RATIONALE

 

A Language-Based Theory of Learning

 

"The distinctive characteristic of human learning is that it is a process of making meaning---a semiotic process and the prototypical form of human semiotic is language."

                                                                                                                                    Halliday, 1993, p. 97

 

"Teaching any subject or skill involves teaching through language, but teaching literacy involves explicitly teaching about language as well."

                                                                                                                              Rose & Martin, 2012, p. 18                 

Content and Language Integrated Learning 

 

"Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) refers to "A dual-focused educational approach in which an additional language is used for the learning and teaching of both content and language."

                                                                                                                                                                     

                                                                                                                                                              Coyle, Hood, & Marsh, 2010, p. 1

"... both language and subject have a joint role."                                                                                                                                                   

                                                                                                                                                                                   Marsh, 2002, p. 58

 

 

OBJECTIVES

 

The HKU QEF PROJECT aims to develop a culturally responsive curriculum to support South Asian students’ English academic literacy development and to construct a feasible teacher-researcher collaboration model that has the long term impact of capacity-building among teachers in facilitating content and language integrated learning (CLIL) in culturally diversified school contexts.

 

Short term goals:

• to improve South Asian students’ English academic literacy

• to build up teacher capacities in facilitating South Asian students’ English academic literacy development

   

Long term goals:

• to develop a feasible culturally responsive curriculum

• to extend the project to help a larger proportion of South Asian students to achieve better academic results in HKDSE

• to establish mutually supportive teacher-researcher collaborative relationship

• to strive for sustainability through developing a resource package for both content and language teachers