach pupils English, but also cultivate their character and virtue.

Native-speaking English teachers are valuable assets. They contribute tirelessly to creating an English-rich environment at schools by conducting morning assemblies, hosting activities such as debates and plays, and empowering local teachers to come up with creative ways to teach English. While local English teachers might be more adept at teaching fundamentals such as grammar and preparing students for the HKDSE, foreign English teachers often have more innovative ideas up their sleeves for igniting students’ interest in learning English.

Native-speaking English teachers are also a friendly presence, motivating kids to use English in actual conversations. Local students have no choice but to use their second language to converse with teachers, and during the exchange, they subconsciously pick up idiomatic expressions. Such incidental learning complements formal English lessons and adds a cultural dimension to the learning experience.

Policy-wise, the Education Bureau should roll out measures to retain this pool of talent and attract prospective teachers. Officials overseeing the bureau’s Native-speaking English Teacher (NET) Scheme might host more informal get-togethers with overseas teachers to understand their feelings and thoughts about working in Hong Kong.

At school level, administrators, including head teachers and panel chairpersons, should capitalise on the versatility of native-speaking English teachers and deploy them in such a way that their positive impact on pupils’ learning is maximised.

Local English teachers should also take the initiative to communicate and collaborate with native-speaking English teachers so that both parties can develop their professionalism.

Jason Tang, Tin Shui Wai

To help Hong Kong youth learn about mainland, go virtual

The Youth Development Commission sponsored over 12,000 young Hongkongers for visits to the mainland through more than 300 organisations in 2019-20 with HK$31 million via the Funding Scheme for Youth Exchange in the Mainland. Regrettably, there have no exchanges since early 2020 due to the pandemic. I call on the commission to explore new ways to encourage the youth in Hong Kong to learn more about the mainland in the new normal.

Baptist University has recently launched Zooming the World, an exchange programme for its students to take courses in foreign universities virtually and earn credits without travelling. Advanced technologies such as virtual reality have also been deployed by the Palace Museum in Beijing, accommodating virtual tourists who cannot visit in person. The commission should actively explore how similar virtual programmes could be organised for young people in Hong Kong to experience the mainland.

In 2018, with the support of the commission, mainland university students from various minority backgrounds visited schools in Hong Kong to showcase and celebrate their cultural heritage. With a great many people from the mainland studying and working in Hong Kong, the commission should also sponsor similar activities for them to visit local schools so schoolchildren can learn about Chinese culture without travelling.

Jieying Huang, Kowloon Tong