This episode is unlike any other because in this show we have Connie Poon share her experiences of being a teacher of Chinese language at HKU. She talks about teaching Chinese in the discipline courses, which are aimed at enhancing students' practical and professional communication skills. We found her insights into pronunciation, style and register considerations especially interesting and valuable.

This unique episode has four language teachers tell us about their experience of developing Small Private Online Courses (SPOCs) on language and communication topics. It entails details about how they went about preparing SPOCs on impactful presentations, concise writing, intercultural communication, and creative writing, and the student needs and responses that guided their decisions.

In this episode from HKUST our hosts Tess Hogue and Levi Lam talk to Sean McMinn about what is digital literacy and why it is relevant to language teaching.

This episode features Albert Wong from the Centre for Applied English Studies at HKU who elaborates on the unique but very specific set of skills needed for one-on-one and small group language advising. He emphasizes the need for a dialogic approach that can take into account students' affective needs during advising sessions.

In this episode, Lowana Phillips from the Centre for Applied English Studies at HKU, talks about the powerful role of works of art (such as paintings and sculptures) in helping students learn. She says, engagement with art does not only enable students to make meaning but can also enhance their ability to articulate and convey complex ideas and thoughts to audiences.

While online learning has been around for a long time, a confluence of events, including restructuring of universities which affect modes of delivery, pandemics and in the case of Hong Kong recent protest movements have resulted in a boom of innovations including blended learning. As we know, blended learning is a combination of face to face and online delivery of courses. These courses are the future as they address a number of needs. These include flexibility and efficiency in terms of resources, classrooms for example; flexible use of time for both teachers, academics and students and finally the use of technology both in terms of devices e.g. mobile phone and online resources. As with anything, there are problems and challenges, for example, keeping students motivated to do the online work and logistical issues. Today we have Rebecca Farmer and Kin ( Tang Kin Hun) from the Centre of Language Education,HKUST. They are part of a team, the E core team headed by Liza Yew and they have been charged with the very big job of introducing 4 new courses, specifically using blended learning. These courses will eventually replace the existing 1st year, undergraduate core courses, the bread and butter courses of CLE.

Teachers’ Lift is back with a brand new episode as well as a new host this semester. In this episode, Aditi and Colin talk to Dr. Michelle Raquel about Communication-intensive Courses (CiC) - what they are all about, how they benefit teachers and students, and how courses get CiC badged at HKU.

In this episode Phil and Aditi talk with Prof. Alessandro Benati about his research interests. They discuss how his research interests and management experience led him to Hong Kong. Prof. Benati will become the Director of the Centre for Applied English Studies at HKU in September.

In this episode Tess Hogue (HKUST) and Phil Smyth (HKU) interview Rick Glofcheski from the HKU Faculty of Law. Rick talks about his work in authentic assessments and how his interest in this area developed.

Episode 17: Digital Storytelling: A literacy movement for the 21st Century with Joe Lambert by Teachers' Lift