As in many parts of Asia, the learning of English is highly valued by parents in
Hong Kong as it is regarded as a path to upward social mobility. Children in Hong
Kong who speak Chinese as a first language typically begin to learn English when
they start kindergarten at age 3. This study investigated the teaching and learning
of English in Hong Kong kindergartens through two interrelated studies. The
objective of Study 1 was to examine the patterns of English language teaching in
different kindergartens. On the basis of the findings of Study 1, three kindergarten
teachers were selected for a multiple case study in Study 2 to gain a deeper
understanding of their English teaching practices and their students? engagement in
the learning of English.
About 38 % (n=256) of the kindergartens and kindergarten-cum-nurseries in
Hong Kong were surveyed in Study 1. The results from the survey indicated that (i)
the teaching of English to 5-year-olds was widespread and there were many cases of
teaching of English to 3-year-olds; (ii) the English instruction time was relatively
limited; (iii) English as a specific subject was taught by “specialist” English teachers
with varying academic and professional backgrounds; (iv) in schools that allocated
relatively less time for English instruction, teachers did not usually have professional
qualifications to teach preschool children and/or English; (v) there were varying degrees of collaboration between “specialist” English teachers and local non-English
speaking teachers; (vi) a wide variety of teaching materials and pedagogies were
deployed; (vii) written homework assignments to improve children’s English were
common; and (viii) teachers exerted efforts to create a bilingual (Chinese – English)
environment at school.
Study 2 was a multiple case study in which three teachers - one with a
professional qualification in early childhood education, one with professional
qualifications to teach English as a Second Language, and one untrained - were
purposefully sampled. Six English lessons of each of the three teachers amounting
to a total of 475 minutes of teaching were videotaped. Their teaching practices and
the children’s engagement in learning were observed, and the classroom learning
environment was assessed. Teachers were interviewed individually, parents
completed questionnaires about the home language learning environment, and
children’s English proficiency was assessed in individual sessions.
Teachers’ pedagogies were found to be related to a host of contextual factors.
Teachers’ professional training was associated with the extent to which they
implemented a child-centered pedagogy. Part-time English teachers had limited
collaboration with local teachers, which in turn affected their teaching preparation
and practice. A textbook-led English teaching schedule and the relatively limited
instruction time induced a product-oriented pedagogy. Children’s limited English
proficiency coupled with the minimal language support at home formed a vicious
cycle reinforcing the product-oriented pedagogy, which adversely influenced
children’s engagement in learning.
This study contributes significant knowledge to the field by illustrating the
challenges in teaching English in Hong Kong kindergartens. Implications of the findings for early childhood language policy, teacher training and classroom
practices are discussed, and future research directions are suggested. / published_or_final_version / Education / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:HKU/oai:hub.hku.hk:10722/146129 |
| Date | January 2011 |
| Creators | Ng, Mei-lee., 吳美莉. |
| Contributors | Rao, N |
| Publisher | The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong) |
| Source Sets | Hong Kong University Theses |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | PG_Thesis |
| Source | http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B47231385 |
| Rights | The author retains all proprietary rights, (such as patent rights) and the right to use in future works., Creative Commons: Attribution 3.0 Hong Kong License |
| Relation | HKU Theses Online (HKUTO) |
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