CAES Annual Report 2019-2020

CAES ANNUAL REPORT 2019 – 2020 17 16 Specially Funded English Courses In line with CAES’s mission to support English enhancement needs of university staff and taught postgraduate (TPG) programmes, Specially Funded English Courses (SFEC) offer workplace and academic English workshops to meet these needs. All lessons are conducted as small group tutorials using tailor- made materials designed to cater to targeted learners’ workplaces or discipline-specific interests. Despite the teaching and learning challenges that arose during the 2019-2020 academic year, learner feedback across courses that took place saw either sustained or improved satisfaction ratings, which is due entirely to teachers’ and students’ commitment to quality teaching and learning. Since 2008, the Centre has collaboratedwith the HKU Registry to improve the English skills of the university’s administrative staff. These courses cover various aspects of workplace communication: grammar, speaking, telephone, email, writing andmeeting skills. Collaborationswere arrangedwith university divisions to provide English training in specialized contexts and for identified groups’ language and communication needs. In 2019-2020, we offered courses to 65 non-academic HKU staff. In general, staff members preferred workplace English classes to be conducted as regular face-to-face lessons. Due to COVID-19, many planned courses were postponed to a later time when regular courses can be held face-to-face. The Centre has designed a number of courses based on faculties’ requests for Academic English support to meet their undergraduate and taught postgraduate students’ language needs. Courses are currently offered to the following departments and faculties: Arts, Computer Science, Dentistry, Education, Mechanical Engineering, Medicine, and Social Sciences. In 2019-2020, we offered courses to 126 undergraduate and 1,230 postgraduate students to improve their skills in dissertation writing, use of specialized vocabulary and professional presentations. Many lessons in the second and summer semesters were conducted online (via Zoom and Moodle). Workplace English for HKU non-academic staff Academic English courses and workshops The following are SFEC designed courses that provide tailor-made writing instruction and support: · Introduction to Dissertation Writing for Final Year Students of Speech and Hearing Sciences · Medical/ Dental Terminology Workshop · Academic English and Writing Skills Workshop for MA (TESOL) · Academic Writing Course for Master of Education · Academic Writing Plenary (Plagiarism and Referencing skills) · Academic Writing Workshop for Faculty of Social Sciences: MSocSc in Behavioral Health and MSocSc in Expressive Arts Therapy · Academic Writing Workshop for Master of Social Sciences in Nonprofit Management (MNPM) · Dissertation Writing for Master of Dental Surgery and Master of Science – An Induction Course · Dissertation Writing for Medical Sciences – An Induction Course · Dissertation Writing for MSc Computer Science · EEDD Thesis Writing Workshop · Essay Writing Workshop for MA in English Studies · Introduction to Dissertation Writing for MSc (Eng) in Mechanical Engineering · Language Accuracy and Presentation Skills Workshop for MSc Computer Science · Presentation Skills Workshop for MSc Computer Science SFEC curricula and lessons have been well-received among staff, faculties and students. Many courses have received positive feedback on course relevance and teaching quality, with high satisfaction ratings for effective and interactive delivery, materials’ relevance and student engagement. At taught postgraduate level At undergraduate level