LAC:

What is it?
Why is it
important?
How can it be
implemented?
Dr Angel LIN

Associate Professor &

Associate Dean (Learning and
Teaching)
Faculty of Education
The University of Hong Kong

Developed by Dr. Angel Lin and Miss Tracy

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Today’s outline

• Getting to know me, you and the topic

• What is LAC?
• Why is it important?
• How can it be implemented?

Developed by Dr. Angel Lin and Miss Tracy

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 Let’s get to
know each
other more…

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“Green card, or red card?”

• Let’s play a game.

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(1) What is my Chinese name?

練霓裳 練美兒

Too easy??

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(2) What does “ELA” mean?

English Extended
Learning Learning
Activity Activity

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(3) What does “CLIL” mean?

Continuity Content
and and
Longevity Language
In Integrated
Learning Learning

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Well done!

Allow me to get
to know more
about you.

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(4) Raise your card if…

Your school has Your school has

implemented new continued with the
MOI arrangements. previous MOI
(e.g. EMI in some or arrangements.
all subjects, 2 EMI
classes, ELA
activities, etc.)

Developed by Dr. Angel Lin and Miss Tracy

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(5) Raise your card if…

you think using you think using

English as a medium English as a medium
of instruction is of instruction is not
beneficial to your that beneficial to
students. your students.

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(6) Raise your card if…

you think knowing you think knowing

more about LAC can more about LAC can
help you use English not help you use
to teach. English to teach.

Developed by Dr. Angel Lin and Miss Tracy

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(7) Raise your card if…

you think you think

collaboration collaboration
between language between language
and content subject and content subject
teachers is teachers is not
important. important.
Thanks for letting me know.

Developed by Dr. Angel Lin and Miss Tracy

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 So… What is
LAC?
(and the new
MOI
arrangements…)

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Background

• In June 2009 , the Hong Kong Government

announced that the arrangements for fine-
tuning the medium of instruction (MOI) for
secondary schools would be implemented
with effect from the 2010/11 school year
(Education Bureau Circular No. 9, June
2009).

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Background

• Schools will provide students with diversified

MOI arrangements, starting with Secondary
One (S1) level and progressing each year to a
higher form at junior secondary levels.
• The diversified MOI arrangements are
exemplified with three general models
provided in the policy document: “Enriching
our Language Environment—Realizing Our
Vision: Fine-tuning of Medium of Instruction
for Secondary Schools” (released by the Hong
Kong Education Bureau in April 2010).

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Possible MOI arrangements of Schools under
the Fine-tuning

• CMI/ EMI for all subjects for all the classes

• CMI/ EMI for all subjects by class/ group
• CMI/ EMI by subject for all the classes/
some classes/ some groups
• CMI for all the subjects with ELA in some
subjects

Developed by Dr. Angel Lin and Miss Tracy

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Which arrangement is more popular
among schools?
CMI/ EMI by subject for CMI for all the subjects
all the classes/ some with ELA in some
classes/ some groups subjects

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In reality…

Developed by Dr. Angel Lin and Miss Tracy

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What is Language Across the Curriculum?

• Language Across the Curriculum (LAC) is

about enhancing both academic language
awareness and academic content awareness.

Language Across
the Curriculum = Academic
Language
Awareness + Academic
Content
Awareness

Developed by Dr. Angel Lin and Miss Tracy 19

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LAC and you?
Academic Language Across Academic
Language
Awareness
the Curriculum Content
Awareness

Language- Content-
aware aware
Content teachers Language teachers

Developed by Dr. Angel Lin and Miss Tracy 20

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 Why is LAC
important?

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 (Willis, J. 1996. A framework for task-based learning. Longman.)

Four key conditions for successful language

learning

• Exposure
• Use
• Motivation
• Formal instruction

Present Absent

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 Courtesy: Dr. Anthony K. K. Tong (2011)

Luke and Richards (1982) English in Hong

Kong: functions and status

• Hong Kong was once described as a

Diglossia without bilingualism.
• Now Triglossia without trilingualism?
• The Bottom line is: English is not a necessity
to access all the key social facilities in HK.

