Profiling the Literacy Practices of Hong Kong Junior Secondary Students

1. Profiling the Literacy Practices of Hong Kong Junior Secondary Students Mr. Arthur Firkins, Dr Gail Forey, Ms. Cherry Wong, Mr. Chan Chi-wai TWGHs Mr and Mrs Kwong Sik Kwan College - Hong Kong The Department of English, Hong Kong Polytechnic University

2. The Research Team TWGHs. Mr. & Mrs. Kwong Sik Kwan College • Mr. Arthur Firkins, NET • Mr. Chan Chi-Wai, Head of Academic Committee • Ms. Cherry Wong, Head of English Department The Department of English, Hong Kong Polytechnic University • Dr. Gail Forey, Assistant Professor

3. Educational Background • Schools banded 1 to 3 • Large class sizes (40 or more) • Chinese and English are the compulsory subjects • Follow textbooks / resources available on the market • Public exam-oriented • Aim: successful examination results • Schools facing Educational Reforms in recent years • A switch from “focus on grammar” to “focus on 3 Cs” • Creativity • Communication • Critical thinking

4. Background of Study • Action research done: teaching reading and writing • 03-04 : Teaching writing to students using genre approach • 04-06 : Researching literacy development based on the Four Resources Model (Freebody & Luke, 1990) • Whole school approach • Cross-curricular QEF project: Chinese and English • Every 1st period in a 6-day-cycle: • either Chinese or English literacy class (35 mins) • Develop literacy skills and take on the roles as: • Familiar with students literacy practice at school • Code Breaker • Text Participant • Text User • Text Analyst • What about their literacy practice at home?

5. Literacy Practices and Funds of Knowledge • We can define school literacy practices as uses of written language that are undertaken to display competence with particular form and register of written language (Street & Street, 1991) • In contrast, everyday literacy practices involve a broad range of ways to use written language that have in common the accomplishment of activities of everyday life. Therefore they are focused towards accomplishing a specific purpose, engaging in individual expression, entertainment or the completion of a required task.

6. Literacy Programme

7. Rationale . We argue that to date there is no comprehensive study of the literacy practices of Hong Kong secondary students in the literature despite many assumptions made about the reading practices of adolescent students at home. • In addition, there are assumptions made that the literacy requirements of non-language “Key Learning Area” subjects are similar and are supported by the Chinese and English KLAs. • It is also probable that some literacy practices of Hong Kong students are unique to the context of Hong Kong. We suggest that building an ethnographic profile of students’ literacy practices enables schools to firmly identify the funds of knowledge students bring from home to the school and how the school may best support literacy learning through adapting such funds. of literacy practices.

8. Literacy Practice “Any activity which students engage in which is predominately focused on reading or writing or where the actions performed to complete the task are mediated through a multi-media or written text.”

9. Adolescent Literacy Practices • Gee (2000) points out that teenagers from different backgrounds fashion themselves in language as different kinds of people and literacy cannot be seen as a stand alone general entity. • Indeed we live in new times and literacy events and practices are changing. • Gee argues that the sort of identities teenagers are fashioning and the way they use literacies and discourses are deeply consequential for the changing nature of schools and society.

10. Adolescent literacy practices • In essence the term adolescent literacy, signals that there may be distinctive dimensions to the reading and writing of youth.

11. Dimensions of Adolescent Literacy 1.Adolescent literacy is more complex and sophisticated than what is traditionally considered in school based literate activity. 2.Adolescence have multiple literacies and therefore multiple texts. 3.Adolescent have an expanded notion of text that is they transcend to adult sanctioned notions of text forms to include such things as films, CD-ROMs, the internet, popular music, television, magazines and newspapers. 4.Literacy plays an important role in the development of adolescent’s individual and social identities. 5.Adolescents need “spaces” in school to explore and experiment with multiple literacies and to receive feedback from peers and adults. (Moje et. al.,2000: 402)

