Rationale for the development of a functional English language training programme for junior police officers at the civil service training division government secretariat

by Au Wu, Po-kay

(Uncorrected OCR) Abstract of Dissertation entitled 'Rationale for the Development of A Functional EngliSh Language Training Programme for Junior Police Officers at the Civil Service Training Division, Government Secretariat' submitted by Betty PO-kay Au ?r the Degree of Master of Education at the University of Hong Kong in October 1980 ?

?????

This paper first introduces the range of programmes for Junior Police Officers available at the Police Education and Language Section, Civil Service Training Division.

Then the needs of the learners of the two English language training programmes are identified: the students from the Police Intensive English Course needs English to pass an examination while the students from the Functional English Course (Uniform Branch) needs English to improve operational effiCiency. The background and outlines of the two programmes are given. The two programmes are then evaluated on the basis of student response in class, internal evaluation and a comparison of the performance of the two groups of students in tests. The shortcomings

and failures of the two programmes are di scussed and how they can be overcome are examined. Then the constraints which affect the establishment of priorities in the course are looked into. Instead of developing a course which

is entirely jOb-related and caters for individualization

i

in learning, what is recommended is a compromise - a structural/functional framework using an eclectic approach in teaching. Finally, it must be stressed that further research needs to be carried out before such a new fUnctional English language training programme is designed and suitable materials written.

ii