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judy

Therefore, I strongly believe that kids have to master the English language well to the face the real world in order to put them in a better position in this competitive world.

我想，這點大家都没異議，問題是:怎樣達到呢？

ykwong

judy 寫道:

我想，這點大家都没異議，問題是:怎樣達到呢？

最容易的一步，開放市場，由得學校自決用英用中，家長學生用腳投票。威靈頓都係英中(執左未？)培正係中中。你揀邊間丫？

judy

最容易的一步，開放市場，由得學校自決用英用中，家長學生用腳投票。威靈頓都係英中(執左未？)培正係中中。你揀邊間丫？

當然是培正。不過，的津校唔肯轉呀，奈何？

TWMa

ykwong 寫道:
最容易的一步，開放市場，由得學校自決用英用中，家長學生用腳投票。威靈頓都係英中(執左未？)培正係中中。你揀邊間丫？

那得先學卷制! 好耶~~~~~~~

lochan

Aren't we back to the argument on Comm. App. or Gramm. App. or mixture of those 2?

The only way is to practice as much as practical and there's no shortcut to it. Of course it will benefit if the child is in an English speaking environment both at home and at school.

Read lots of books from Longman, ladybirds, scholastic etc.
Watch English speaking programmes.
Find some Caucasian friends who like to speak Cantonese.

Open to more suggestions.

ykwong

Philipwhau 寫道:

Judy姐，YK哥

快D入黎我個新topic 傾o下以上問題丫？

響邊？

Bluestar

由 lochan 於 2005-01-26 14:33:19

The only way is to practice as much as practical and there's no shortcut to it. Of course it will benefit if the child is in an English speaking environment both at home and at school.

Read lots of books from Longman, ladybirds, scholastic etc.
Watch English speaking programmes.
Find some Caucasian friends who like to speak Cantonese.

[size=large]THINK in English
***  this point is most crucial and critical ***

[size=large]Read and read and read (any book - Enid Blyton, DH Lawrence, Agatha Christie, GB Shaw, Shakespeare, ..... fiction / non-fiction, love stories, traveller's tales, just anything you find interesting and can lay your hands on)

Tune in to BBC (World news) instead of local cantopop

wetfoot

有關題目的報導 - 連諮詢文件也未出就"斷估"說有消息教統局要迫多少中學轉中中，又有多少中學轉英中，本身已不合羅輯，此等報導簡直不付責任，問題是很多人看了便信，這就是香港。

教學語言 - 甚麼是母語？是我們從出生已要用的語言﹝和文字﹞，盡管很多人出生時開始已被中文包圍，而且每天都聽和看中文電視和報章，但在子女教育方面，則大叫要英語而不重視中文，要英文學校﹝甚至連小學及幼稚園都要找英文校或國際學校﹞而不要中文，若要問這些小朋友，恐怕連noun是甚麼或誰是孫中山也說不出，這連未學行先學走也不是；是心想走而手在試爬，如果小朋友不知甚麼是詞和甚麼是名稱，你對他說名詞又怎叫他理解呢？教統局倡母語教學只是幾年間的事，但這廿多年來的畢業生中英文成績都甚差的比例很大，怎可莽斷是母語教學的問題？若畢業生們不是成績每況愈下，又怎需教育改革呢？個人並非母語教學的絕對擁護者，也對其改革有不同意見，但要中英文都好，就必先要學好母語 - 中文，才可以更容易地領會英文的意思。既然大家那麼熱心去找brighter granmmar，何不也去找唐詩三百首和名人故事一百篇？公立圖書館也滿是免費的知識，學會先賢智慧，可能眼光也能放遠些，我不是智者，但仍明白智者不惑的道理﹝個人見解，全沒影射，請勿誤會或對號入坐﹞。

[WYmom queried: Are you starting to attack me personally?] --- Please do not misunderstand; I was talking about "most peolpe".

wetfoot

Matt'smum, Philipwhau,

都早講明只係"個人見解，全沒影射，請勿誤會或對號入坐"啦，講既係大路一般人面對既問題，唔係指你地呢d精英中精英既家庭，你地子女成才就可喜可賀啦，既然咁掂就不如指點大家點樣營造全英養兒及教育環境又可以有高中文修養，等各中文圈家長得益，豈不妙哉？

judy

I got so many friends whose kids are in IS yet they got additional class at home for chinese and mandarin.

