I. Featured English Program & Its Implementation
In general, the featured English education is the primary reason for the parents to choose Guangzhou Huamei International School. The aims of the English program are to develop the students’ native-like pronunciation, comprehensive English skills towards outstanding cross-culture communicative skills, preparing them to grow into persons with international perspectives and communication skills.
The English program at Huamei School is composed of curricula of three levels, national, local and school-based ones. That is, while implementing the national and local English curricula, the school provides the students with a systematic school-based curriculum.
The school-based curriculum is designed based on needs analysis of the students, the positioning of the school, and the understanding of research results in the field of second language acquisition. Hence, the curriculum is aimed at forming the students’ interest in learning English, improving their comprehensive language use skills, and developing their global visions and cross-cultural communication skills.
The curriculum consists of subject courses, activity courses and hidden courses. First, the subject courses comprise the consistent courses targeted for Cambridge ESOL’s tests (Cambridge Young Learners, KET, PET and FCE) from Kindergarten to Senior Middle School, foreign teacher’s oral English course and content-based instruction featured subject teaching (e.g., math and science). These courses complement one another and help to develop the students’ comprehensive skills of using English. Second, the activity courses refer to a large variety of English extra-curriculum activities and events ranging from weekly English shopping, English movies, English café to annual oral English contest and particular culture year (e.g., 2006 Canadian Culture Year) etc.. These activities and events not only provide the students with abundant exposure to diversified cultures, but help to set up the supportive environment for learning English, which is part of the hidden curriculum. In addition, the hidden curriculum encompasses the visible English proverbs and mottos posted or inscribed on the walls everywhere, the students’ positive attitudes towards English learning, and the successful operation of the international education programs such as the International Class and the Gifted Program, with the former as a bridging program designed for the international students and the latter for top students in senior high school targeting for admission by top universities home and abroad.
On the basis of the Cambridge series of courses, each school division develops its own featured school-based English program. In the kindergarten, elements of Cambridge Young Learners Pre-starter are selectively added to the core course, Tiny Talk; the primary school introduced Hong Kong English Education curriculum and set up task-based unit module teaching; in the middle school, Cambridge English for Schools have been implemented for years and become more and more effective, with the students’ taking the courses based on both their English level and interest, and the rates of passing and reaching excellence higher and higher.
In accordance with the theories and hypotheses of second language acquisition such as the Critical Period Hypothesis and Krashen’s Input Hypothesis, together with preparing the students to sit for entrance examinations of different levels of school (including junior middle school, senior middle school, and university), the time allotment of school-based subject courses displays a model of pyramid in general with decline in gradation grades. To put it more clearly, the time for school-based courses is scheduled 1) half a day per day for kindergarten; 2)7 periods per week for grade 1-4, 3 periods for grade 5-6; 3) 6 periods per week for grade 7-8, 1 period for grade 9; 4) 4 periods per week for grade 10-11, and declining to 1 for grade 12.
II. The School’s English Teaching and Learning is featured by:
1. Connection in curriculum between kindergarten and primary school, and between primary school and middle school;
2. Comprehensive-skill-development-oriented Huamei English Curriculum Objectives;
3. Featured school-based English curriculum, with systematic core courses, activity courses, and hidden courses;
4. The principle of high frequency with more teaching hours;
5. Small class size, with average number of 25-30;
6. Diversified series of English activities, creating more opportunities and real situations to use English;
7. Annual overseas summer study tours to the US, the GB, Canada, Australia, etc., extension of the activity courses to help expand the students’ visions and perspectives of the world;
8. Distinctive teaching styles applied by outstanding teachers from China and English-speaking countries.
9. Rigorous teaching and research administration with regular meetings of research and cooperative lesson planning.
10. Teaching staff of professional educational background with foreign teachers having both TESOL certificate and teaching experience;
11. A systematic student evaluation composed of formative assessment and summative measurement.
III. Students’ Achievement & Awards
With successful implementation of the English curriculum, outstanding achievements have been gained by the students in primary and middle schools, including
1.
2．The first three prizes in Guangzhou Municipal Primary School English Intelligence Tests for years;
3．The First Prize in the Asia-Pacific Area Middle School English Contest;
4．The First Prize of all grades and the Special award of Grade 8 in the National Middle School English Competence Contest;
5．The Second Prize of Junior Middle School in the National Oral English Contest;
6．The Golden Prizes in the First Capital Metropolitan English Talents Show Competition;
……
Finally, both administrators and teachers of the school are still working to better its English teaching and learning, for the purpose of laying solid foundation for our students’ developing into individuals with international communication skills and perspectives.
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