At Shung Tak, providing a rich and true English environment is of great importance, especially when English is becoming more and more vital to meeting the demands of the ever-changing world.
The teachers of the English Department are committed to providing every student with the opportunity:
- to develop the ability and confidence to successfully carry out in English tasks and communicative transactions most likely to be useful in future life;
- to expand and strengthen English proficiency in order to prepare them for adult life or for further education;
- to develop an interest in and an appreciation for recreational as well as cultural activities in which English is used as a medium of communication;
- to develop the ability to think independently, logically, culturally, analytically, and imaginatively in the English medium; and
- to broaden students’ horizons and respect other values and cultures.
The teachers of the Department are all fully qualified to teach the subject of English. The English Department consists of a team of 11 professional teachers and 1 teaching assistant. Two of the panel are Department Heads, we have multiple native speakers of English, and all in the panel work together to give maximum input in English language through regular whole-school activities and by providing extra English language programmes for students of various ability levels (Gifted and Enhancement Programmes). All our teachers are benchmarked.
We also care about our neighbouring kindergartens and primary schools and so run student-led activities for fun and learning both on and off campus. These activities have taken the form of open days, speech contests, reading programmes and sharing sessions in the past and we will continue to create new and interesting ways for our students to give back to the community through strong connections and vivid English language experiences.
We understand that some students freshly allocated to our school in Secondary One may find the prospect of joining us quite daunting. To help them adapt to their new campus that uses English as a medium of instruction, we offer the Bridging Course in the summer leading up to the beginning of their journey as a Shungtakian and has proven to be a great opportunity for new students to acclimatise to their new surroundings.
Besides opportunities for learning in and around Hong Kong, the English Department regularly offers opportunities for international travel with study tours. These will see our students visiting countries such as England, Australia, USA, Canada, New Zealand, to name but a few, to further broaden their experiences and to give them opportunities for learning and using this wonderful language in truly authentic environments.
English is a major foundation to the successes of Shung Tak. And it is with this in mind that the English Department of STC will forever endeavour to bring our students the best environment for, and experiences in, English language learning.