題外話，咁算唔算補習？的小朋友是否happy？

warrrren

Dear all,

In Hong Kong, English is taught in all kindergartens and primary/secondary schools.  All students will have, by Form 5, had at least 3,000 hours of English training (I am talking about formal English lessons, not including private tuitions, self-study, reading at leisure etc.).  3,000 hours of study is a BIG thing.  With 3,000 hours of practice, everybody (and I do seriously mean everybody, save those physically or mentally challenged) can achieve at least grade eight in piano/violin/flute or whatever instrument that he or she likes, or speaks beautifully in French/German/Italian or whatever language for which one has the greatest admiration.  The problem with our embarrassing situation is that quite a number of our students do not feel interested in learning English.  Restoring interest in learning and making learning fun is, I believe, the most urging concern.  Those who have gone through the grammatical approach vs. communicative approach discussion under the other thread are aware that I am in favour of the former approach.  It is of course silly to think that there is a purely grammatical or purely communicative approach. After all, the two approaches are not mutually exclusive.  Yet, the grammatical approach, not properly carried out, deters learning.  Just imagine that one day you decide to give it try and take a venture into the kitchen to cook a meal for husband and children.  Whilst happily preparing the good, your super know it all mother-in-law (no disrespect intended, the role of the mother-in-law is used as an illustration) comes in and corrects you every 5 minutes – too much salt, too little water, please cut it into smaller pieces, Oh no, it is not done yet, the plate is dirty, the fish doesn't look fresh... It may well be that the mother-in-law has every good intention and does know cooking better than you do.  But she is discouraging you from learning how to cook, isn't she?  Chance is that you will soon give up cooking and hand the kitchen back to your maid.  I am not saying that grammar is not important.  My point is - for the kids' sake; don't be the super mother-in-law.

English learning is not all about grammar.  In fact, I take the view that grammar is the easiest part in English learning.  For a serious learner of average intelligence, the basic grammatical rules can be mastered in 100 or 200 hours.  I'm not joking.  It's my own experience.  I came from a seaman's family and did not attend any prestigious primary or secondary schools (by the way, I am a Kau Yan old boy.  Any Kau Yan old boys or girls here?).  Before Form 4, I had never managed to get a pass in English exam.  Never ever.  When I was in Form 4, somehow I realised that it was time to catch up.  I got a copy of the Oxford Advanced Learners' Dictionary and a book on English grammar and usage (I still remember that it was written by Michael Swan).  I then read, checked the dictionary, read, checked the dictionary, read, checked the dictionary ... then, all of a sudden, my previous problem with English disappeared.  And I never managed to get anything below grade A in any English examinations.  What was the magic?  No, there wasn't any magic.  Lucky was I that I had the chance to learn under a great English teacher at the right time.  Looking back, I guess my past reading habit also helped.  Although I was not fond of English and did not read any English storybooks in my younger days, I read tons of Chinese books.  Hours after hours, I found myself in that lovely old library in Sai Ying Pun reading everything from A to Z.  That turned out to be of great help.  I believe that my personal experience is not that personal and there may well be some truth in it.  And the truth is:  interest in learning is more important than any other things.

Don't get me wrong, I do not mean to boast about something that I have achieved (there is nothing worth boasting).  I just want to share my belief with a real life example.  If you kid fails in his English dictation because he has forgotten to put a “s” after it, don't criticise him.  He will soon learn to hate English if he is.  Trust your kid.  Trust yourself.  Have a little more patience and things will turn out fine.

I end this long post by recommending a book called 賞識你的孩子 by Mr. 周弘.  A lovely little book.

Best wishes to all,
warrrren

WYmom

warrren,

Totally agree with you! I like your example of mother-in-law particularly, that's the reality! :

wetfoot

Philipwhau 寫道:
The ways we have been adopting are as follows:-

1.  Anchoring my son's proficiency in second languages during the first five years before entering primary level by designating native English and native Putonghua private tutors to train and developing his oral and communication abilities and phonics;

2. Playing CDs with English and Putonghua Songs, poems, stories everyday which is an established practice since he was born;

3. Watching educational video and TV programmes in the medium of English and Putonghua;

4. Conversing with my son in English and Putonghua apart from Cantonese at home;

5. Reading English and Chinese books with him everyday; and

6. Learning English through games, such as Scrabble, Phonics games, Puzzles, Monopoly, FunThinkers, etc.

小朋友資質參差不齊，並不是每人都可以依樣畫壺籚，要解決一般人既問題，就要了解一般人既處境及心態，你智慧過人當然識教個仔用火酒消毒探熱針啦，但難保有家長叫仔女用熱水來消毒嘛，大部分家長見到你既高見都會"車"一聲啦，因為好難做到呀，我相信大部分此處既家長都會買英文cd俾子女聽，重大把人在此賣cd告白添，有無效果，在於其他配合，由其是家長本身學識及個人品格修養，自己連scrabble都未玩過既又點同仔女玩scrabble？中文班、普通話班，到頭來又返到教師質素﹝包括外籍﹞既老問題，課子課孫先課己，家長自己唔不斷學習﹝由其是子女年少時﹞及自我檢討，又點可以只靠cd同外籍教師成事？正如我在另一題目提過，最佳全英語環境係移民去英語國家兼讀當地平民學校，在香港點全英連鬼佬都要接觸中文環境，我強調既係在早期打好中文基礎﹝正如你細個時都係咁﹞，但唔係只學中文唔學英文，只係分清母子，無母又何來子呢？曾蔭權及陳方安生都唔係咁長大啦，我就唔信陳方安生個仔係在全英環境長大，周