English
Key Learning Area
English Education
Objectives
1.1 To develop students’ linguistic and functional competence in the English language so that they can use the language as a tool for communication, for study, for work, for enjoyment and for personal enrichment.
1.2 To empower students with the capabilities for lifelong and independent learning, adaptation to change, and critical and exploratory thinking innovation.
Department Members

Panel Head
Mrs. Fung Lau Suk Yi Sheryl
Assistant Panel Head
Mrs. Kan Lam Wai Yi
Native English-speaking Teacher
Mrs. Frances Sweetman
Teachers
Mrs. Chan Wong King Shan
Mrs. Koo Kho Rebecca
Mr. Lau Hiu Long Francis
Mr. Leung Lok Yin
Miss Lee Yuk Yi
Mrs. Poon Tse Ka Yuk Carrie
Mrs. Pun Cheung Yee Shan
Mrs. Wong Chan Mei Kun May
Miss Wu Ka Wai Peggy
Academic Activities
- English Themed weeks
- Information Day- Game Stalls in the English Room
- Story-sharing Corner
- Inter-house English Debating Contest
- English Room
English Themed Weeks
Two times a year, the English Ambassadors organize a themed week with a range of related activities echoing the specific theme.
Over the years, we have had English December, Musical Week, Disney Heroes Week and Travels Week in addition to the weeks celebrating Magic and Adventures.
During the Week, there is usually an English Carnival in which various game stalls are staged for students to have a fun English time and redeem little gifts during English Friday lunch hour. On more literary themes, we also stage the Oral Showcase in which students from different forms deliver multiple spoken pieces of the theme, ranging from poem recitals, dramatic duologue, interpretive reading to speech deliveries. The performers often wow the audience with their articulation in words and thoughts, as well as their love in literary pieces. The multiple Oral Showcases we have held have indeed added spice to our English Fridays and infused English literary appreciation to our campus.
For movie goers and book lovers, the Movie Appreciation and Book Exhibition in the themed weeks are a must-visit. Students enjoy the free popcorn provided in the former during lunch hour in the English Room, and cannot help flipping the featured titles in the latter. The two events indeed motivate students to explore more titles in the school library as well.
Musical Week
Travels Week

Story-sharing Corner
The Story-sharing Corner is a well-established function organized by the English Department. It is organized about 15 times over the year for primarily S1 and S2 students, who share their books with seniors from S3 and above. Students’ enthusiasm for sharing is always tremendous. The senior form student helpers also enjoy acting as “student-teachers” listening to their schoolmates’ story sharing. The activity enhances both students’ oral and listening skills and promotes peer support.
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Story sharing promotes both peer support and self-learning |
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Students enjoy sharing their favourite stories with helpers |
Inter-house English Debating Contest
The Inter-house English Debating Contest is an annual event for eloquent speakers across all forms to meet and challenge each other on a range of local issues. Non-debating-team members often treasure this chance to sharpen and showcase their debating skills. The preliminary round winners fought for the championship in the open area to make an eloquent English Friday.
English Room
Thanks to the very generous donation from our alumnus, Mr. Joshua Cheung, our English Room got newly furnished and relocated. A lot of thought has been put into the hardware and overall design of the room to maximize its functionality and versatility.
The colourful tables encourage group work and discussion in classroom learning in both oral and enrichment classes in junior forms. With them folded, a mere classroom is easily turned into an activity room for a range of English events, such as debating, drama, movie appreciation, English Carnival, public speaking, storytelling, book exhibition and so on, especially when armed with a platform. Meanwhile, the sofa, I.T. bar as well as the board games shipped from overseas all add a touch of chill and infuse fun into the Room, which is particularly welcoming for our Weekly Opening. The Room also successfully creates a language-rich environment with English posters, magazines and students’ works posted all around.
We expressed our heartfelt gratitude for such kind donation and dedication from the donor and all teachers and students involved in the Opening Ceremony in November.
![]() At the Grand Opening with the project donor, Mr. Joshua Cheung, our Principal, Vice-principal, English Ambassadors and English debaters and English subject leaders. |
![]() The Chairlady of the English Ambassadors (2016), 5D Enoch Wong, gave a thank-you speech in the Grand Opening of the English Room. |
![]() Students enjoying English board games at the Weekly Opening. |
Outstanding Achievements
English Drama Team
Three S4 drama students and our advisor Mrs. May Wong were invited by the NET Section of the Education Bureau to share their experience of joining ‘Speak Up – Act Out! Improvised Drama Competition’ at the Competition Briefing Session in October, 2019.


English Debating Team
The English Debating Team has continued its keen participation in a vast variety of inter-school English debating contests and reaped good results in 2018-2019. What is more uplifting this year is that our debaters do not only triumph as a team, but also rise as eloquent speakers with much confidence and individuality which earns them multiple Top Speaker awards in various major debating tournaments.
I.17th Senior Debating Championships, May 2019
Our Team has gradually made it a custom in recent years to take part in tournaments of more advanced levels, such as those adopting the World Schools Debating style, in addition to the locally-familiar Asia-Australia one. The bi-yearly Senior Debating Championships is a case in point.
Our Team shone in the preliminary rounds in the captioned tournament, thereby qualifying as one of the Top 8 teams with other international schools and legacy schools. The debaters were 6B David Tse, 5A June Kan, 5B Isaac Lee, 3B Celina Deng, 3C Grace Ho and 3D Serena Cheng.
The most thrilling part of all is that we are the only team having more than one debater recognized as Top Ten Speakers. Among over 130 top-notch senior debaters, 6B David Tse was named the 6th Top Speaker, and our new Captain, 3B Celina Deng, though being technically a junior, was even recognized as the 2nd Top Speaker. Well done indeed.

II.17th Junior Debating Championships, February 2019
Sending two full teams of juniors for the first time, thanks to our expansion in recent years, to the captioned tournament of the simplified format of World Schools debating style, our Team has performed satisfactorily. The debaters were 3B Celina Deng, 3C Grace Ho, 3C Ryan So, 3D Serena Cheng, 3D Bianca Wong, 2A Kary Tang, 2A Michelle Mak, 2B Fiona Chen, 2D Cutler Ocean Leeanne and 2D Kennis Cheung.
Our new Captain, 3B Celina Deng, was even named the 5th Top Speaker, which is an encouragement not only to herself, but also to her younger fellows.

III.Maryknoll Convent School (Secondary Section) Invitational Debating Tournament 2019
We made our debut in the captioned invitational tournament for selected schools and made an impression by getting the second runner-up. Our debaters were 3D Bianca Wong, 3C Nemo Yu and 2B Fiona Chen.
The performance of 3D Bianca Wong was particularly remarkable, earning her the Top 5 Speaker award.

Useful Links
ESL Helper Center
Guide to Grammar and Writing
http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/
Online English Grammar Resources
Representative Poetry Online
http://rpo.library.utoronto.ca/
Twentieth-century Poetry in English
http://www.lit.kobe-u.ac.jp/~hishika/20c_poet.htm/
Short Stories
http://learnenglishkids.britishcouncil.org/en/short-stories
100 Great Short Stories