Stephy Kan (2024 Graduate)

I take education as my concentration because I am interested in inspiring and interacting with students. Pursuing an education concentration helps me acquire knowledge of educational theories, develop teaching skills, and lay the foundation for being a teacher. The department also offers other courses to reinforce our foundation in teaching. For example, “Sound Systems of English” and “Second Language Acquisition” provide insights into effective teaching strategies and learning theories. The English department provides work placement for students. One major challenge I faced in this internship was that I had to take care of the needs of individual students. Each student had a unique learning style, ability, and level of understanding. Some students did need more explanation and guidance. It could be quite challenging to take care of each student in a single lesson. After this work placement, I found my interest in the education field. Thus, I intend to apply for teaching positions after I graduate. The importance of being a teacher is to accept the abilities of students at different levels. I will advise students to consider their passion for teaching when they are considering taking the education concentration. 

Clement Su (2024 Graduate)

The education concentration offered by HKSYU is an incredible program that offers educational and relatable courses as well as great hands-on experience with collaborating schools. A mentor from both organizations will provide advice and guidance throughout the work placement, and it greatly benefited me as a student who is venturing into the educational sector. The main reason why I chose to take part in this concentration was the opportunity to learn from the internship, which offered great insight into the inner workings of schools in Hong Kong. I could only describe my internship as smooth sailing as both the coordinators from respective organizations offered great help and leadership to ensure that I had a pleasant yet educational experience. Besides the work placement being beneficial, several courses offered by the university also contributed to my success and confidence in becoming an educator, such as Contemporary Literature, Digital Technologies in Teaching and Second Language Acquisition. After graduating, I plan to participate in the PGCE program that has been recommended by my mentor from the collaborating schools to earn my teaching qualifications and then strive for a master’s degree. I will suggest that students considering being educators take this concentration as it offers relatable courses and an opportunity to work and learn from the work placement. The practical experience that is being offered will motivate you further to become an educator, as it will facilitate meaningful self-reflection and foster great personal growth.