TOEFL_® Junior_™ help guide Wai Chow Public School students to elite secondary schools

Wai Chow Public School (Sheung Shui) primary 5-6 students took part in the TOEFL_® Junior_™ test in April 2013. Students performed well in the TOEFL_® Junior_™ test, as most of their scores ranged from 745-800 out of a total of 900. We are pleased to invite the English teachers Ms Isis Ng and Ms Christy Wong, the school’s Native English Teacher Mr. Stephen Cairns and four outstanding students to share the test strategies of the TOEFL_® Junior_™ test and their school lives.

We interviewed four students from primary 6 who all scored above 745, which are equivalent to level B1 in the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). They all felt that the TOEFL_® Junior_™ test was more difficult than the school exams. Yam Suet In, Ivy, from 6A class told us that test questions in school exams were mostly based on the school’s curriculum, whereas the content of the TOEFL_® Junior_™ test was more diversified and covered various topics as it is an international examination. Chan Chun Man, Ken, and Chan Wai Chung, John, are from class 6E. They shared that the Listening Comprehension section was the most difficult part in the TOEFL_® Junior_™ test. “All the scenarios were about school life. The speakers in the test spoke very fast, I had to answer the questions quickly.” said John. Lee Chun Yin, Elvis, from class 6D scored high in the Listening Comprehension section. He shared his study tips with us, “It is important to practise English in our daily lives. Apart from the knowledge that we have learnt at school, we can also practise English at home. My favourite TV programmes are cookery programmes. I like them because I can learn new vocabulary items from the programmes while I watch TV. Also, I can enhance my listening skills through watching English TV channels.”

No more “Chinglish”

Mr. Cairns noticed that Hong Kong students have the tendency to translate Chinese directly to English and they often find it hard to understand the sentence structure and grammar. “Students need to enjoy learning English at a young age. My lessons are fun and interactive. I organize motivating activities for students to encourage them to engage in English lessons,” said Mr. Cairns. “Many students think that English is difficult to learn. Their English would definitely improve if they are willing to practise. Hong Kong students do not have many chances to practise English at home, so I will design more speaking activities to improve their speaking skills,” he continued.

The English teachers of Wai Chow Public School (Sheung Shui), Ms Isis Ng and Ms Christy Wong told us that primary 5-6 students needed to be prepared for the School’s Internal Assessment at school. International examinations offer an objective report for teachers to evaluate students’ English proficiency. The TOEFL_® Junior_™ test is designed for students aged 11-15. Its score report helps students identify their strengths and areas that need improvement. “For those who scored high at school, they are encouraged to take the “Smart Kids Course” to further improve their English. In addition, our school organizes many English activities, for example, Tongue Twister Competition, Christmas Singing Contest and Halloween Costume Show, etc. The main purpose of organizing these activities is to motivate students to learn English and to enrich their school lives,” said Ms Ng.