English courses integrate world issues to equip students to become future leaders

Sha Tin Methodist CollegeWith the theme of "Breaking Learning Boundaries, Insight into Future Needs, and Living a Rich Life" this year, we actively optimize teaching, enhance students' sense of ownership in learning, and inspire the development of their potential. Principal CHEUNG Chui Yee It is advocated that effective learning should not be limited to subjects. Therefore, the school has implemented interdisciplinary learning and experiential learning in recent years. By leading students to explore different social issues and apply knowledge from various disciplines, they can lay a foundation in English and become future leaders with a global perspective.

"6C" global competitiveness:

Creativity: creative thinking
Collaboration: Collaboration
Communication: communication skills
Critical Thinking：Careful thinking and discernment
Character Education: Character development
Citizenship: global citizenship and roles

Extended English courses to develop students’ thinking ability

The school focuses on cultivating students to be equipped with the "6C" global competitiveness to face future challenges and become promoters of social development. Therefore, the school incorporates topics of global concern into the English course planning to inspire students to think about how to promote sustainable development of the community. Vice Principal Wang Xu Cuihong said: "The English curriculum is closely related to daily life and international trends, allowing students to understand and understand the needs of the world and build a sense of mission as future leaders. The school has extended the junior high school English curriculum, for example, adding elements of "zero hunger" to the food-themed units; adding extended learning about life on earth to animal rights topics, so that students can not only master English knowledge, but also gain inspiration for life."

Practice interdisciplinary collaboration and connect disciplinary knowledge

Books are a treasure trove of knowledge. The school implements the "Interdisciplinary Reading Project" and cooperates with members of the library and other subject groups to add interdisciplinary elements to reading. Teacher Ou Meien of the English Department said that the "Interdisciplinary Reading Plan" allows students to connect the knowledge they acquire with what they have learned in various subjects, and use "Language Art" in different subjects. The school also launches an "Interdisciplinary Reading Week" in September every year to introduce students to the diversified activities, workshops, etc. in the plan to achieve natural connections across subjects and help students integrate knowledge. At the same time, the English Department will publish beautiful English poems by classmates and teachers on the school website for mutual appreciation and learning.

In addition, English teachers will also select students' best works and compile them into "Skylark" to provide students with opportunities to showcase their own works, learn to appreciate other people's works, and students' writing and reading skills can also be improved.

Promote gifted education programs to create future leaders

The school implements the concept of cultivating future leaders and launches an English gifted education program for secondary 2 and 3 students. The program focuses on English debates, focusing on local issues in Hong Kong and matters of global concern. Mr. Jason Shanahan, a foreign English teacher in charge of the English gifted education program, said: "We encourage students to customize their own debate topics and let them actively express their own ideas. The school attaches great importance to cultivating students to become future leaders. As a new generation of talents, they need to learn how to solve the problems they face." Through the above-mentioned program, students can develop a sense of their environment, world issues and global development status, and allow them to get inspiration, deepening and reflection from the debate, laying a solid foundation for cultivating them to become future leaders.

Attend “Model United Nations Conference” and use English naturally

English is an international language. The school understands the importance of English for students to establish an international perspective. Therefore, it is committed to creating a real and strong language environment for students to understand current social events and even the world environment. By organizing "Global Culture Week", forum activities, "Human Library", etc., the school helps students develop an inclusive attitude towards different cultures from different countries. In addition, the school also allows junior high school students to design games based on elements of global issues, learn from games and exchanges, and learn to respect and appreciate different cultures.

Principal CHEUNG Chui Yee said: "We are not just focusing on academics and limiting learning in the classroom, but arranging diversified activities for students. Rather than focusing on competition and results, we value collaboration more. We hope that students will have sufficient opportunities to use English naturally in formal situations." Therefore, the school takes students to Singapore, Macau and other places to experience attending "Model United Nations Conferences" in formal attire, allowing students to get out of the classroom and discuss solutions to globalization issues. Before attending the event, students need to collect information in advance and learn skills in coordination and mediation, so that students can have more experiences besides studying for the HKDSE and connect with the world through experience.