High-Fun English Campus, happy learning and achievement

Buddhist Wing Yan SchoolWith the goal of building a high-fun campus, students can achieve efficient learning through interesting and diverse teaching forms and activities in a caring environment. To this end, the school has launched a new curriculum this year: subject knowledge is taught in the morning and school-based activities are taught in the afternoon. Students have the opportunity to go out of the classroom, experience different types of English learning contexts, and speak more English with the encouragement of three foreign English teachers. In addition, the school uses pre-entry assessment to understand the English proficiency of new students and prepare them for excellence. At the same time, we fully support the transition to middle school. In addition to consolidating English proficiency and teaching interview skills, we also invite former students to share their current situation of entering middle school.

High participation, high display, high feedback, high achievement and "Fun"

The school is committed to building a high-fun campus. Principal Sun Weiwen said that a high-fun campus consists of three levels. First of all, the school attaches great importance to students' "scores" and believes that the key to obtaining good grades is "Fun". Therefore, the school starts with curriculum design to enhance students' learning interests and abilities. At the same time, the school firmly believes that a caring learning atmosphere can help build a close relationship between teachers and students, so that students are not afraid to use English and accompany them to build a common learning experience.

In order to realize high "Fun", the school implements the "Three Highs" policy. The first is "high participation", which allows students to participate in different activities and encourages students with outstanding and confident English skills to participate in extra-school competitions; the second is "high display", which actively showcases students' achievements and regularly releases news to parents. For example: using the electronic screen next to the school gate to broadcast award-winning news and posting English masterpieces in the classroom to create a learning atmosphere; the third is "high feedback", where teachers give students timely feedback and provide appropriate support to enhance their learning interest and effectiveness.

Enrich English context and promote immersive learning

In order to implement the school's teaching philosophy, the English subject emphasizes enjoyable learning. In addition to covering subject knowledge, the curriculum will also create a rich context through diversified activities, and make good use of external resources to organize various immersive learning activities. Director Chung Ka-hee, chairman of the English Department, believes that as a foreign language, students must be given motivation to learn and make them happy to learn, so that they can learn well. Therefore, teachers lead students to appreciate the art of English drama and experience the fun of learning English. The school also arranges for Primary 5 students to visit Victoria Peak every year to visit tourists in English. Students need to formulate questions on their own, design questionnaires under the guidance of foreign teachers, and apply English to actual contexts. The results of the interviews will be integrated into reports to show the learning results to students and parents at all levels.

Smart Curriculum Theme-based school-based teaching

The school has launched the "Smart Curriculum" this year, making good use of the morning period within the cycle week to complete the teaching of all regular courses, and implement school-based teaching according to themes in the afternoon, which has become a major feature of the school. One of the days is titled "Smart Learning Day", which uses activities to enhance students' interest in English reading and writing, and invites foreign teachers to help consolidate their listening and speaking skills and improve conversation skills. The school uses this period to strengthen students' test-taking strategies and teach them how to read English passages and quickly complete reading comprehension questions; how to write a high-quality essay based on daily life experience.

The other day of the cycle week is "Joyful Day", and different reading themes are used to promote interdisciplinary reading. This year's theme is "Protect the Ocean", which combines common sense and scientific English knowledge to expose students to English words for marine life and promote environmental protection messages. The teacher will lead the whole class to read relevant picture books and English books, and encourage students to borrow them. Parent-child co-reading experts will also lead classes in the auditorium to attract students with vivid storytelling. Reading is one of the development themes of the school's three-year plan. With the slogan "Reading inspires wisdom, achievement creates the future", students are expected to absorb knowledge and improve their English ability through extensive reading. To this end, the English Department has purchased resources such as the "Fun and Friends" platform to facilitate students' online reading and self-study outside of class.

The "Interdisciplinary Project Study Day" features going out of the classroom. Director Zhong explained that learning English cannot only rely on practicing test questions. It is interesting to be able to apply them. Taking the second grade as an example, students act as reporters and visit different places to get to know people who provide services to the society (community helpers). They give thank-you cards written in English to promote the school's concept of gratitude. In addition, STEAM courses will also collaborate with the English department to invite foreign tutors to explain principles and conduct experiments in English to increase students' opportunities to be exposed to English.

