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摘要：The workplace has become increasingly volatile, intercultural and multilingual in the Information Age, presenting greater than ever communication challenges to employees. Accordingly, education reforms which recognise the growing significance of workplace communication competence have been put in place. In Hong Kong, an application-oriented elective module known as 'Learning English through workplace communication' has been introduced to the senior secondary English language curriculum. This article surveys and evaluates a number of teaching and learning resources specially designed by relevant government bodies and commercial publishers for this module. Specifically, the professional genres which are covered in such resources are studied in detail, both qualitatively and quantitatively, to investigate the extent to which they parallel the professional discourses in the actual workplace, based on a comparison with findings from relevant research. Some discrepancies are found regarding the most frequently occurring genres and their linguistic realisations in the professional context and the teaching materials. Implications from the study and suggestions for pedagogical improvements are made not only with special reference to the local context, but also to the broader educational domain where workplace communication has increasingly become a key component in the language learning syllabus. [Copyright The American University; published by Elsevier Ltd.]

摘要：Most previous studies of epistemic modality in legal settings discuss epistemic modality as performing an interpersonal engagement or a positioning function. Via a probability test, the present corpus-driven study examined the way in which epistemic modality is employed in civil judgments to construct legal facts and to indicate legal probability. The study compared how different types of epistemic modality are used in judicial practice in different jurisdictions, namely Hong Kong, which is a common law jurisdiction, and Scotland, which is a mixed jurisdiction. Specifically, we examined the variation in the orientation of epistemic modality, that is, whether implicit or explicit and whether subjective or objective, and the variation in the value of epistemic modality, that is, high, median, or low. The findings suggest that both subjective epistemic modality and objective epistemic modality are employed in adjudication where the judges decide the degree of probability, and the value distribution of epistemic modality indicates that the same standard, that is, the balance of probability, is adopted in Hong Kong and Scotland. We propose an integrated framework of principle of proof and discuss the continuum of probability in law. Based on the conclusions, we propose pedagogical implications for English for Legal Purposes. [Copyright The American University; published by Elsevier Ltd.]

摘要：This study, which is part of a large-scale study of using objective measures to validate assessment rating scales and assessment tasks in a high-profile school-based assessment initiative in Hong Kong, examined how grammatical complexity measures relate to task type and analytic evaluations of students' speaking proficiency in a classroom-based assessment context. An in-depth analysis of oral performance on two different assessment tasks (i.e., monologic vs. interactive) from 30 English as a Second Language, Cantonese-mother-tongue, secondary school students was conducted using a range of measures of grammatical complexity derived from the previous second language (L2) speaking and writing studies. Results showed that the individual presentation task tended to promote not only a greater number of T-units, clauses, verb phrases, and words but also longer T-units and utterances, thus probably stretching learners more in terms of complexity of grammatical and lexical processing. Results also showed that complexity measures recommended as among the most useful complexity measures demonstrated no significant correlations with analytic ratings of learner speaking proficiency. These findings were then discussed in light of the complex, dynamic, and developmental nature of grammatical complexity as well as in light of a learner-, task-, and L2 form-sensitive account of L2 oral production. Adapted from the source document

摘要：This article is an effort to add to computer-assisted language learning by extending a study on an essay critiquing system (ECS) feedback to secondary school language learners' writing. The study compared two groups of participants' performance, namely the treatment group which received both the system feedback and teacher feedback (i.e., blended learning mode), and the control group which received teacher feedback only. The study was conducted in a secondary school in Hong Kong in the form of an extra-curricular activity after school. Fifty-three students from the ages of 16 to 17 with different argumentative writing experience participated in a series of five writing workshops once a month voluntarily. The participants were assigned to a treatment and a control group based on the stratification approach. Their scores were compared and an interview with the treatment group was conducted. Analysing the total and content and organisation scores of the two groups, it was found that both groups demonstrated statistical significant gains. Nevertheless, the treatment group's gain appears to be more meaningful than the control group's in view of its group composition. The blended learning mode contributes to the encouraging results as revealed through the treatment group's scores, high rating and positive comments on both system and teacher feedback in the survey and interviews. The analysis also implies the need to improve the system feedback on paragraph coherence, workshop design and grading criteria. Adapted from the source document

