Evaluating the English Education Program in Public Elementary Schools－The Case of Hsinchu City

• Main Authors: Lin Wen-Kuang, 林文廣
• Other Authors: Yeh Chia-Nan
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2005
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/65384527264403861678

碩士 === 中華大學 === 行政管理學系研究所碩士班 === 94 === Abstract To meet parents’ expectations, accelerate the city’s globalization, and anticipate future educational trends, Hsinchu City Education Bureau (HCEB) initiated a plan to teach English in all public Elementary Schools since 2001. Under this plan, officially named Hsinchu City Public Elementary School English Education Program, elementary school students would be placed into English classes starting in second grade. In addition, to create a natural environment that facilitates the usage of English, the city employed foreign teachers from English speaking countries to cooperate with native English teachers. In 2002, HCEB further extended the English education to first grade students. In an effort to promote and support its English education program, HCEB devoted significant budget, employed vast human resources, and collaborated with numerous specialized language agencies to find suitable foreign teachers. Among English education programs initiated by Taiwan’s local governments, Hsinchu City Government’ efforts and scale are unprecedented. As such, the program’s effectiveness should be studied and evaluated carefully to uncover potential areas of improvement. In a few years, this program may serve as a model or reference to promote English education not just for other city education bureaus, but also the Taiwanese National Department of Education. A survey is conducted to obtain the necessary data for this study. The subjects in this survey are Hsinchu City public school system’s English educators, students, and parents of the students. Questionnaires in the survey were designed to gather information on the study subjects’ satisfaction level with the city’s English education program and their general perception of the program’s effectiveness, influence, and future directions. Additional feedback is collected from the chief and assistant chief of HCEB as well as several English teachers, some parents, and two professors at National Hsinchu University of Education through a semi-structured interview process, in which face-to-face interview is conducted using a list of pre-determined questions. Information collected from these interviews is organized to supplement the initial findings from the survey to form a complete dataset, which is analyzed to arrive at the conclusion and recommendations laid out in the next two paragraphs. There are three main findings from this study. First, educators, students and parents generally support and endorse English education. Second, significant inequity in English language aptitude still exists among students, which may lead to further evaluation on the risk and benefit of segregating students based on their English language aptitude. Third, the communication skills of personnel in language service institutes and HCEB should be an area of focus. Listed here are four recommendations based on the findings of this study. First, the Taiwanese National Department of Education should accelerate its progress to establish a standardized national English education policy. Second, Hsinchu City Education Planning Committee members should formulate an effective long-term plan to attract qualified foreign educators. Third, National Department of Education should maximize the teaching potential of native English teachers and teaching assistants by focusing on their professional development. Fourth, specialized language service institutions should solicit feedbacks from subject-matter experts and native English educators during the hiring of foreign educators. The discoveries and recommendations cited in this executive summary will serve as reference for HCEB as it continues to refine the scope and implementation of Hsichu City Public Elementary School English Education Program. Related phrases: Hsinchu City, English education program, foreign teachers, cooperative teaching, specialized language service institution, program effectiveness