Activities create an English atmosphere and encourage gifted students to develop their talents

The school arranges for foreign English teachers to converse with students in English during recess and lunch breaks, and organizes English activities in conjunction with festivals to train students' ability to communicate with English speakers from an early age. Principal Sun said with a smile: "Students are not afraid to speak English. I see them chatting with foreign English teachers every morning." Moreover, the English context created by the school is not limited to teachers and students. In the large-scale English activity days held twice a year by the school, parents are invited to host booths and communicate with students in English to further enhance students' engagement, interest and English expression skills. The school also arranges gifted students to become English ambassadors, serving as assistants to foreign teachers and participating in various English activities in the school, including assisting in telling stories and playing table games in the English room.

Teacher Liu Yani, chairperson of the English subject, pointed out: "The school plans to announce weather news in English in the future, arrange activities such as guessing riddles with junior primary students, and teaching High Frequency Words (high frequency words), hoping that they will have more room to develop. Gifted students will also have the opportunity to host the campus TV station "Radio Wing Yan" and use English to share on different topics." In order to encourage students to try more and strengthen their English skills, the school sponsors students to apply for the Cambridge English Examination and participate in English drama, recitation, composition, spelling games, speech and other competitions. In recent years, students have achieved great results in different competitions, including winning the runner-up in the Yuen Long District Boys' Ensemble Recital Competition this year; winning the Outstanding Actor Award and the Overall Performance Award at the Hong Kong Schools Drama Festival last year; and winning the championship in the English Drama Competition for primary schools affiliated with the Buddhist Federation.

Pre-admission English assessment to help freshmen excel and make up for their shortcomings

In order to allow students to integrate into campus life as early as possible, familiarize themselves with teaching methods and promote consistent learning progress, the school attaches great importance to the transition from kindergarten to primary school and arranges to implement school-based courses in English from August to September, covering basic phonics, writing English words and other regular training. At the same time, the Buddhist Association and the Education University of Hong Kong launched the "Primary One Entrance English Assessment" to allow new students to test their listening, speaking, reading and writing skills before entering school. Schools as affiliated schools of the association also participated. In addition to providing relevant data for parents' reference, teachers can also effectively design different exercises and teaching activities according to the abilities of new students, so as to make up for the weak. Therefore, it has been highly praised by parents.

In addition, in order to further help new students lay a foundation in English, the school participates in the "Primary School Literacy Project - Reading and Writing" (PLPR/W), arranging local and foreign English teachers to teach reading and pinyin skills through Big Book teaching. By implementing a series of teaching activities, such as interactive games, role-playing, singing, etc., learning plans are designed in a comprehensive manner to help students fall in love with English from an early age.

Training Abilities and Skills Former students share their experience in promotion

In terms of transition to middle school, the teaching team designs school booklets for students, prepares interview questions, and teaches basic knowledge so that students can introduce themselves in English appropriately and politely. Each student also has several opportunities to practice one-on-one with foreign English teachers. In order to be closer to the real interview model, group interview and discussion skills will also be taught. At the same time, the new curriculum "Smart Learning Day" will also flexibly design activities and school-based teaching materials according to the study needs of fifth and sixth grade students, and group students according to their abilities to teach students in accordance with their aptitude to improve listening, speaking, reading and writing skills to connect with the middle school curriculum.

Principal Sun pointed out: "Schools do not encourage learning just to prepare for exams. If students lack basic skills, it is meaningless to practice hard on test questions. The school has also received feedback from English middle schools in the past, praising the high quality of English of former students." In addition, the school launched a "High School Promotion Tour" last year, inviting graduated former students to wear the uniforms of the middle schools they are currently attending to share their practical experience in interviews with parents and students of Primary 6, and introduce the current situation of admission and the characteristics of middle schools. Parents can ask questions immediately and obtain first-hand information, which is a rare arrangement in other schools and highlights the good intentions of the school and the teaching team.