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The following is issued on behalf of the Standing Committee on Language Education and Research:
The Standing Committee on Language Education and Research (SCOLAR) held the "English is Everywhere" Fun Day on October 6 and 7 to celebrate the success of the English Alliance 2011/12 and to showcase the learning experiences of the participants. Around 4,000 primary and secondary students from more than 125 schools, their teachers and parents participated in the Fun Day, the highlight of which was today's (October 7) interactive storytelling activity involving around 800 lower primary students.
Officiating at the Fun Day's closing ceremony, the Secretary for Education, Mr Eddie Ng Hak-kim, said, "The Fun Day is a very good example of learning English through various interesting and creative means."
"It means that everywhere everyday, we can nurture learning of the language."
He was impressed by the active participation and the high level of English proficiency of the participating students.
During this two-day event, SCOLAR, in collaboration with its programme partners, namely the British Council Hong Kong, the English-Speaking Union (Hong Kong) Limited, Hong Kong Rugby Football Union and Shakespeare4All Company Limited, created an authentic and fun English learning environment for the students.
A range of interesting, creative and meaningful English activities such as rugby games, mazes, drama, storytelling, book fair, debating and film-making workshops, English game booths and exhibitions were arranged for the participants. To provide an authentic learning environment for the junior form students, around 80 post-secondary students from the Vocational Training Council and senior secondary students from 29 secondary schools volunteered to give assistance throughout the event and to run various game booths.
SCOLAR has been organising and supporting various programmes and activities to promote biliteracy and trilingualism in Hong Kong. The English Alliance is one of SCOLAR's territory-wide programmes to arouse students' interests in English language learning and to improve their English language skills.
During the 2011/12 school year, SCOLAR has organised a total of 26 creative and interesting English programmes under the theme of "English is Everywhere" for the English Alliance. The diversified English programmes have been very well-received by the school community. More than 10,000 students and 70 teachers from 106 primary schools and 130 secondary schools have participated in the programmes.
Ends/Sunday, October 7, 2012
Issued at HKT 19:11
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