At Hong Lok Yuen International School (HLYIS), we believe that language:
- Plays a vital role in learning, thinking, communicating and constructing meaning
- Enables learners to engage in the world and is essential to the processes by which meaning and knowledge are negotiated and constructed
- Is developed through social interaction and is closely linked to the development of a healthy self-esteem and emotional well‑being
- That learners who already have communicative skills and ability in a mother tongue can transfer their understanding when learning a new language
We see language is the major connection between home and school and respect and value the diversity of languages and cultures that are part of our school community. We support the maintenance of the mother tongue of all learners in order to foster cultural identity and continued cognitive development.
Language learning is a fundamental part of all curriculum areas at Hong Lok Yuen International School and crucial for student success. Balanced language programs have 3 simultaneous aspects:
- Learning the language - students listen to and use the language in their everyday lives
- Learning about the language – students try to understand how the language works
- Learning through language – using language as a tool to think about their own lives and the how the world works.
English
English is the language of instruction at HLYIS and is divided into the strands of:
- Oral language – speaking and listening
- Written language – reading and writing
- Visual language – viewing and presenting
These strands are addressed separately, as well as integrated with many areas of the curriculum as appropriate.
Chinese
All students have a daily Chinese lesson through the medium of Putonghua in differentiated groups according to their ability.
The Dragon programme caters for students who have Chinese as a home language, are strong in language acquisition, and have the opportunity of support at home in Chinese. Currently the curriculum is based on the local Hong Kong curriculum and students learn through using traditional characters with bridging lessons to simplified characters in Year 6.
The Tiger programme caters for students who may have some experience of Chinese as a home language or as non Chinese speakers have already gained a sound grounding in the language or are very able in acquiring another language and whose parents are willing to support learning in Chinese at home. Depending on the characteristics of the student cohort, the curriculum may be based on local textbooks or those which approach the language as a second language.
The Lion programme caters for students who are new to Chinese and are non-Chinese speakers. Whilst all 4 strands of the language are taught, the emphasis is on the spoken language. The programme is supplemented by Chinese as an additional Language support classes.
