Writing in the Hong Kong immersion classroom : developing students' content knowledge and English language proficiency

Abstract

This study sought to identify whether and how the use of writing in English medium subject classrooms in Hong Kong helps students to learn both content and the second language, i.e. to achieve the distinctive goal of immersion education. The study further aimed to establish a set of criteria for the design and use of effective writing tasks for the English medium subject classrooms in Hong Kong. The study focused on two subjects: Biology and History. A qualitative approach was adopted. A set of five criteria was developed with which to identify and analyse the writing demands of Biology and History in the Hong Kong Secondary 4-5 English medium curriculum from the curriculum materials of subject syllabuses, public examination syllabuses and papers, subject textbooks, writing tasks assigned by teachers and internal examination papers. The criteria were established with reference to theories of learning, second language learning and writing. The writing demands of science and history documented in the literature were also examined and compared with those of Biology and History in the local English medium curriculum. This provided information about whether the writing demands of the local curriculum are consistent with those documented in the science and history disciplines and whether the local curriculum materials are consistent among themselves in terms of writing demands. Students’ writing in Biology and History and teachers’ and students’ views about writing practices in the English medium classrooms were also analysed with reference to the five criteria to determine whether and how writing in these classrooms meets the writing demands and leads to the learning of both content and second language. The criteria were refined with reference to the findings above to provide guidelines for the design and use of effective writing tasks for the English medium classrooms. The criteria are content, audience, purpose, genre and feedback. The findings of the study have implications for the curriculum materials in English medium schools , late immersion pedagogy with reference to the use of writing, and immersion teacher education.