English Debating - Highlight of PLHKS’s Gifted Programs
School-based English Speaking Curriculum
English debating is an important gifted education program of Pentecostal Lam Hon Kwong School. All students who study at Pentecostal Lam Hon Kwong School have the chance to learn and try English debating since English debating is part of the school-based English-speaking curriculum of the school. Having developed the English public speaking skills and critical thinking skills in regular English lessons in junior and senior forms, all students have the chance to try out these skills in mini-debates in class when they are in S5 and two teams are chosen to participate in an inter-class English Debate in front of their fellow schoolmates in a hall assembly every year.
English Debating Team
Pentecostal Lam Hon Kwong School’s English Debating Team was formed in September 2006 and has achieved remarkable results in a great number of territory-wide inter-school debating competitions. Our team members have participated in the Hong Kong Secondary Schools Debating Competition, Sing Tao Inter-school Debating Competition, Lion’s Quest Inter-school Debating Competition, NESTA and SCMP Inter-school Debating Competition.
In the past, we have beaten several prestigious schools, like La Salle College, St Joseph College, and St. Paul’s Secondary School, and have been the champions of a few territory-wide debates, including the 13th NESTA and SCMP Inter-school Debating Competition Division 1A, and Hong Kong Secondary Schools Debating Competition Kowloon and New Territories East Division 1 Grand Final 2015-16. We have also entered the quarter-final of the 29th Sing Tao Inter-school Debating Contest and received the ‘Most Improved School Award’. What is more, our debaters have won a host of ‘Best Debater’ awards and ‘Best Interrogative Debater’ awards. Winning the best interrogative debater title is not easy at all as the debater has to attack the weaknesses of the opponents’ points on the spot and answer questions raised by the other side sensibly. In the academic year 2023-24, our debating team entered the Term 1 Finals and emerged victorious, successfully bringing the trophy back to the school!
To prepare for inter-school debating competitions, the debaters receive professional training given by experienced teachers at school. Debating workshops conducted by our alumni debaters are run from time to time during the school term to develop the participants’ debating skills. We also hold mock debates at school and friendly matches with other schools to provide students with opportunities to practise their debating skills.
Through debating, students can enhance their fluency in speaking English and written English. At the same time, their research and critical thinking skills are also sharpened. No wonder most of our debaters could get level 5 or above in the HKDSE English Examination.
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