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The fine-tuning of MOI initiative

• The initiative can be regarded as an

opportunities to enhance the learning of
English in Hong Kong if we can make
adjustment in our schools to enhance
– Learners’ Exposure to English
– Learners’ Opportunities to Use English
– Learners’ Motivation to learn and use
English

Developed by Dr. Angel Lin and Miss Tracy

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Reading for everyday life and reading for school subjects:
different kinds, different purposes, different ways

• Everyday English is different from academic English

– E.g., Everyday text-types are different from academic text-
types
• Differences • Similarity
– Contexts – Both are important
– Text-types to the language and
– Academic functions cognitive
development of our
– Sentence patterns students
& vocabulary

It is vital to help our students to develop skills and

strategies to tackle everyday texts and academic texts
progressively across different disciplines.
Developed by Dr. Angel Lin and Miss Tracy
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 How can LAC
be
implemented?

Developed by Dr. Angel Lin and Miss Tracy

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Have you visited this new ramen shop in
Hong Kong?

They are different yet the same!

It’s a matter of
decision-making
and arrangements.

Developed by Dr. Angel Lin and Miss Tracy

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Inverted Pyramid to MOI fine-tuning
policy
Decision-making and arrangement at different levels:
Whole School Approach to LAC

MOI Arrangements

Curriculum Design

Selection of Subjects

Balancing Content and Language Objectives

Pedagogical Tasks

Developed by Dr. Angel Lin and Miss Tracy

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 In order for you to make
better decisions and
arrangements, you have to
take a short LAC crash
course! (or “Why
understanding Academic
language is important”.)
Developed by Dr. Angel Lin and Miss Tracy
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Activity 1: “Genre Egg” – Language Awareness
A Functional View of Language in Context (Adapted from Rose, 2005)

Top down?
Curriculum context

Academic text-types (genres)

Academic functions

Sentence
patterns

Academic
vocabulary
Developed by Dr. Angel Lin and Miss Tracy
Bottom-up? 30
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Learning academic vocabulary
In a teacher’s eyes:
Glossary list

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Learning academic vocabulary

In a student’s eyes
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Activity 2: Prefix, Suffix
and Word Formation
• Look at the
following words.
Answer the
following questions.

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Activity 2: Prefix, Suffix and Word
Formation
four (4)
1. The prefix “quad” means _______________.

four (4)
2. The prefix “tetra” means _______________.

five (5)
3. The prefix “penta-“ means _______________.

many
4. The prefix “poly-“ means _______________.

ten (10)
5. The prefix “deca-“ means _______________.
How are these prefixes and suffixes related
to students using English to learn?
Developed by Dr. Angel Lin and Miss Tracy
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 (Source: http://www.victoria.ac.nz/lals/resources/academicwordlist/)

The Academic Word List (Coxhead, 2000):

570 high-utility academic word families

Developed by Dr. Angel Lin and Miss Tracy

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Activity 3: Nouns? Verbs?
Nominalization? For example…

Preservatives are additives that help maintain

freshness and quality.
They protect food from spoilage caused by
mold, bacteria, and yeast; and from flavor and
color changes due to exposure to oxygen.
By law, manufacturers must list all
Why would food
preservatives usedturn bad? That’s
together with the amounts
because
on mold, bacteria
the ingredients part of and theyeast label. willWe often
spoilthe
find ournames
food. And also the
of sodium oxygen
nitrate andinsodium
the air willonchange
benzoate theproduct
the food flavor and color
labels.
of our food. It will make our food dark
and smelly. Developed by Dr. Angel Lin and Miss Tracy
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 Read the following sentences. Recognize
Activity 3: Nouns?any
Verbs?
Conversational Style Sentences, and
Nominalization? Academic Style Sentences. Then, rewrite
these sentences into their counter parts.
(1) Mold, yeast and bacterial will spoil our food. Conversational
Style Sentences
Food preservatives are added to prevent food spoilage.

Academic Style
(2) Food preservatives are used to maintain the freshness Sentences
of food.
We add food preservatives to keep our food fresh.

(3) To be healthy and fit, we should have a balanced diet. Conversational

Style Sentences
A balanced diet will enhance health and fitness.

(4) Many modern artists employ computers in their work. Conversational

These machines enable the artist to be more creative. Style Sentences
The modern artists’ use of computers in their work increases
their creativity. Developed by Dr. Angel Lin and Miss Tracy
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 Courtesy: Dr. Lo Yuen Yi (2012)

Learning grammar & sentence patterns

Academic texts are highly complex and the information are

condensed:
Nominalization
e.g. A) The destruction of rainforests causes a
great loss of resources to humanity and science.
(from Liberal Studies)

e.g. A) His farsighted acts in accepting the Truce

of Villafranca, in stopping Garibaldi from
marching on to Rome, and in allying with Bismarck
made the unification movement possible. (from
History)

