Letters | Give Hong Kong’s students the space to showcase their spoken English

As a former English language teacher in Hong Kong, I have observed a number of issues with the implementation of English language school-based assessment (SBA).

First, there appear to be misconceptions about the SBA’s time limit. While students’ individual SBA presentations are expected to last three to five minutes, the Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority (HKEAA) indicates that the suggested duration only serves as a guide. A strict time limit creates unnecessary stress for students.

It seems that some English teachers, apart from imposing unnecessary time limits, administer the assessment in contrived settings that are too formal. Some secondary schools have all students in the same year level taking the assessment on the same day or on two consecutive days, often with the same tasks designed by the panel convenor.

Such exam-like arrangements, ostensibly made to uphold fairness, violate SBA’s intention of providing “a richer picture of what learners can do (with oral language) than the external examination”.

Moreover, there are concerns about how much guidance teachers should give as students prepare for the assessment. As the HKEAA noted, the assessment should not be treated as “a separate one-off activity that can be timetabled or prepared for as if it were a separate element of the curriculum”. Simply put, English teachers should provide students with sufficient scaffolding before the assessment so they know how to prepare.

Last but surely not least, should students be allowed to request to take multiple assessments?