STMC Language Policy (Medium of Instruction MOI):
STMC uses English as the medium of instruction in all subjects except Chinese Language, Chinese History, Religious & Moral education, Liberal Studies and Physical Education. Putonghua is taught in F.1-2.
Before the school commencement, F.1 students will attend a mandatory Summer English Program to help them become acquainted with the use of English at school.
The school places great emphasis on students’ language proficiency in both Chinese and English. To further enhance students’ Chinese proficiency, Putonghua is taught in F.1 and F.2. All assemblies are conducted in English, Cantonese or Putonghua.
The design of the English Room provides a welcoming and relaxing environment for students in language learning. All teachers of English Language and Putonghua have met the requirements of the Language Proficiency Assessment.
Ways to Create a Rich English Language Environment for Students in STMC
In STMC, a rich English language learning environment is created through making full use of the time and resources both inside and outside the school.
1. Raising students’ motivation and interest
Implementation actions:
- All EMI subjects are encouraged to motivate students to learn. Teaching methods which arouse students’ interest such as providing more learning activities and making use of multi-media learning and teaching resources are employed in the classroom.
- STMC Campus TV and English ambassadors made use of broadcasting to make language learning more related to the daily life of students.
- On Day 6 morning sessions and English lessons, there is the promotion of learner autonomy and Self-Access Language Learning eLearning package ‘Wiseman’ to encourage students to take responsibility for their own learning as well as monitor and evaluate their own progress.
- In F.1, Reading aloud at home is implemented by the English Panel. Parents are encouraged to support their children’s language learning by taking up a more active role in helping their children develop good reading habits and enhancing their interest in extensive reading.
2. Widening students’ learning space – providing additional opportunities for language learning
Implementation actions:
- The English teachers use a wide range of reading and listening / viewing materials, including cross-curricular learning materials, articles in magazines, youth radio programmes or advertisements / public announcements on television to promote reading to learn in a morning reading time on Day 6 every cycle. To deepen students’ learning, various language activities, such as debates, public speaking or dramatic re-presentations will be conducted in the lessons.
- The English Panel uses the classrooms, display boards, walls, etc. in the school to display students’ work, language learning resources, and information related to language learning activities or using the covered playground for activities that facilitate the use of English.
- The English panel organizes co-curricular and extra-curricular activities using English, e.g. talks given in English by guest speakers from different professions, dramas or shows performed in English, English Club, English day/week, English drama competitions and English camps.
- The English panel also designs and organizes overseas excursions with purposeful follow-up activities to provide authentic and experiential language learning opportunities.
- STMC has set up an English Room with resource materials such as multi-media learning materials, educational CD-ROMs, story books, audio tapes, videos to create a comfortable and language-rich environment for self-access learning, providing activities that make explicit links to classroom learning.
- STMC PSHE KLA has introduced an inter-disciplinary project, i.e. cross-curricular enrichment programme in F.2 so that students can be systematically exposed to the use of English for a wide variety of subjects in a classroom setting, as well as in extended activities beyond the classroom.
- F.4 and F.5 Reading Across curriculum (RaC) lessons provide students with opportunities to explore both the spoken and written English language through appropriate and effective teaching strategies (such as the task-based approach) as well as learning activities which are designed to engage students in the authentic, practical and functional use of language for meaningful purposes
- The STMC library provides easy access to a wide range of materials, equipment and other facilities that can enhance students’ familiarity with English, e.g. authentic materials in English including newspapers and magazines, posters, dictionaries, multi-media resources for language learning.
In a nutshell, STMC develops a trilingual language environment in school, by encouraging the use of English, Chinese and Putonghua languages outside the classroom among peers and between students and teachers.