About the Two Schools
HYS is a dual language Chinese K-8 public school in New York City. The admission priority is given to children of low-income families (qualified for free lunch). Because of its location and the dual language program, Asian students account for approximately 70%, followed by Latino/Latina at 10%. The class presented in this project is composed of 14 Asian students and 2 non-Asian students.
The curriculum model that HYS adopts is 50-50 dual language immersion, which guarantees students with half of school hours learning in English, and the other half learning in Chinese. The model is different based on grade levels, though. From K to 1, students receive education in both languages on the same day, which is called the half day rollercoaster model. From 2 to 3, the side-by-side alternate day model offers students classes one day in Chinese, and the next day in English. Finally, from 4 to 8, students are taught in Chinese or English based on subjects. For example, math and science are taught in English, while social studies is taught in Chinese. The ultimate goal of the bilingual program in HYS is to make students bilingual and biliterate in Chinese and English, as well as equipping them with college-prep skills.
AGSH is a private Catholic comprehensive all-girls high school in Hsinchu City, Taiwan. Comprehensive high school means that the school has both general academic and vocational tracks. AGSH has three programs in the vocational track, applied English, applied Japanese, and business management. The assignment included in this project was designed for the English listening class of the applied English majors.
The curriculum model of AGSH's applied English program follows the latest version of guidelines issued by Taiwan Ministry of Education. The guidelines require students to create a "learning portfolio" that includes assignments or artifacts they have for at least 3 of their courses every semester as a reference for college application. To make students work harder on the portfolio, AGSH requires students to compile assignments for 6 courses every semester. The English listening class is one of the practicum courses of the applied English program, and therefore has a greater value in the portfolio. Other practicum courses are English reading and writing, English business writing, presentation practice, word processing practice, and digital technology application. Along with other subjects, students can choose assignments or artifacts of 6 courses to include in their portfolios.