British Council launches new Parent Plus course
Boosting parents’ knowledge to develop children’s English language skills
Primary Plus courses develop children’s confidence in learning English and help them gain life skills
22 June 2016 (HONG KONG) – Parents not only need to help identify the right English courses for their children, but they also have to strengthen their own knowledge and skills in order to boost their children’s learning. The British Council will launch its new Parent Plus* course for parents, relatives and guardians in Hong Kong – a first within the British Council’s worldwide network. This course aims to help parents to develop children’s English language skills outside classrooms. Additionally, our popular Primary Plus courses will commence in the new term in September, building up children’s confidence in learning English and equipping them with various life skills.
Tailored for parents of primary school students, the new Parent Plus course will offer age-appropriate materials that match children’s development stages. It covers four areas of learning: writing, speaking, reading and listening. Through this course, parents will be more informed of their children’s learning progress in order to help build up their confidence, develop their speaking skills for different purposes, and learn the rules of grammar in context and strategies for dealing with new vocabulary. Participants will learn foundations of writing and strategies helping their children write at greater length and with greater complexity using dictionaries and word banks. For speaking, parents will learn the basics of spoken language production and common areas of difficulty, pronunciation, grammar, word order and vocabulary in order to develop children’s speaking skills. They will also learn how to choose reading materials for their children and strategies for exploiting texts, decoding, scanning, summarising and reviewing. For listening, parents will learn how to choose materials to practise the skill and develop awareness of intonation and underlying meaning.
Primary Plus courses have been popular among parents and children since their launch. Designed by British Council experts with reference to the local school curriculum, Primary Plus is a six-level series of courses, module-based with age-appropriate themes and topics that match with child development stages. Children learn English skills and essential life skills: creativity and imagination, leadership and personal development, citizenship, critical thinking and problem solving, digital literacy, and collaboration and communication. Taking the example of a P5 course module, Making a Difference, students develop leadership skills during class discussions and a sense of citizenship while creating posters, planning and giving short presentations about an invention that can help the environment. All new students can receive a free Primary Plus folder and school bag.
The British Council also offers a variety of English courses for playgroup, kindergarten, primary and secondary school students in the coming September term. Followed the International Primary Curriculum Early Years, Kindergarten Regular English Courses have been revamped to prepare K1– K3 children for being in an English classroom on their own and train them to become independent learners. Moreover, the courses develop children’s creativity and skills including fine and motor skills. Children will enjoy learning the language and be keen to explore it more. In addition to Secondary Regular English Courses for S1 – S4 students, the British Council will offer a series of DSE Exam preparation and foundation courses for S5 and S6 students. They can choose the right course for them according to their competencies and needs. English courses for S1-S2 students use a topic-based approach to make grammar and vocabulary memorable, build students’ confidence and prepare well for DSE Exam. English courses for S3 – S6 students focus on developing their exam skills and strategies. Students will also do regular exam practice and receive individualised feedback that will help boost their score. Other English courses include Phonics, Phonics for Parents, Cambridge Exam Preparation Courses K2-S2 and IELTS Exam Preparation Courses (Academic module). For details, please visit: https://www.britishcouncil.hk/en/english
The British Council is pleased to announce the opening of another new English language centre in Tsuen Wan in September to provide primary and secondary English courses to serve students in the area Currently, the British Council has a total of nine English language centres located on Hong Kong Island, in Kowloon and in the New Territories, offering playgroup, kindergarten, primary and secondary English courses. For details, please visit: https://www.britishcouncil.hk/en/english/schools
*The course will be conducted in English. Participants need to take an English level test and achieve at least pre-intermediate level in order to take the course. Photo
Photo link: https://www.dropbox.com/s/ho91mar3nkqtqdi/British%20Council%20Sep%202016%20English%20courses_photos.zip?dl=0
British Council English Courses (2016-17)
Playgroup, Kindergarten, Primary
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Course
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Level
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No. of courses and course length
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Course fee
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Stay and Play
helps nurture and support the first steps of English learning in a safe and secure environment
provides valuable learning experiences through structured activities that develop physical, creative, personal, social and emotional skills along with language and communication
develops independence and confidence which will help prepare children for K1 classes.
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Children aged 1-3
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9 weeks, 13.5 hours (4 terms)
One 1.5-hour lesson per week
*Children must be accompanied by a parent or caregiver for the whole lesson to share in this learning opportunity.
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HK$4,500 (Mon to Fri) or HK$5,000 (Sat to Sun) per term
5% discount for registering for two terms in one transaction
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Kindergarten
Regular English Courses
K1 course
prepares children for being in an English classroom on their own
helps children express themselves effectively and builds confidence in the use of English
builds their creativity, personal, social, emotional, self-care, fine motor and reasoning skills.
K2 course
trains children to become independent learners
expands their vocabulary and knowledge of language structures
improves students’ handwriting skills
gives students practice in expressing themselves
teaches them to use letter sounds to read and introduces them to nouns, verbs and adjectives.
K3 course
trains children to become independent learners
expands their vocabulary and knowledge of language structures
works on sentence building and writing sentences
gives students practice in expressing themselves
introduces them to spelling patterns and teaches them the parts of speech.
