I take great pleasure to introduce to you the "English in the Air – 2003/04" project that the Standing Committee on Language Education and Research (SCOLAR) is sponsoring in the current school year. The project aims to broaden the exposure of students to the English language through the active use of the medium of television, and to motivate students to learn English with enjoyment.

SCOLAR is collaborating with ATV World Channel and TVB Pearl Channel to promote, amongst students and teachers, four quality English language television programmes, namely "Road Scholars", "Smallville (season 1)", "Lizzie McGuire" and "Sail Away". The programmes are furnished with English subtitles. The first programme "Road Scholars" started broadcasting on 8 October 2003 and will continue every Wednesday at 6:50pm – 7:20pm on TVB Pearl until 26 November 2003. The second programme "Smallville (season 1)" will begin on 18 October 2003 on ATV World every Saturday at 2:10pm - 3:00pm until 6 March 2004.

The "English in the Air" website (www.hkedcity.net/english/tv), offers accompanying learning and teaching resources (e.g. learning and teaching materials for use in school activities such as English Day) to facilitate the learning and teaching of English by students and teachers using the four television programmes. Games for students and schools are also organized via the project website to raise students’ interest in watching the programmes. Attractive prizes, including overseas study trips and English language resources, will be offered to winning students and schools.

Please promote the project in your school, and strongly encourage your students to make use of the additional opportunity of learning English at home. Teachers can support student learning by making use of the accompanying learning materials and activities, and discussing the programmes in class. If students do not have access to the programmes at home, you may record and show the programmes during lunch hour. To enhance the language proficiency of students, we have to create a language rich environment in school, and provide plentiful opportunities for students to practise the four skills – reading, listening, speaking and writing – both inside and outside of the classroom.

To help you understand more about the project, HKedCity will organize a series of workshops and seminars. The first one is going to be held on 17 October 2003 (Friday) from 5:00pm to 7:00pm at Reading Land, 2/F, Park Building, 476 Castle Peak Road, Kowloon. An experienced teacher from an international school who has worked with local students for over 10 years will share with you his experience in encouraging students to watch healthy television programmes to learn English. HKedCity will also introduce to you how you can make use of the resource packages specifically developed in this project. If you are interested in the workshop, please register and reserve a place through the project website "http://www.hkedcity.net/english/tv/registration". If you have any enquires about this activity, please contact Ms Adrienne Chung of HKedCity by phone at 2624 1022 or 2624 1026.

If you have any questions or need any further information on the "English in the Air – 2003/04" project, please feel free to contact Ms Subrina Chow or Ms Louisa Yam of the SCOLAR Support Unit by phone at 2892 6558, fax at 2801 7732 or email at pce@edb.gov.hk.



Yours faithfully

Fanny Law Fan Chiu-fun
Permanent Secretary for Education and Manpower