摘要：This article reports on qualitative case study research into the experience and support of four novice English language teachers in Hong Kong (HK). It describes their perceived experience and socialisation, particularly with regard to the induction and mentoring support they receive during the first year of teaching. While the benefits of different forms of induction support (mentoring in particular) have been established, few studies have focused on specific factors that affect the perceived effectiveness of mentoring, from the point of view of both the mentors and the mentees. The current study therefore breaks new ground in investigating the perspectives of different stakeholders in the mentoring process. What is more, the majority of research reports the nature of the first year of teaching in one snapshot, often not paying attention to the professional development and changes throughout the year. This study follows a group of novice language teachers for the whole of their first year in teaching. Adapted from the source document

摘要：The Native English Teachers (NETs) Scheme has been in place for over 20 years in secondary schools in Hong Kong and yet how students perceive these teachers is under-researched. This article reports a study which analyses student perceptions of the advantage and disadvantages of learning English from NETs and their non-native counterparts, local English teachers (LETs). Data were collected through semi-structured group interviews with 30 secondary students studying in three different schools in Hong Kong. Content data analysis was conducted, and main themes that emerged from interview transcripts were categorised. Results show that the perceived advantages of LETs include their proficiency in students' L1, their knowledge of students' learning difficulties, the ease students experience in understanding their teaching, and in communication. The perceived advantages of NETs are their good English proficiency and ability to facilitate student learning. The disadvantages of one category of teachers appear to be the reverse of the advantages of another. Data also show that some students experience anxiety when encountering NETs and tend to prefer certain teaching styles. This study has significant implications for classroom teaching practice and teacher professional development. Adapted from the source document

摘要：School-based assessment (SBA) has recently been introduced into the Hong Kong Certificate of Education Examinations (HKCEE) in English. The present study was conducted within the context of this assessment change to investigate students' and parents' perceptions of the impact of SBA. Two surveys were employed to explore students' and parents' perceptions of SBA and their perceptions of the impact of SBA on learning. The results from the student survey demonstrated a relationship between students' perceptions of SBA-related learning activities and their perceptions of their own language competence. The results also showed significant differences between students' perceptions of the learning activities they had taken part in during the previous school year and those they were currently engaging in. In addition, parents' perceptions of SBA and the opportunities for them to know about SBA significantly and positively predicted their support for their children's SBA learning. Parents' education level and the amount of time they spent with their child daily also predicted their support for their children's SBA learning, though to a lesser extent. Further, parents' perceptions about the SBA are directly and significantly related to their children's perceptions about SBA. Taking the results from both students' and parents' surveys together, we have gained a better understanding of the complexity of the impact of SBA within the Hong Kong educational context, as perceived by students and their parents. [Reprinted by permission of Sage Publications, Ltd., copyright holder.]

摘要：Several projects that are in progress at the Research Centre for Language Education and Acquisition in Multilingual Societies (RCLEAMS), one of four Institute-level Research Centres at the Hong Kong Institute of Education, are highlighted. These include projects in the following fields: (1) the Asian Corpus of English (ACE);(2) trilingualism and trilingual education in minority regions of China; (3) linguistic and cultural ecology; (4) using the local/regional language as the language of internationalization (Cantonese and Putonghua in Hong Kong); (5) perceptions of English language suitability and processes of language assessment recruitment in Filipino call centres; (6) effects of language aptitude and personality on linguistic performance in English as a second language in two Chinese populations; (7) boundary-crossing teacher trainees; (8) vocabulary development among learners of English in a Hong Kong primary school; and (8) the Multilingual project: policy and implementation. Adapted from the source document

摘要：Email has revolutionised the way in which professionals work and companies operate, and yet has received surprisingly little scholarly attention in English for Specific Purposes and has an unexpectedly muted presence in many Business English textbooks. The dearth of research into email use in globalised business settings may be one of the factors behind the unnecessarily wide gulf that separates the office and the classroom. This article seeks to narrow this gap by making practical suggestions about the design of email tasks for use in Business English courses. These ideas are based on three complementary sets of qualitative data derived from Hong Kong's service sector: over 30h of interviews with English-using Chinese professionals, four 'week-in-the-life' case studies and 50 email chains comprising 406 separate messages. These data provide pedagogically relevant information about the function of email in internal and external communication, its intimate relationship with spoken communication, the importance of intertextuality in email chains and the length, language and structure of email messages. The study recommends the adoption of a simulation-based approach in which email communication is embedded in a series of interdependent activities that integrate speaking, listening, reading and writing. [Copyright The American University; published by Elsevier Ltd.]