12. Hong Kong Context In the context of Hong Kong, we needed to account for variation in literacy practices from several different perspectives. • Between home and school • Between Chinese & English • Between practices generally and practices specifically engaged in by teenagers. • What may be global or contextually specific to Hong Kong

13. The “Funds of Knowledge” • Outlined by Gonzalez, Moll and Amanti (2005) • When everyday literacy practices are viewed through the lens of the school, much of it becomes “invisible” to students, parents and teachers alike . • The “Funds of Knowledge” approach as outlined by Gonzalez, Moll and Amanti (2005) offers a way of making such practices visible. • The approach suggests that households and communities are repositories of knowledge. Knowledge is constituted through events and activities, and are not processions or traits of people in the family but characteristics of people in activity (Moll & Greenberg, 1990).

14. The “Funds of Knowledge” • This theory suggested to us that to discard the literacy practices students engage in more widely than in the school is to disregard significant pedagogical resources, which could be available to the teachers. • The implications are that teachers can modify or adapt these resources as the basis for the creation of new knowledge specific to classroom circumstances. • It also suggests that knowledge of such funds of literacy practices presents the teachers with possibilities of building on such practices in the classroom and indeed legitimizing students as extensive text users (FRM)

15. The “Funds of Knowledge” • It also suggests that knowledge of such funds of literacy practices presents the teachers with possibilities of building on such practices in the classroom and indeed legitimizing students as extensive text users. • Our objective was therefore to build up a comprehensive profile of the literacy practices of our Junior secondary students.

16. Building a Profile 1.Qualitative/Quantitative: - Broad to the Specific 2.Mapping: - Extent, Home,School and Community 3.Reflective: - Students reflect on their own practices Quantitative • Questionnaire for all students on literacy practices at home. N=164 • Questionnaire for parents on views of literacy and how they support their child’s literacy learning at home Qualitative • Ethnographic observation of students across a school day N=3. • Diary across 2 weeks N=16. • In depth interview of sixteen participating students re: follow up diary. N=16 • Interview with parent focus group N=10

17. Questionnaires N=164 Mapping Literacy Practices Direct Observation N=3 Student interviews N=16 Student Literacy Logs N= 16 Methodology

18. Summary of Findings 1. Reading Habits • Activity Based • Multi-media • ·Computer/websites • ·Watching TV • ·Movies/ DVD/VCD • Reading • ·Japanese Style cartoon books • ·Adventure • ·Mysteries • ·textbooks • Students tend to read more Chinese than English materials. Reason may relate to their access to English reading materials and/or the help they’ve received from home • Student’s hobbies have a direct influence on their literacy practice. For example, if a student likes playing basketball, his literacy practices are related to basketball. (Searching the athlete’s profiles, viewing the game results etc.)

19. Findings 2. Parental Support • Parents appear to have minimal role in supporting students literacy practices. • Arrange tutorial classes • Limited in English and ability to support English practices. • See literacy as mainly the role of the school. • Would like to know how to best support their son/daughter. • Mother’s reading interest has some influence on their child’s interest in reading, whereas father has limited influence on their child’s reading interest. • Parents want to know how help their children at home to promote reading. • Watching TV (Soap Opera) is also when students spend most of their times with their family members Most of the students want their parents, teachers and family members to know more about their literacy practices both at home and in the community

20. Findings 3. Types of Genres • Comics • Recipes • Newspapers • Magazines • Chinese novels • Limited exposure to English narratives. • Overall, students do not have exposure to a variety genre types. The results are between seldom and sometimes. • Basically, students are lack of familiarity with a range of genre. • Students generally read comic books more often then recipes and science fictions • Many students consider doing homework as a form of literacy practice • Chinese Youth Magazines, TV magazines are among their (most of the students) favorite reading genres.

