About 57% of Hong Kong's 14,907 English teachers and 63% of its 6,691 Putonghua teachers have attained their language proficiency requirement, while 33% of the English and most of the remaining Putonghua teachers are making progress in attaining it.

So far, 1,417 English and 2,484 Putonghua teachers have shown outstanding performance and attained proficiency at a level above the basic language requirement, earning them certificates of merit.

The Examinations & Assessment Authority released today the results of the September Language Proficiency Assessment for Teachers. Some 29% of English teachers have acquired the basic requirement in writing, with 43% and 64% of candidates attaining the basic requirement in English speaking and listening.

For Putonghua papers, 43% of teacher candidates attained the basic requirement in listening and recognition, 63% in Pinyin and 42% in speaking.

The Education & Manpower Bureau said 3,667 candidates sat for the English papers and 1,750 for the Putonghua papers, up about 23.8% and 39.3% over a year earlier. Of them, 2,419 were self-claimed English language teachers and 927 were self-claimed Putonghua teachers.

Positive results

The bureau said it is encouraging to see an upward trend in the number of candidates entering for the assessment since its first administration in 2001.

Result notices have been mailed to candidates. Those who do not receive them by December 16 should contact the authority on 2239 2771.

The reports, which detail the chief examiners' observations on candidates' performance, will be released in mid-January on both the authority and the bureau websites.

Applications for results rechecking and for remarking will be accepted from December 15 to 22. Candidates will be informed individually of their appeal results by January 13.

Applications for taking the assessment next March will be accepted until December 21. For appeals, candidates who do not receive their appeal results by January 13 and who wish to re-sit the next assessment should register by January 20.