摘要：This article examines the language-related challenges that first-year students face when adjusting to the demands of English-medium higher education in Hong Kong. The article is based on the findings of a longitudinal study which tracked the university careers of 28 students from a range of backgrounds via in-depth, semi-structured interviews conducted at regular intervals over their three years of study. These findings are complemented by the results of a questionnaire survey completed by around 3,000 students at the same university. The interview and survey findings indicate that students experience four particular problems during the crucial first year at university: understanding technical vocabulary, comprehending lectures, achieving an appropriate academic style and meeting institutional and disciplinary requirements. The evidence suggests that students are able to overcome these and other problems through a combination of strong motivation, hard work, effective learning strategies and supportive peer networks. To illustrate and personalise the first-year experience, the article paints portraits of three students from different societal, educational and disciplinary backgrounds. These portraits follow a series of landscapes which depict recurring patterns in the qualitative and quantitative data. The article concludes by discussing the implications of the study for EAP provision in ESL and EFL contexts. This article examines students' transition to English-medium university studies. This is one of the few EAP-related longitudinal studies ever conducted. Students' main first-year challenge lies in understanding specialist vocabulary. School teaching medium is the key variable influencing ease of adjustment. Freshmen from Chinese schools struggle to adjust to English-medium studies. [Copyright The American University; published by Elsevier Ltd.]

摘要：The purpose of this research is to identify and interpret statistically significant lexicogrammatical items that are used in on-site spoken communication in the international construction industry, initially through comparisons with reference corpora of everyday spoken and business language. Several data sources, including audio and video recordings, interviews, expert informant insights and observation notes are operationalised to understand the context that the lexicogrammatical items reflexively constitute, for instance the discursive practices the engineers invoke in their working day. As in other workplaces, several types of interpersonal items are statistically significant when compared to everyday talk, such as deontic modality, hedges and fillers, certain back channels and the pronoun we. Also, place deixis is statistically significant in this specific context, and is often accompanied by nonverbal communication and visual images. These findings shed light on the way power and solidarity are negotiated in this context, and on the importance of face. In conclusion, the authors recommend training for inexperienced engineers and engineering students that develops their problem-solving, relationship-building and communication skills. [Copyright The American University; published by Elsevier Ltd.]

摘要：Since 2001, the Education Bureau (EDB) in Hong Kong has been promoting a shift from traditional assessment of learning to assessment for learning, where classroom-based assessment is linked to teaching and learning, with students taking an active role in the assessment process. In particular, secondary school students are encouraged to assess their own and peers' oral English through self- and peer assessment. While peer assessment has been recognized as enhancing student learning if sensitively implemented, it is a new concept to many local students. This paper reports on a case study that investigated students' perceptions of the implementation of peer assessment in their English speaking classes. Through interview and classroom observation, the study reveals that despite the benefits that the participants perceived, they had serious concerns over the new assessment. What these 'average/weak' students reported was sad but inspiring. Implications are identified for those who plan to conduct peer assessment. Adapted from the source document

摘要：This article examines the findings of a longitudinal study of the learning and use of English at an English-medium university in Hong Kong. The aim of the investigation was to track the learning experiences of a group of 28 undergraduates and to identify the challenges they faced when studying for their degrees in a second language. This article explores the language-related problems the students encountered in the process of adapting to an English-medium learning environment during the crucial first term. The data from the interview-based longitudinal study are supplemented by the findings of a large-scale questionnaire survey of freshmen at the same university. The evidence suggests that the students' principal sources of difficulty were comprehending and using specialist vocabulary, understanding their professors' academic requirements, and processing and producing key disciplinary genres. The article concludes by discussing the implications of the study's findings for EAP course and materials design. Adapted from the source document