VS
c) My name’s Mabel. I have lots of friends. We like
reading magazines. (from English)

Developed by Dr. Angel Lin and Miss Tracy

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 Explicit Modelling of contrastive analysis of L2 academic
language and corresponding L1 academic language

• Step 1: unpacking: X is Y
– Waste gases released by motor vehicles, power stations and factories (X) are
the main sources of air pollution in Hong Kong (Y).
– 由汽車、發電廠和工廠釋放的廢氣 (X) 是香港空氣污染的主要源頭 (Y)。

• Step 2: unpacking X
– Waste gases released by motor vehicles, power stations and factories…
– 由汽車、發電廠和工廠釋放的廢氣…

• Step 3: unpacking Y
– …. the main sources of air pollution in Hong Kong
– ….香港空氣污染的主要源頭

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12/12/2012 Cheung © 2012. All Rights Reserved. 39
 (taken from Longman New Senior Liberal Studies: The Environment and Sustainable Development)

Activity 4: Interpreting and describing

data
• Read the following information and answer
the questions:
• (1) Analyse the data and account for the
changes in air quality.

• (2) Can you underline the words that you

used to describe the data?

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 (taken from Longman New Senior Liberal Studies: The Environment and Sustainable Development)

Activity 4: Interpreting and describing

data For example…

•reflect
•was worse than that in
•has significantly increased by
•slightly increased by

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Academic functions: Describing data

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 (source: English for Science, p. 22)

An example of Academic functions:

Comparing

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 (source: English for Science, p. 85)

An example of Academic functions:

Exemplifying

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Activity 5: Text-types in language and
content subjects Look at the two pages. Identify the text
types and the topics.

Story (narrative) Description texts (Info Rpt)

3 little pigs and Animal homes
the big bad wolf Developed by Dr. Angel Lin and Miss Tracy
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Activity 5: Text-types in language and
content subjects For example…
THEME: Integrated Science: Electric current(S3)
Text-types in language Text-types in content
subjects subjects
Information
Autobiography report
(compositional)

Pair up with a language / content teacher.

Using the graphic organizer below, choose a
theme, and think of some possible text-types
that you can use to teach the content.

Developed by Dr. Angel Lin and Miss Tracy

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Some common text-types in language and content
subjects

Text types commonly found in Text types commonly found in

language subjects content subjects
Email Information report
Poem Laboratory report
Story Essay
News article Historical recount
Essay Manuals
Recipe Explanations on sequence and
Argumentative essay process
Letter to the editor Explanations on cause and
Advertisement effect
Proposal Discussion
Argumentative essay

Developed by Dr. Angel Lin and Miss Tracy 47

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 Mapping your school’s LAC plans
EMI classes

Content-rich Language-
language rich content
lessons lessons

Developed by Dr. Angel Lin and Miss Tracy

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ELA classes
 So… how can
LAC be
implemented?

Developed by Dr. Angel Lin and Miss Tracy

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Possible MOI arrangements of Schools under
the Fine-tuning

• CMI/ EMI for all subjects for all the classes

• CMI/ EMI for all subjects by class/ group
• CMI/ EMI by subject for all the classes/
some classes/ some groups
• CMI for all the subjects with Extended
Learning Activities in some subjects

Developed by Dr. Angel Lin and Miss Tracy

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 Curriculum context

Possible LAC models

Academic text-types:

Academic functions

Sentence

• (1) Theme-based units (e.g., a common theme

patterns

Academic
vocabulary

used in English and other content subjects)

• (2) Teaching generic academic study skills
(e.g., generic academic vocabulary & language
structures, mind-mapping, use of graphic
organizers, tabling & graph plotting skills, data
description skills)
• (3) Intensive LAC units

Developed by Dr. Angel Lin and Miss Tracy

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Possible ELA models
1. As cross-curricular English enrichment activities
2. As an EMI supplement to CMI content teaching
3. As a vocabulary teaching focus related to content
lessons
4. As additional individual modules/ themes
5. As certain subject content teaching units
6. As bridging programmes
Others …
(Source:
http://www.edb.gov.hk/FileManager/EN/Content_1914/executive%20summary%20of%20final
%20report%20_eng_%20print.pdf)
Developed by Dr. Angel Lin and Miss Tracy
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For example:
LAC at ‘curriculum-material-support level’
Formal School Curriculum

Language Content subjects

Science History Geography
English
Maths Liberal Studies Social Studies
Subject content teachers prepare
Integrated
EPA
teaching/assignment/assessment
Humanities
materials for content subjects

