Hong Kong Secondary Schools Language Instruction | Generated by AI
In Hong Kong, junior secondary schools (Forms 1–3, or S1–S3) do not universally teach all courses in English. The default medium of instruction (MOI) is Chinese (Cantonese) for most subjects across the majority of schools to support better understanding and learning outcomes. English is primarily used as the MOI for the English Language subject itself, while other non-language subjects (like math, science, or history) are taught in Chinese in over two-thirds of secondary schools.
However, under the “fine-tuning” MOI policy introduced in 2010/11, some schools or specific classes/groups can adopt English as the MOI for certain non-language subjects, provided they meet strict criteria:
- Student ability: At least 85% of incoming S1 students must be from the “top 40%” band capable of learning in English (based on allocation data).
- Teacher capability: Teachers must have strong English proficiency (e.g., HKDSE Level 3 or equivalent).
- School support: Measures like English bridging programs and an English-rich environment are required.
This allows flexibility:
- Qualifying EMI (English Medium Instruction) schools or classes can teach all non-language subjects in English.
- All schools can allocate up to 25% of junior secondary lesson time to Extended Learning Activities (ELA) in English, which might cover themes from Chinese-taught subjects or even convert to full English instruction for up to two subjects per level.
In practice, only a minority of schools operate fully as EMI institutions (historically around 20–30%, though exact numbers fluctuate), while most are CMI (Chinese Medium Instruction) with optional English elements. This setup aims to build bilingual skills progressively without overwhelming students.
Fine-tuning the Medium of Instruction (MOI) for Secondary Schools
EMI schools - Wikipedia
English medium higher education in Hong Kong