LANGUAGE IMPROVEMENT PROJECT

Local Language Courses

2020-21 Autumn Programmes
(Application Period: 14 Sep to 4 Oct 2020)

Toastmasters 101: Becoming a Confident English Speaker

Online application form

Course Code: AUE01

This is an activity-based and highly proactive programme in which students will have to interact with each other. The programme emphasizes on listening, understanding and speaking, which are the essential elements for daily life communication. Students are encouraged to participate and prepare for each session.

Course Outline

  • Develop good listening skills
  • Leave a good first impression
  • Formulate ideas off-the-cuff
  • Give and receive feedback
  • Practise group discussion
  • Ask questions to get results
  • Sell a product
  • Apply skills learned

 

 
 
 
 

The Fashion of Fashionable Language

Online application form

Course Code: AUE02

What makes an expression fashionable? In this workshop, students will explore the features of fashionable expressions and the factors generating the language fashion. Building on their existing language proficiency, students will experience the process of creating new expressions through discussing various social and language issues.

Course Outline

  • Hong Kong popular language
  • The Oxford Word of the Year
  • Summary of features of fashionable expressions
  • Pop word factory: making new expressions
  • Factors driving the language fashion
 
 
 
 

Other English Modules
(Not offered in Autumn 2020)

Fun With Spoken English

Course Outline

Looking for a fun way to practice your spoken English?

This can be achieved through the performance of fun language tasks that mirror real-life situations. You can learn and enjoy learning through engaging in class activities, including games, role plays, and team activities as well as, during one session, interacting with guest native speakers.

Learning will produce

  • increased ability to produce English spontaneously in typical situations
  • confidence gained from practicing informal English in a small class setting
  • new phrases for conversational English
  • increased ability to improvise and produce natural sounding English in varying situations
  • students will become more relaxed about speaking in English

Public Speaking - How to Get Others to Listen

Course Outline

This course aims to provide students with training in public speaking in English. Specifically, the course is designed to help students in the following areas: to speak with confidence, with substance, with conviction and with clearly defined goal(s); to speak in a style appropriate to the occasion and with suitable gestures and body language; to develop a sense of timing and the appropriate use of pitch and voice qualities; to practice public talks and presentations to targeted audiences.

This course uses the Communication Model to help students learn how to “read” audiences’ needs, in order to present oneself and one’s material in a more persuasive way. That is, students learn to focus on the receivers of the message they intend to send, in order to be able to better convince different audiences by suitably adjusting the message content. Students are given as much chance to practice as possible, preparing their own speeches and role-playing in a variety of common situations. They will be videoed in action, and will get a chance to view the tape of themselves after feedback sessions. Participants can also practice PowerPoint presentations, and learn how to handle I.T. appropriately in presentation.

Special focus will be given to planning and preparation, attention getters and speech structures, use of visual aids and notes, managing nervousness, body language, use of eye contact, and other physical aspects of presentation. Specific topics include presentation of speeches to introduce and welcome a colleague, guest or visitor; impromptu speaking (speaking without preparation); presentations of proposals, speeches to get action, to convince, self-presentation in interviews, meetings and groups, and crisis management, especially when dealing with the media. We will also go off campus to attend a Toastmasters Club meeting, to hear speeches being presented by others.

*Students will need to have quite a good command of English to participate comfortably in this course.

English and Etiquette for Professionals

Course Outline

This course is based on the tutor’s years of experience running management training and student language workshops.

The classes will be highly interactive and we will use experiential learning to build communication skills and learn about everyday professional manners.  For example we will have wine in the classroom so that students can learn how to order and drink wine.

  1. How to connect socially: greetings, keeping the conversation going, different ways to say goodbye
  2. When a VIP visits: how to welcome guests to a function, go out for dinner afterwards, how to order wine
  3. Communication: how to speak up but be polite, how to handle sensitive topics, listening
  4. Groups: problem solving in groups using diplomatic language.

 

Chinese Modules
(Not offered in Autumn 2020)

活學活用普通話

課程綱要

本課程重視普通話的活學活用,在課堂加入普通話教學遊戲,寓學習於活動,從而有效地增加學員的學習興趣,提高學員運用普通話的能力。

課程目的

  • 打好基礎︰介紹漢語拼音方案及普通話聲母、韻母、聲調、口語變調、兒化、輕聲等基本而實用的普通話語音知識,為學好普通話打好基礎。
  • 避免方言︰針對粵方言區同學獨有的語音、詞彙、語法問題,加以重點修正。
  • 活學活用︰通過教學活動,增加學員運用普通話的機會,並提高學員運用普通話的能力。
  • 學會學習︰就每個語音專題提供「延伸學習」資料,並加以適當指導,使學員學會自學,使有志進一步學習普通話的學員可以自我改善。

教學活動涵蓋兩方面,一為練習語音;二為練習活用︰

  1. 針對學生「廣東話說偏一點兒便是普通話」這種誤讀情況,著重聲、韻、調的練習,通過系統生動的教學,糾正學員的讀音問題,加強聽力訓練,改善學員口語準確度,並增加詞匯量。
  2. 針對學員怯於表達的情況,加入情景對話、配音練習、小組討論、小組或個人遊戲等活動,為學員提供不同的語境,增加學員的參與,使學員感到普通話是活的語言,達到活學活用普通話的目的。

課程內容

  • 漢字發音
  • 語音矯正
  • 聽力訓練
  • 常用詞彙
  • 普通話、廣東話詞彙比較
  • 普通話、廣東話語法比較
  • 不同語境的普通話運用
  • 專題會話及演講能力訓練