新聞公報及演辭

演辭(2005年及以後)

2007年3月10日

語常會委員何淑賢女士
(英語節2007籌備委員會主席)
英語節2007之創意寫作英語樹 -- 教師工作坊致辭全文
(只設英文版)

Dr Chan, Miss Keung, Miss Lui and teachers,

Welcome to this Teacher Workshop of the English Tree: A Symbol of Creative Writing of the English Festival 2007.

The Standing Committee on Language Education and Research (SCOLAR) has successfully held the English Festival in 2005 and 2006 and is privileged to organise it again in 2007 for the third year. The aim of English Festival is to raise student and public interest in the learning and use of English. Our Festival last year marked a successful return with nearly 40,000 students and teachers participating in various activities.

This year, amongst the eight lively school-based activities to be run from February to May, we are delighted and thankful to have the Subsidised Primary Schools Council, Hong Kong Aided Primary School Heads Association, and Union of Government Primary School Headmasters and Headmistress to co-organise with us the English Tree: A Symbol of Creative Writing.

This activity is to continue the English Tree initiative launched in English Festival 2006. Its aim is to encourage students to use their imagination and write creatively in English. Through the participation in the event, students will engage themselves in expressing their creative thoughts and imagination through writing in a joyful context. The best creative work of students will be showcased on an "English Tree". By building and promoting the identity of "English Tree" as a symbol of creative writing, we hope that students will achieve a greater sense of accomplishment when their work is displayed on the Tree. The English Tree of English Festival 2006 was well received and has been on roving exhibition at more than 25 schools. This year, in order to encourage wider community participation, the Tree will be put on roving public exhibition in major shopping centres from May onwards.

To stimulate and encourage the creativity and innovation of students, teachers certainly play an important role. We are pleased to be able to organise today's workshop to share the various ways and good practices to promote creative writing in schools. Now, I would like to take this opportunity to introduce the four advisers of this activity. Two of them are also here today. Dr Shirley Chan, Deputy Director of Centre for International Education and Lecturer of Department of English of Hong Kong Institute of Education, and Miss Judy Keung, a Creative Writing Consultant. Dr Chan and Miss Keung, together with Dr Anne Ma, Senior Lecturer and Mrs Jennie Chan, Lecturer of Department of English of Hong Kong Institute of Education, will form the judging panel of the students' work.

Today, we also have Miss Katherine Lui, English Panel Chair of CCC Kei Wa Primary School (Kowloon Tong) with us to share her experience in helping students to write.

I believe that, students and teachers who participate in this programme, will cherish such precious experience and disseminate what you have learnt, to your schools and peers.

Finally, I wish all of you will find the workshop fruitful and enlightening. Thank you.