21. Findings 4. Multi Media • Video/computer games / Reading tactics • Reading game instructions • On-line Chat / ICQ / MSM • Websites / Searching Information • Gossip / Quizzes • Overall, the average of “Multi Media” is higher than that of the “Types of Genre” • Students always/sometimes watch TV and play computer games as opposed to students seldom/sometime write email. Sending an email to a friend involve standard forms of writing, whereas, sending short messages and chatting with friends online require less written language. It is evident that students favor modern spoken language as opposed to traditional written language. (Colloquialism vs. Standard form of written language) • Watching TV is a common literacy practice. Students sometimes read the English/Chinese subtitles while watching TV • For those with computers at home would spend the time chatting online, playing video games

22. Findings 5. Community • Students are involved in many community activities such as shopping. • Student attend • classes after school. • Students spend a great deal of time at school out of school hours undertaking sports activities and clubs. • Students see themselves as having limited engagement of literacy practices in the community. However unconsciously they might already have been doing it. How can teacher provide students the opportunity to identify these practices explicitly?

23. Finding 6. Peer Influence • Peer interests are very important on the choice of literacy practice. • Siblings are also very important and students often get elder siblings to help with home-work. • Students sometimes share information with their friends online (ICQ, Blog , My Place.) • They sometimes play on the computer with their friends. • Peer have an influence on the type of material selected for reading

24. Student Literacy Logs • The “log-interview” method was useful in gaining information about practices not amenable to observation such as student’s practices at home. • 16 students were selected from 164 junior secondary students on the basis of interest in participating in the project. • Participating students were asked to keep a log of their activities that involved some form of reading a writing for a two week period, including across weekends. • The logs were made up of standard A4 pages divided into different sections to make it easier for students to fill out.

25. Student Literacy Logs • Students could choose to complete their logs in either Chinese, English or both languages. • Students filled in the log each day and discussed the days activities with the research assistant. • The students received a prize at the end of the two weeks for their participation. • The logs covered the following areas:- • Activity • Location (Community, Home, shopping centre etc) • Participants (siblings, parents, peers, alone) • Time • Language • Description of what reading and writing was involved in the activity. • Comment on what the students thought or liked about the activity.

26. Student Literacy Logs • At the end of the two week period the student was interviewed about their log, using a “non-structured: interview technique by the research assistant. The interview was conducted in both Cantonese and English. • The interviews were for two purposes. - To clarify some areas e.g. we were not initially sure as to what literacy was involved in sports activities, but students argued that they read information about the sport activity and wanted them included. - So the student could add any further explanation or reflection about their logs. The following question was used by the interviewer “ Is there anything you would like to tell me about your log”

27. Literacy Log and Reflective practice The literacy log was itself a literacy practice which had a positive effect on students as indicated in the quotes below • “Through students participating in this Literacy Practice Log activity, not only we can collect more information in relation to the students’ literacy practices both at home and in the community, but it also reinforces what they are doing at home and in the community which they might not consider as literacy practices” (Research Assistant 1: reflection) • “ I liked being able to share that I do many activities using reading and writing with my teachers so they know I don’t just do home-work” (Student 3)

28. Example 1 of Student Reflective Interview Form 1 Student (female) C: Can you tell me about your literacy log? M: Some activities that I do after school C: What do you want me to know about your log> M: I want you to know that I do my homework C: Why? M: I usually get praised by doing homework C: What do you usually do in the community which involves reading and writing? M: Shopping and looking at the advertisements C: How about at home? M: Watch TV, play TV games and do homework C: What do you like the most? Why? M: I like playing TV games because it is exciting. C: How does playing TV games involve reading and writing? M: I read the tactics that pop up on the TV screen C: Do you always read them? M: Yes, I need to read the tactics in order to play better.

29. Example 2: Student Reflective Interview Form 2 : Student (Male) • c: What do you want me to know about your reading log? • K: About things that I do involve reading and writing when I am free • C: What do you usually do in the community involves reading and writing? • K: I usually go to the library and read • C: What type of books do you read? • K: Novels- about inspectors and mysterious • C: Why do you like to read? • K: Because I can think about what I read • C: What do you do at home which involves reading and writing? • K: Homework, study….and go on the internet to look for some ancient myths and the “Seven Wonders” • C: Why do you like that? • K: Because I am interested in History and things happened in the past. • C. Anything you want to share? • K: I think this Literacy Practice Log recording should last longer… I like doing it.

