DSE Speaking (Exam-driven)

Background, recommendations and objectives

Key notes: The DSE English Speaking exam encompasses a very wide array of topics, and it is difficult for students to prepare for it in a short period of time. Moreover, the English speaking proficiency is the Achilles heel of Hong Kong students (including many elite students). Students get only one shot in the DSE exam. In order to achieve the 5** grade or at least "not to lose", the following two aspects are indispensable:

• (1) Give yourself enough time to truly improve your English speaking proficiency
• (2) familiarize yourself with the exam-taking skills for the grade of 5**

Many students are often misled that they can 'win' in the examination just counting on the 'exam skills' when they are sprinting in the final year of Secondary 6. This is deceiving yourself and joking about your future for that:

• (a) Secondary 6 students have to prepare for multiple subject examinations at the same time, and it is bearly possible to allocate too much time to English subject;
• (b) When students are faced with a topic that is hard to understand, or their vocabulary level of the related topic is seriously insufficient, how can they rely on the so-called "exam skills" to pass the exam ?! Unless you deem the examiner just a decoration.

Recommendation: Students need to really improve their English proficiency while they still have time in Secondary 3, 4 and 5.

Goal: To help students achieve the abilities and skills required for DSE 5** at an early stage.

Course strong features

• British and American teachers train up students English speaking proficiency and group discussion abilities, and guide them to improve;
• DSE past exam papers are adopted in calss for learning and training;
• Bilingual annotations are added to ensure that students can fully understand and absorb the class content;
• DSE Speaking 5** skills set will be taught in class.
• The class is set to include three sections:

This class is set to include three sections

• (i) Teach students important vocabulary (bilingual annotations) and key expressions on relevant topic discussions
• (ii) Mock exam training: the teacher acts as an examiner; students engage in time-limited mock group discussions and individual Q&A responses
• (iii) The teacher comments on performance and makes suggestions for improvement to students