A case study of the potentials of SGC-based curricula

This paper examines, through a case study, how the Specification of Generic (Foundation) Competencies – English (SGC-Eng) provides clear and objective standards for developing language curricula. A suite of 30 in-service English certificate programmes using 18 Units of Competency (UoCs) were launched for various industry sectors in the Vocational English Enhancement Programme1 (VEEP) from 2012 to 2015. It offers a unique experience and the best opportunity to study the value of the SGC-Eng in organizing and delivering vocational English modules. Descriptive accounts and documentation on the VEEP were analysed to shed light on the potentials and inadequacies of the SGC-Eng. They revealed very significant strengths in customizing programmes to suit different target learners; allowing multiple articulation pathways to higher levels or across different skills and UoCs; compartmentalizing learning to bite sizes; and offering a model of common currency for language learning courses across the territory. They also pointed out certain inadequacies of the programme which could be attributed to some inherent characteristics of the SGC-Eng

Event-based Learning: A Case Study on Language Support for WorldSkills Competitors

Event-based learning (EBL) is viewed as an extension of the task-based approach, with ‘much of the task preparation done in the classroom’ and ‘some sort of main event or performance open to the public’ (Higginbotham, 2009). It is the need to prepare for the final event that ‘sparks interest in the language’ and provides ‘positive pressure’ that makes EBL tasks ‘more intrinsically motivating’ for learners. EBL also refers to ‘learning that takes place in Response to planned events in real-life contexts’ (Queensland Curriculum & Assessment Authority, 2018). Immersion takes place when learners are involved in environments where they can only use a target language in a (series of) learning event(s). It usually takes place where the language is spoken as a native tongue or a lingua franca. This provides an immediate and immense need for learning. MacIntyre, Baker & Clément (2001) comment on learners’ willingness to communicate after taking part in immersion programmes. This paper covers a less-explored area of producing event-based language learning material through the experience of developing a 21-hr preparatory language programme for a group of about 60 Hong Kong learners shortlisted for the WorldSkills Competitions 2017 in Abu Dhabi. Non-credit-bearing and unassessed, the programme featured a lot of flexibility in terms of design and delivery. The paper offers a descriptive account of how materials were produced to attain utmost interactivity, learner-centeredness and be fun-driven to ready learners for optimal immersive learning experience. Results of the Student Feedback Questionnaires show that the programme was well-received by the learners. From background research and interviews of former competitors to drafting of the Scheme of Work and the Teaching & Learning Package and to the administration of quality assurance measures, such documentary evidence may bring new insights to curriculum developers on EBL as well as Content-based Second Language Acquisition, Content and Language Integrated Learning, and English for Special Purposes

Integrating Corporate Social Media Communication into the English Language Curricula

The rise of social media has affected how people do business and communicate. Companies interact with potential customers, share offers and promote sales, tracking instant Responses on the internet. Exploring how they do them with language can enable meaningful changes in the vocational English language curricula. This study gives a descriptive analysis of 500 selected corporate FaceBook (FB) threads collected from the 100 Best Global Brands in 2017. It delivers a sizable collection of corporate FB posts categorised according to industry, business topics, language functions, etc. For contextual analysis, the three parameters ‘Field’, ‘Tenor’ and ‘Mode’ based on the Hallidayan framework (Halliday and Hasan, 1985) are used while the Language Analysis Framework for Writing (California Department of Education, 2015) is adopted for the analysis of language characteristics. The findings reveal that a range of communication strategies, remarkably different from those in traditional business communication, are employed by corporates to boost FB traffic, achieve succinctness and innovation and build brand images. The study is significant to vocational and professional education and training as it facilitates close reference to exemplary authentic language materials of the best global brands. The unique characteristics of social media like spontaneity, interactivity and openness will also shed light on a new variety of topics, content and styles for vocational English training. The versatile nature of social media also makes the study a good stepping stone for any further joint research on content and language integrated learning (CLIL)

mRNA (BNT162b2) COVID-19 vaccination increased risk of Bell’s palsy: a nested case control and self-controlled case series study

BACKGROUND: Observable symptoms of Bell’s palsy following vaccinations may arouse concern over the safety profiles of novel COVID-19 vaccines in the general public. However, there are only a few studies on Bell’s palsy following mRNA COVID-19 vaccination with inconclusive findings. This study aimed to update the previous analysis on the risk of Bell’s palsy following mRNA (BNT162b2) COVID-19 vaccination. METHODS: This study included cases aged ≥16-years-old with a new diagnosis of Bell’s palsy within 28 days after BNT162b2 vaccinations from the population-based electronic health records in Hong Kong, using a nested case-control and self-controlled case series (SCCS) analyses were employed. The association between Bell’s palsy and BNT162b2 was evaluated using conditional logistic and Poisson regression in nested case-control and SCCS analysis, respectively. RESULTS: A total of 54 individuals were newly diagnosed with Bell’s palsy after BNT162b2 vaccinations. The incidence of Bell’s palsy was 1.58 (95% CI:1.19-2.07) per 100,000 doses administered. The nested case-control analysis showed significant association between BNT162b2 vaccinations and Bell’s palsy (Adjusted OR: 1.543, 95%CI:1.123 - 2.121), with up to 1.112 excess events per 100,000 people receiving two doses of BNT162b2. An increased risk of Bell’s palsy was observed during the first 14 days after the second dose of BNT162b2 in both nested case-control (Adjusted OR: 2.325, 95%CI:1.414 – 3.821) and SCCS analysis (Adjusted IRR=2.44, 95%CI:1.32-4.50). CONCLUSION: There is an overall increased risk of Bell’s palsy following BNT162b2 vaccination, particularly within the first 14 days after the second dose, but the absolute risk was very low