Issues to highlight:
• Easy to arrange, but
• Heavy workload laid on language teachers

Developed by Dr. Angel Lin and Miss Tracy

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For example:
LAC at ‘demo-teaching level’

Formal School Curriculum

Language Content subjects

Science History Geography
English
English Teachers teaching the Content Subject teachers
Maths
Content Subjects Liberal Studies
observing the Social
ContentStudies
Subjects
Integrated
EPA
Humanities
Issues to highlight:
•Language teachers can understand the difficulties of using EMI in content
subject classrooms
•Content subject teachers can understand how language teachers teach
•Need adjustment in timetabling; English teachers have difficulties teaching
content subjects

Developed by Dr. Angel Lin and Miss Tracy

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For example:
A ‘full LAC course’
Formal School Curriculum

Language Content subjects

Science History Geography
English
Maths Liberal Studies Social Studies
Centralized LAC Committee
Integrated
1.Subject experts EPA
and frontline teachers
Humanities
2.Language and curriculum experts
Issues to highlight:
• A coherent, continuous, sustainable and transferable LAC
practice/course
• Cater for professional development
• More time and human resource investment involved
• Need to build leadership, consensus and teamwork
Developed by Dr. Angel Lin and Miss Tracy
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For example:
LAC at ‘vocabulary level’

Formal School Curriculum

Phonics / vocabulary log

Language Content subjects
Science History Geography
English
Maths Liberal Studies Social Studies

Integrated
EPA
Humanities

Issues to highlight:
• Easy to arrange (common in bridging programmes)
• Good for teaching syllabication and spelling
• Learning English through glossaries
• Limited impact

Developed by Dr. Angel Lin and Miss Tracy

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For example:
LAC at ‘project level’
Formal School Curriculum

Language Content subjects

Science History Geography
English
Maths Liberal Studies Social Studies
Identify common themes Integrated
between English & Content
EPA
Subjects: e.g. Green Living
Humanities

Issues to highlight:
• Easy to arrange
• Moderate level of collaboration

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“Time to say
goodbye and
move
forward…”

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 (adapted from Dr. David Bunton, Seminar, 19 November 2012)

Possible success factors

(1) Attitudes towards EMI
(2) Willingness to be language-aware
and content-aware
(1) Language ability (both Chinese as well (3) Skills in helping students to learn the
as English) language of the subjects (e.g
(2) Willingness language of science / language of
(3) Motivation history etc.)
(4) Own English proficiency

(1) A language-rich context

(2) An encouraging atmosphere readiness to have their child learn in the
(3) Collaboration between different language will benefit their child’s learning
departments / teachers best
(4) Provide PD and support to teachers

Developed by Dr. Angel Lin and Miss Tracy

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To foster collaborations:
Building a common language

Metalanguage LAC Understanding

(i.e. the language Awareness
for talking about
language)

To teach or not to teach English,

that is the question.

Developed by Dr. Angel Lin and Miss

Tracy Cheung © 2012. All Rights 60
Reserved.
Language Support for Learning Content in
English

Students with a variety of language

proficiencies
 Learners learning content in their
first language
 Proficient ELLs
 ELLs with limited proficiency

Language- Content-
aware aware
Language
Content
teachers
teachers

Developed by Dr. Angel Lin and Miss Tracy

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Overall LAC Planning
framework

Administration

“The Genre Egg”

Science
Maths

Academic
PSHE Language Focus
( & support)

Content Subjects
& Pedagogy
Developed by Dr. Angel Lin and Miss Tracy Cheung © 2012. All Rights 62
Reserved.
A concluding remark

Only learning words in a

glossary is not necessarily Sharing content texts
helpful (as words need to be between Content &
learnt in context) LanguageTeachers

Whole School Approach to LAC Curriculum Context

MOI Arrangements
Academic text-types
Curriculum Design

An inverted pyramid
Learning
Academicin context
functions
framework
Selection of Subjects

Balancing Content and Language Objectives

Sentence
Pedagogical Tasks
patterns

Academic
vocabulary

Developed by Dr. Angel Lin and Miss Tracy

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Recap: “Genre Egg” – Language Awareness

Top down?
Curriculum context

Academic text-types (genres)

Academic functions

Sentence
patterns

Academic
vocabulary
Developed by Dr. Angel Lin and Miss Tracy
Bottom-up? 64
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Developed by Dr. Angel Lin and Miss Tracy
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Questions that are worth exploring

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Copyrighted materials not owned by the authors have been
taken out.

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