Mastering written Chinese and English, as well as spoken Cantonese, Putonghua and English, is one of the most important learning objectives for Hong Kong students today and in the future. This not only highlights Hong Kong’s unique status as an international financial hub, but also reflects its profound Chinese cultural heritage and its distinctive linguistic characteristics that seamlessly integrate East and West. Proficiency in these languages is regarded as the key to academic success, career advancement and cross-cultural communication in our multicultural society. In response to societal expectations and the need for students’ holistic development, our school adopts a comprehensive approach to cultivate students’ language abilities across multiple dimensions, including school administration, Language across the Curriculum (LAC), tailored language learning support, and a diverse range of co-curricular activities and competitions.
In terms of school administration, we actively create a bilingual environment through various initiatives. Teachers from different Key Learning Areas (KLAs) are encouraged to attend a three-day annual professional development course on “Using English as the Medium of Instruction (MOI).” Major school events, such as the Opening Ceremony, Inauguration Ceremony and Prize-giving Ceremony, are conducted in English. Furthermore, we train students to serve as announcers for morning assemblies and lunchtime broadcasts, enabling them to make announcements in both Cantonese and English, thereby enhancing their engagement in daily language learning. To ensure effective communication with all school stakeholders, all official letters to parents and content on the school website are bilingual. This practice also applies to all information displayed on electronic noticeboards.
Starting from the 2026-27 academic year, all Secondary 1 students (including Non-Chinese Speaking (NCS) students) are required to participate in lessons, tests and examinations across all subjects. To enhance the effectiveness of English learning and cater to learner diversity, English lessons for Secondary 1-2 and Secondary 4-6 students are conducted in smaller groups. In promoting Language across the Curriculum (LAC), the English Panel collaborates with English-medium instruction (EMI) subjects such as Mathematics, Geography, History and Science to develop school-based learning materials. We also organise a Summer Bridging Course for incoming Secondary 1 students to help them adapt smoothly to the English learning environment. In supporting students’ learning of Chinese and Putonghua, junior secondary students have one to two Putonghua lessons per cycle. Additionally, the school utilises various resources to offer after-school language enhancement classes to improve students’ language proficiency. To foster a reading culture, weekly morning reading sessions in both Chinese and English are held to cultivate a strong reading habit.
The school organises a wide variety of learning activities to provide students with all-round opportunities to use the languages. We organise lunchtime Chinese learning activities for NCS students to help them build a solid foundation in Chinese reading, writing and conversation. Our annual ‘Global Awareness Week’ creates ample opportunities for students to use English. We invite guest speakers from around the world to host sharing sessions and activities; for example, guests share the geographical environment and cultural landscapes of their home countries in Geography lessons, and discuss historical events of their nations, such as the impact of colonialism, in History lessons. Regular weekly morning assembly activities include “Putonghua Time” on Wednesdays, where students introduce Chinese culture in Putonghua, “Good Book Sharing” on Wednesdays, where students share their reading experiences and reflections in Chinese, and “English Time” on Fridays, where students share their views on current topics in English, thereby enhancing their speaking and listening skills. To cultivate literary appreciation, we have set up a “Poetry on Campus” corner, allowing students to display their original Chinese poems. The English Panel also organises “English on Air” during Friday lunchtimes, training students to host song request segments in English and allowing them to learn the language through listening to English songs in a relaxed setting. The school also maintains an “English Corner” equipped with books, board games and multimedia resources for self-access learning. Finally, the school systematically trains students to participate in major external competitions, such as the annual Speech Festival and Drama Festival in Chinese, English and Putonghua. These opportunities broaden their horizons and boost their academic confidence.
To further enhance students’ commitment to language learning, all students are required to communicate in English during English-medium instruction (EMI) lessons. We also encourage English teachers to interact with students in English outside the classroom to reinforce daily use of the language. Similarly, all students, including NCS students, are expected to actively participate in Chinese-medium lessons and progressively develop their written and spoken Chinese skills (including Cantonese and Putonghua) throughout their secondary school years.