The teaching strategies used for advanced English studies in English language teacher education

As a result of growth of internationalisation in higher education, universities in Hong Kong have been attracting more non-local students to English language teacher education programs which prepare ESL/EFL teachers working in a culturally diversified learning context. In the decade since the sovereign, Hong Kong has still maintained a British-style higher education in general. The majority of the universities are using English as the medium of instruction. Within such a Western-oriented educational setting, some studies on cross-cultural teaching and learning have explored lecturer's behavior and student's perceptions of lecturing in the environment of English as a second language in Hong Kong, but there is little research on lecturers' specific teaching strategies used for advanced English learners who are ESL/EFL teacher trainees. In particular, it has not been examined in the new context of the SAR of P.R. China. This study attempted to identify teaching strategies generally used in the English Department at a teacher training institution in Hong Kong. Both quantitative and qualitative research methods were employed in this research. As a result, the research findings not only identified the varieties of teachers' strategies but also the frequencies of using each of them. The study focused on the diverse cultural backgrounds of students within Hong Kong's higher education context and thus it provided students' insights on teaching and learning in general. It had a potential contribution to the development and innovation of higher education in Hong Kong which aims to become a regional education hub with the international reputation it has been holding for centuries.