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K1-K3
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19 weeks, 28.5 hours (September and February semesters)
One 1.5-hour lesson per week
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HK$5,600 (Mon to Fri) or HK$6,500 (Sat to Sun) per semester
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Kindergarten Phonics
KPS1 - KPS2
Learning the 42 letter sounds
Developing handwriting skills to prepare for letter formation
Blending consonants and vowels to prepare for reading aloud
Building awareness of tricky words.
KPS3
Practising multiple trigraphs and letter formation
Blending and segmenting longer words and words with more than one syllable
Reading, identifying and spelling tricky words
Building awareness of sentence structure
Reading for comprehension.
KPS4 - KPS6
Expanding spelling strategies
Furthering awareness of alternative spelling
Blending and segmenting longer words with alternative spellings
Developing writing skills to prepare for writing phrases and sentences and writing creatively
Reading for comprehension.
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K1 – K3
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18 weeks, 27 hours per semester (September and February semesters)
One 1.5 hour lesson per week
Each stage lasts for 2 semesters
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HK$8,300 (Mon to Thu) or HK$8,900 (Fri to Sun) per semester
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P1 Phonics
PS1 - PS2
Learning the 42 letter sounds and improving letter formation
Blending and segmenting consonant-vowel-consonant words and words with more than one syllable
Reading, identifying and spelling tricky words
Building sentence structure awareness
Reading for comprehension.
PS3 - PS4
Expanding spelling strategies
Building alternative spelling awareness
Blending and segmenting longer words with alternative spellings
Developing writing skills to prepare for writing phrases and sentences and writing creatively
Reading for comprehension.
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P1
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18 weeks, 27 hours per semester (September and February semesters)
One 1.5 hour lesson per week
Each stage lasts for 2 semesters
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HK$8,300 (Mon to Thu) or HK$8,900 (Fri to Sun) per semester
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Phonics for Parents
Module 1
what phonics is and how phonics helps your child learn reading and spelling
the four key skills of saying and recognising all the 42 sounds, blending, segmenting and letter formation
helping your children to practise pre-writing to writing skills
the corresponding International Phonetic Alphabet to extend your pronunciation skills.
Module 2
initial and ending consonant blends and blending two-syllable words
how to help your child identify, read and spell tricky words, and recognise alternative spellings
some common irregularities in English spelling
how to select phonics books and get free and useful phonics activities online.
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The course will be conducted in English. Participants need to take an English level test and achieve at least pre-intermediate level in order to take the course.
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2 modules per course
13.5 hours per module over 9 weeks
One 1.5-hour lesson per week
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HK$2,300 per module
5% discount for registering for two modules in one transaction
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Parent Plus＊New＊
Writing
foundations of writing – graphology, child development and structure
strategies to help your child write at greater length and with greater complexity using dictionaries and word banks.
Speaking
the basics of spoken language production, learning the International Phonetic Alphabet, using expressions appropriately and developing confidence
common areas of difficulty, pronunciation, grammar, word order and vocabulary.
Reading
how to choose reading materials for your child
strategies for exploiting texts, decoding, scanning, summarising and reviewing.
Listening
how to choose materials to practise listening for detail, key information and vocabulary building
developing awareness of intonation and underlying meaning.
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Parents of P1-P3
Parents of P4-P6
The course will be conducted in English. Participants need to take an English level test and achieve at least pre-intermediate level in order to take the course.
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9 weeks, 13.5 hours
One 1.5 hour lesson per week
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HK$2,300
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Primary Plus
a six-level course series which aims to develop young children’s confidence in communicating in English while considering the child’s development into a well-rounded individual
designed by British Council experts with reference to the local school curriculum
all courses are module-based with age-appropriate themes and topics that match with child development stages
children will learn English skills and other life skills through a variety of tasks and projects which improve their understanding and use of the language.
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P1- P6
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19 weeks, 28.5 hours (September and February semesters)
One 1.5 hour lesson per week
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Primary 1 to Primary 2
HK$5,800 (Mon to Thu) or HK$6,100 (Fri) or HK$6,700 (Sat to Sun) per semester
Primary 3 toPrimary 6
HK$5,000 (Mon to Thu) or HK$5,300 (Fri) or HK$5,800 (Sat to Sun) per semester
The course fee includes all course materials. All new students can receive a free Primary Plus folder and school bag.
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Cambridge Exam Preparation Courses
listening, speaking, reading and writing tasks integrated with specific exam techniques
exam-type tasks throughout with individualised feedback
tasks which use grammar and vocabulary relevant to the exam
exam tips.
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Success in Starters*
* Students may need to take an extra semester depending on their English level test results.
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K2 – P1
(The minimum
age is 4)
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18 weeks, 27 hours (September or February semester)
One 1.5-hour lesson per week
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HK$6,400 per semester
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Success in Movers
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P1 - P3
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HK$5,800 per semester
For entry requirements and special offers on Cambridge English examinations, please call our Customer Services staff on 2913 5100 for details.
