Good English Teaching Practices: Yuen Long Lutheran Secondary School

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Good English Teaching Practices Yuen Long
Lutheran Secondary School
EMB Consultancy Project Researchers Gary Harfitt
Hofan Chau
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Our focus today

• Background of the school and what it has
  achieved.
• Examining and explaining the culture of the
  school.
• Looking at the policies implemented in the school
  and how they underpin the culture.
• Specific initiatives of relevance to all schools
  in HK.

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Yuen Long Lutheran Secondary School (YLLSS)

• Moved to Tin Shui Wai in 1998 from Yuen Long
• Teaches F.1 F.7 students
• CMI status
• Band one intake since 2001
• 95 of students from Tin Shui Wai public housing
  estates

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HKCEE results (English language syllabus B)
Student
Year
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A level results (UE paper)
Student
Year
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VISION CULTURE-POLICIES -CLASSROOM

• CULTURE

How is such a positive attitude towards English
cultivated?
VISION

What are the school policies that underpin the
culture?
What motivates all this?
What strategies are teachers using in the
classroom?
POLICIES
PEDAGOGY
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The principal
Vision

• Became the Principal in 1998.
• Decided to focus on improving English results as
  a way of providing students with greater
  opportunities to further their education at
  tertiary level
• Received support from parents as results and
  student intake improved.

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The principals rationale

• English is very important. It can help the
  students find a good job and earn a good living.
  You see, if they fail English, they cant go to
  university. They cant find a good job. Thats
  number one because the English standard was very
  low, only a few students went to university.
  Under ten. The teachers knew, but they couldnt
  help. 27 October, 2003

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The English panel chair

• Taught in the school for more than 10 years.
• Confirms active role of principal in the changes
  at the school since 1998.
• Also attributes the reasons for change to
• Additional resources
• Better teamwork in panel

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Process
SOLVE PROBLEMS TOGETHER
IDENTIFY PROBLEM AREAS
GOAL
Increase university enrolment
English results are identified as a limiting
factor
English becomes school priority
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University entrance
Students
Year
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School Culture

• How is such a positive attitude towards English
  in this school cultivated?
• The formal aspect (The classroom)
• The informal aspect (English club activities)

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Extra curricular activities

• Crazy Halloween Party (Oct)
• S2 Vocabulary competition (Dec)
• S1 Storytelling Competition (April)
• S2 Drama Competition (May)
• S4 Oral Presentation (July)
• S3-4 DJ Group Competition
• English speaking days
• English club parties and carnivals
• Exchange trip to Singapore
• English network Lunchtime radio show

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Distinctive featuresof the English club
Distinctive features of the English Club

• Student leadership
• Student empowerment
• Role modeling,
• Peer learning,

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The process of creating a culture
GOAL

• Motivate students to use more English

• Students fear speaking English

AREAS OF IMPROVEMENT

• Begin student motivation at lower forms.
• Improve English club
• Activities generate student interest
• Student organisation structure provides peer
  learning

SOLUTION?

• Student enrolment in English club increases from
  50 to 300 members in 3 years
• Students more confident in speaking English and
  are motivated to use it in the classroom

EFFECTS
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• What are the school policies that underpin the
  culture?
• Structures that promote teamwork
• (support group, collaborative planning meetings)
• Initiatives to support teaching
• (resources, mentoring, junior/senior form
  teaching)
• Finding the right person for the right job
• (clearly defined roles, Mr. Lo, support group,
  Jeremy (NET))

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Panel Structure
Research team
Support group
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Mr. Lo, the Vice-principal

• Bridge between the Principal and the panel
• Administrative and strategic support
• Informs panel with research (exam results)
• Not an English teacher

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Support group

• Established to assist panel head
• Meet to discuss school policies new initiatives
  (e.g., writing school based textbook, remedial
  programs, etc.)

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Panel Structure (continued)
Chat-room
TA
Jeremy (NET)
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Panel Structure (continued)
Research team
Chat-room
Vice- principal
Panel chair
TA
Jeremy (NET)
MENTORING
Form Collaboration meeting
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Collective Lesson Planning

• Once a cycle, teachers from the same form meet to
  discuss their teaching.
• Discussion topics that we have
• observed include
• Sharing teaching ideas
• Evaluating exams and tests
• Delegating duties and tasks
• Checking progress of different classes
• Critiquing the textbook and planning units
  together

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Breakdown of CLP topics(1 unit 3 meetings)
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CLP benefits
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The process on a policy level
SOLVE PROBLEMS TOGETHER
IDENTIFY PROBLEM AREAS
GOAL

• Share solutions in CLP meetings
• Teachers adapt classes accordingly.
• Cultivate confidence interest in lower forms
  (e.g. activities)
• Remedial support

• Research team diagnoses problem areas
• Teachers discuss in Collective Lesson Planning
  meetings
• Panel evaluation

• Improve English exam results

• Increase university enrolment

• Relational solutions
• Mr. Lo acts as bridge adviser
• Support group helps panel head
• Collective Lesson Planning (CLP)

• English becomes school priority

• Make English school priority

• Some teachers unhappy with changes

• Poor English results limiting factor

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Reflection a crucial element in the schools
progress
As teachers, we expect our students to work hard
and improve, but we often fail to do this
ourselves. - Kit Lee