Medium of instruction in Hong Kong secondary schools: integrating L1 in English-medium classrooms

Abstract

ABSTRACT Content and language integrated learning (CLIL) has become popular in bilingual educational contexts around the world. In Hong Kong, medium of instruction (MOI) in secondary schools has received great attention among teachers, students and parents over the years. After the handover of Hong Kong to China, the local government launched the mother-tongue language policy. However, many parents believe that English as a medium of instruction (EMI) secondary schools are better than Chinese (Cantonese) as a medium of instruction (CMI) schools. After years of discussion, the government implemented a ‘fine-tuning’ language policy which allows more schools to offer EMI curriculum. These development of language policy have prompted policy makers and educators to rethink whether monolingual instructional approach benefits students the most in CLIL classrooms. Reviewing the language policy in Hong Kong, this paper suggests that English-medium CLIL programmes, with purposeful use of Cantonese, should be promoted in Hong Kong secondary schools.