Entering a New Chapter in Life
- 2023
- Alumni/Student Stories
- Faculty of Humanities
Ms Law Wing Yan, Graduate of Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Teaching Chinese as a Second Language in 2022
The motivation for choosing to study the Teaching Chinese as a Second Language programme was an interest in its potential. BA(TCSL) is the first bachelor's degree programme in second language teaching in Chinese in Hong Kong, which is very precious. Perhaps many people, like me before, don't even know what second language teaching is. In fact, it is about teaching non-Chinese speaking (NCS) students as the main target. Although the number of NCS students in Hong Kong is increasing, there is a shortage of professional NCS teachers. Therefore, this may be a good opportunity to enter the education industry. Eventually, I found out my guess was correct—many schools are recruiting NCS teachers. This degree has become an important qualification in my job application.
In the past, many people believed that local and NCS students could use the same Chinese teaching methods, which made it difficult for NCS students to learn Chinese. The teaching methods and theories between the two are different. This is also important knowledge I have learned in BA(TCSL). The courses equip me with the knowledge of classroom organisation, curriculum development, teaching material design, and language assessment, so that I can become a professional second language teacher. In addition, the programme also covers knowledge about Chinese language, literature, and culture, so that I can also teach Chinese to local students.
The programme also provided an internship at Beijing Language and Culture University, which allowed me to experience teaching in front of the whole class. It was also my first time to teach foreigners, which was very unforgettable. This internship experience surprised many school interviewers during my job application!
Many students will choose to study for the Postgraduate Diploma in Teacher Education (PGDE) after graduation, but I chose to work first. Now, I am a full-time primary school Chinese teacher. I teach Chinese to both local students and non-Chinese speaking students. I have successfully achieved my dream and get satisfaction every day. I am very grateful for the opportunities that BA(TCSL) gave me.
Teaching in a primary school