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Secondary
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Secondary Regular English Courses
S1-S2
topic-based materials to present and develop grammar and vocabulary in everyday use
interactive, communicative activities that boost confidence and emphasise spoken fluency
guided practice of different types of writing with feedback
project work that activates and consolidates English learned in class and that develops collaborative learning skills
regular assessed speaking and writing tasks to encourage them to self-assess and reflect on their own learning.
S3-S4
students learn real English from our qualified, experienced teachers with native-speaker proficiency and receive personalised feedback on their individual performance and development
build their vocabulary, improve their grammar and become a more confident communicator
develop awareness of the question types likely to appear in their exams, such as the DSE or IELTS exams, and have practice in answering these
have lots of opportunities to discuss and present in small, friendly classes at their level
analyse interesting videos and texts specifically chosen for the Secondary courses syllabi.
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S1 –S4
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19 weeks, 38 hours (September and February semesters)
One 2-hour lesson per week
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HK$4,500 (Mon to Thu) or HK$4,900 (Friday) or HK$5,400 (Sat to Sun) per semester
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DSE Foundation Course S5
deal with common DSE exam topics in reading and listening texts
work on expanding their vocabulary and grammar
do SBA practice tasks
practise exam tasks for all papers of the exam.
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S5－Pre - intermediate
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19 weeks, 38 hours (September and February semesters)
One 2-hour lesson per week
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HK$4,900 (Mon to Fri) or HK$5,400 (Sat to Sun) per semester
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DSE Exam Preparation Courses S5
study a variety of SBA texts and videos including fiction and non-fiction, films and documentaries
develop their critical and imaginative response to texts
expand their language and skills on a range of topics
practise exam tasks for all papers of the exam.
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S5－Intermediate and Upper Intermediate
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DSE Foundation Course S6
reading and understanding texts on common exam topics
discussion tasks which prepare them to speak about a variety of topics
exam tasks for all papers with personal feedback on how to improve.
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S6 - Pre-intermediate
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19 weeks, 38 hours (September semester)
One 2-hour lesson per week
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HK$4,900 (Mon to Fri) or HK$5,400 (Sat to Sun)
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DSE Exam PreparationCourses S6
practise with a range of question and text types for all papers
analyse model answers and understand marking criteria
do regular exam practice and receive individualised feedback
understand how to maximise their marks in all areas of the exam.
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S6－Intermediate and Upper Intermediate
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IELTS Exam Preparation Courses (Academic module)
give students the confidence and skills required to get the result they need in the IELTS test
focus on different elements of the exam - listening, reading, writing and speaking. All of our IELTS courses offer exam techniques, helpful insights and individual feedback from our teachers.
Courses are for students aged 16 or above.
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IELTS Language
Preparation - Pre-intermediate,
Intermediate and
Upper Intermediate
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57 hours
Two 3-hour lessons
per week over 9.5
weeks or One 3-hour lesson per week over 19 weeks
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HK$ 7,200
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IELTS Exam Skills Modular - Intermediate or above
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6 hours per module
4 modules:
• Reading and Listening
• Speaking
• Academic Writing Task 1
• Academic Writing Task 2
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One 6-hour module: HK$1,100
Two 6-hour modules: Discounted price:
HK$1,980 10% off
Three 6-hour modules:
Discounted price:
HK$2,805 15% off
Four 6-hour modules:
Discounted price:
HK$3,520 20% off
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IELTS Exam Skills
One Day Workshop - Intermediate or above
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One day (10 a.m. - 5 p.m., including a 1-hour lunch break)
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HK$1,100 per workshop
(6 hours)
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IELTS Mock Exam
Get the most authentic exam experience in Listening, Academic Reading, Writing and Speaking with our new mock exam.
Students receive 90 minutes of one-to-one personalised post-mock exam feedback and help from our IELTS experts on how to improve their performance in all the key areas of the exam.
They also receive a free Official IELTS Practice Materials booklet (valued at HK$250).
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/
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/
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50% off**
(Original Price: HK$2,200)
**Offer is only applicable to students who have
taken our IELTS Language Preparation (57 hours) or IELTS Exam Skills Modular (4 modules) over
the past 6 months.
Exam details: www.britishcouncil.hk/en/exam/ielts
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The British Council is the UK’s international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities. We create international opportunities for the people of the UK and other countries and build trust between them worldwide.
We work in more than 100 countries and our 8,000 staff – including 2,000 teachers – work with thousands of professionals and policy makers and millions of young people every year by teaching English, sharing the arts and delivering education and society programmes. In Hong Kong, we have been doing this since 1948, giving people opportunities to learn, share and connect worldwide.
We are a UK charity governed by Royal Charter. A core publicly-funded grant provides 20 per cent of our turnover which last year was £864 million. The rest of our revenues are earned from services which customers around the world pay for, such as English classes and taking UK examinations, and also through education and development contracts and from partnerships with public and private organisations. All our work is in pursuit of our charitable purpose and supports prosperity and security for the UK and globally.
For more information, please visit: www.britishcouncil.org. You can also keep in touch with the British Council through http://blog.britishcouncil.org/. To learn more about British Council in Hong Kong, please visit www.britishcouncil.hk and www.facebook.com/BritishCouncilHK.