A survey of learner training for junior secondary school students of English in Hong Kong

Abstract

This paper reports the findings of an investigation of the ways 60 teachers of English in Hong Kong public secondary schools perceive and implement learner training. Results indicate that even though these teachers have generally positive attitudes towards learner training they do not always help their students develop learning strategies in the classroom. This is largely because either they find there is inadequate classroom time available to deliver strategy instruction, or because they tend to follow rigidly the set textbooks which contain no learner training. This paper recommends the need for incorporating learner training into the existing syllabus, the inclusion of learning skills in public examinations, and the formation of a network of teachers to share learner training materials and knowledge.