Bulletin Autumn‧Winter 1998

Helping CU Students Acquire Language Proficiency A F o u r - t i e r L a n g u a ge E n h a n c eme nt P r o g r a mme f o r C U H K S t u d e n t s S i n c e t h e e a r l y 90s, t h e re h a s b e e n g r o w i n g p u b l i c c o n c e r n o v e r t h e d r o p p i n g l a n g u a g e s t a n d a r ds o f l o c a l u n i v e r s i t y g r a d u a t e s . I n o r d e r t o e n s u re t h a t it s o w n g r a d u a t es are b i l i n g u a l , T h e C h i n e s e U n i v e r s i t y h a s , s i n c e P r o f . C h a r l es K . K a o ' s v i c e- c h a n c e l l o r s h i p , i n t r o d u c e d m a n y n e w c o u r s es a n d f a c i l i t i e s t o h e l p i m p r o v e t h e l a n g u a g e a b i l i t i e s o f i t s s t u d e n t s . I t h a s a l so a l l o c a t e d f u n d s t o its c o n s t i t u e nt c o l l e g e s t o s p o n s o r e x t r a c u r r i c u l a r l a n g u a g e e n h a n c e m e nt a c t i v i t i e s. S h o r t l y a f t er P r o f. A r t h u r K . C . L i h a d a s s u m e d v i c e - c h a n c e l l o r s h ip i n 1996, a W o r k i n g G r o u p o n L a n g u a g e E n h a n c e m e nt w a s a p p o i n t e d t o c o o r d i n a t e l a n g u a g e e n h a n c e m e nt a c t i v i t i es p r o p o s e d b y d i f f e r e n t u n i t s o f t h e U n i v e r s i t y. T h e w o r k i n g g r o u p s u b s e q u e n t ly i d e n t i f i ed a f o u r - t i er s t r u c t u re (se e r i g h t ) u n d e r w h i c h a c o m p r e h e n s i v e l a n g u a g e e n h a n c e m e nt p r o g r a m m e i s s y s t e m a t i c a l l y c a r r i ed o u t . Compulsor y I n t ens i v e Languag e Programme I m p l e m e n t e d i n S e p t e m b e r 1 9 9 7 f o r all first-year students, t he m a i n f u n c t i o n of t he Intensiv e P r o g r a mme i n P u t o n g h u a , C a n t o n e s e a n d English is t o train t h e ability t o consult dictionaries f o r t he correct p r o n u n c i a t i on o f i n d i v i d u a l characters o r w o r d s, a n d t o h a n d le t h e basic rules o f g r a m m a r. I t consists of t h r ee 3 - h o ur courses , o n e for e a ch l a n g u a g e , a n d a test u p o n c o m p l e t i o n . Required ES P and Proficienc y Courses T h e Faculties o f Business A d m i n i s t r a t i o n , E n g i n e e r i n g , a n d Social S c i e n c e h a v e s i n c e 1 9 9 4 - 9 5 b e e n d e v e l o p i n g E n g l i s h f o r Specific Purpose (ESP) courses w i t h t h e English L a n g u a ge T e a c h i n g U n i t (ELTU). T h e s e c o u r s e s , s o m e o f w h i c h a r e c o m p u l s o r y , a re t a i l o r e d t o p r o v i de s t u d e n ts w i t h t h e necessary l a n g u a g e skills t o c o p e w i t h a c a d e m ic study , especially in their o w n disciplines. Similar proficiency courses in English a n d Chinese are b e i ng started b y t h e Faculty of Arts a n d t h e Faculty of Science. Elective Proficienc y Courses T h e D e p a r t m e n t of Chinese L a n g u a g e & Literature a n d t h e ELTU offer a w i d e r a n g e o f Chinese, English, a n d p u t o n g h u a proficiency courses as c r e d i t - b e a r i ng electives. Non-forma l College - an d ILC- Programmes Since 1 9 9 5 - 96 t h e University has allocated f u n ds for t he diverse n o n - f o r m al l a n g u a ge e n h a n c e m e nt activities o r g a n i z e d by its f o u r constituent colleges. These activities include speech festivals, English c a m p , p u t o n g h u a l u n c h t a b l e s, a n d l a n g u a g e s t u dy t o u r s . T h e I n d e p e n d e n t Learning Centre (ILC) o n t he o t h e r h a n d provide s a w i d e variety o f self-access l e a r n i ng materials a n d m u l t i m e d ia facilities for students t o use in accordanc e w i t h their needs a n d at their o w n pace. Chinese University Bulletin Autumn • Winter 1998 4