摘要：Feedback in writing has in recent years attracted the attention of an increasing number of writing researchers. While much feedback research focuses on the act of feedback per se, little attention has been paid to the issue of teacher readiness to implement change in feedback. Using data gathered from Hong Kong secondary teachers attending a teacher education seminar on feedback in writing, this article investigates teachers' readiness to implement change in feedback as well as their perceptions of the factors that may facilitate or inhibit change. The findings show that while teachers may be cognitively aware of the need for a feedback revolution, there are obstacles that get in the way of innovation. The article concludes that if teachers are to start a feedback revolution a number of issues have to be addressed, including enhancing teacher training and empowering teachers. Adapted from the source document

摘要：A case study of the foreign cultures represented in two English language textbooks used by Hong Kong secondary schools was conducted. Its aim was to investigate whether the representation of foreign cultures in these textbooks reflected the status of English as an international language. In order to do this, references to foreign cultures were categorized into four aspects: products, practices, perspectives, and persons. It was found overall that the representation favoured the cultures of English-speaking countries, while the cultures of Africa were under-represented. The selection of English language textbooks and the implications for redressing the imbalance in cultural content are discussed. Adapted from the source document

摘要：Current computer-assisted language learning (CALL) research has identified various potentials of technology for language learning. To realize and maximize these potentials, engaging students in self-initiated use of technology for language learning is a must. This study investigated Hong Kong university students' use of technology outside the classroom to self-regulate their language learning. It showed that these students were actively engaged in the use of technology, but there were variations both among the students and in the aspects of language learning that they opted to support using technology. More importantly, this study unraveled the factors that influenced their selective use of technology in language learning. Adapted from the source document

摘要：Although second language (L2) teachers spend a significant amount of time marking students' writing, many of them feel that their efforts do not pay off. While students want teachers to give them feedback on their writing and value teacher feedback, they might experience feelings of frustration and confusion once they receive it. What is amiss in L2 writing teachers' feedback practices? The present article is predicated on the belief that if teachers are to improve the effectiveness of conventional feedback practices, they have to challenge taken-for-granted assumptions and problematize their current practices. Using teacher feedback data from 26 English teachers from Hong Kong and interview data from six of them, the present article analyzes the problems that underlie teachers' feedback practices, discusses alternative approaches, and concludes with recommendations to help teachers maximize the formative potential of feedback. Adapted from the source document

摘要：This article reports a comparative study of first language (L1) Chinese and second language (L2) English lessons in Hong Kong secondary schools. Aiming to explore how to take advantage of L1 academic proficiency for the benefit of L2 development, the study asked how Chinese and English lessons compare in terms of the content knowledge covered and the levels and depth of such coverage. Through a corpus-aided approach, 3 differences were identified, namely, the "aboutness" of the lessons through a keyword analysis, the "abstractness" reflected in the use of metalanguage, and the "richness in coverage" of meanings in classrooms. The findings indicated that the Chinese lessons were either text-based, involving discussion of literary concepts in metalanguage, or task-based, engaging students in debating about a current issue, while English lessons were based on linguistic knowledge and composed mainly of discrete grammatical drills through simple classroom routines. This article argues that the 3 differences identified were deficiencies in the L2 classrooms. However, they could also be areas where crosslingual transfer might be possible. Constant exposure to literary text-related concepts and cognitively complex tasks in the L1 may lead to students' development of academic language proficiency; such proficiency could be capitalized for the development of academic proficiency in the L2. Adapted from the source document

摘要：This report highlights the conceptualization and procedures of two online exchange projects that were conducted in 2008 and 2009. These projects tried to advocate dialogue between English majors from Hong Kong and preservice language teachers from Berlin. Adapted from the source document

摘要：This article reports the findings of a study investigating factors contributing to the speaking-in-class anxiety of a group of 313 Chinese ESL first-year university students in Hong Kong. Results using the Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale (FLCAS) of Horwitz et al. reveal five factors leading to the group's speaking-in-class anxiety. The five factors, identified by factor analysis, include: speech anxiety and fear of negative evaluation; uncomfortableness when speaking with native speakers; negative attitudes towards the English classroom; negative self-evaluation; and fear of failing the class/consequences of personal failure. In addition, survey results show that speaking in front of the class without preparation, being corrected when speaking, inadequate wait-time and not being allowed to use the first language in a second language class were also identified by the respondents as important factors leading to speaking-in-class anxiety. The article concludes with pedagogic implications, for second/foreign language teachers when attempting to create a low-anxiety classroom. [Copyright Elsevier Ltd.]