30. Key Findings • Hong Kong Students are almost always engaged in some forms of literacy practice, but may not be aware of it or recognize it as a literacy practice. • Parents have minimal involvement in their child’s literacy practices, although aware of the importance of literacy in both Chinese and English. • Peers have a strong influence on student’s literacy practices and the types of practices engaged in. • The students hobbies have a direct influence on their literacy practices. • Hong Kong students and heavy users of technologies and literacy practices are mediated through these technologies.

31. Key Findings 6.Students have minimal exposure to “narrative” genres and tend towards information genres. 7. Most students want their family and teachers to know about their literacy practices. 8. Most, but not all literacy practices are in Cantonese and this depends on the availability of English at home. 9. Homework is a significant literacy practice engaged in at home by Hong Kong students. 10. Parents go to great length to attempt to expose their child to English literacy practices at home.

32. Implications • Parents do not have the resources to support English literacy practices at home. • Peers have a significant influence on students practices, so group work and the use of peer influences in the classroom could be valuable. • Hong Kong students are varied text users, and this can be used within literacy programmes. • Literacy logs are valuable in making literacy practices visible to the students. • Students are very interested in technologies and the use of technology is a large motivator for students. • Students have limited exposure to narrative texts and this is an area which could be encouraged by the school considering the prevalence of such texts within the curriculum.

33. References Elliot, H.(1997). The Use of Diaries in Sociological Research on Health Experience. Sociological Research Online,Vol.2,No.2. <http://www.socresonline.org.uk/socresonline/2/2/7.html> FirkFirkins A. and Forey, G (In Press). Changing the Literacy Habitus of a Hong Kong School. In W. Bokhorst-Heng, M. Osborne and K. Lee (Eds.) Redesigning Pedagogies: Reflections on Theory and Praxis Freebody, P. and Luke, A. (1999).Further notes on the four resources model. Reading On-line http://readingonline.org/research/lukefreebody.htmlInternational Reading Association. Retrieved 20 August 2005. Freebody, P. and Luke, A. (1990) ‘Literacies ‘Programs: Debates and Demands in Cultural Context. Prospect 5 (3): 85- 94. Gee, J.P.(2000). Teenagers in new times: A new literacy studies perspective. Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy, 43:5, 412-420

34. References González, N., Moll, L.C., Amanti, C. (2005). Funds of Knowledge; Theorizing Practices in Households, Communities and Classrooms. Mahwah, New Jersey, Lawrence Elbaum Associates Publishes Mannion, G and Ivanic, R. (2004). Mapping literacy practices: theory, methodology, Methods. Paper presented at the British Educational Research Association Annual Conference, University of Manchester, and 16th-18th September 2004. Moll, L.C.& Greenberg, J.M.(1990).Creating Zones of Possibilities: Combining Social Constructs for Instruction. In: L.C.Moll (ed) Vygotsky and Education: Instructional Implications of Sociohistorical Psychology. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press. Moje, E.B. (2000). Reinventing adolescent literacy for new times: Perennial and Millennial issues. Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy, 43:5, 400-419 Wong, C., Chan, C.W. and Firkins, A. (2006) Meeting New challenges: Intervening Early in a Hong Kong Secondary School. The Hong Kong Teacher’s Centre Journal Vol.6

35. Further Information • School Website http://www.twghsksk.edu.hk/hp/english/index.htm Mr. Ringo Chan Chi Wai : Head of Academic Committee ccw@twghsksk.edu.hk Ms. Cherry Wong Pik Yu : Head of English Department wpy@twghsksk.edu.hk Mr. Arthur Firkins afirkins@yahoo.com