Hong Kong students struggle with English test scores

Difficulty: Summiteer (Level 3)

Hong Kong students are struggling with their English writing and speaking skills, as shown through their scores on an internationally recognised English test. Last year, candidates performed at a similar level to those in 2022.

Mainland Chinese students taking the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) assessment registered lower results last year than the year before. Scores dropped from 6.1 to 5.9 on a nine-band scale. Meanwhile, Hongkongers’ scores were stable at 6.7.

The scale ranks candidates from “non-users” of the language at 1 to “expert users” at 9. Candidates who score 7 are considered “good users”.

Observers attributed Hongkongers’ results to their limited opportunities to speak or write in English.

However, English teacher Pauline Chow Lo-sai said the results reflected the difference in testing between the Diploma of Secondary Education (DSE) exam and the IELTS.

She said the speaking component of the IELTS mainly involved one-on-one conversations with examiners instead of the group discussions held in the DSE.

The figures were part of a compilation of data released by the IELTS organisation last month.

Quiz time

1. How did mainland Chinese students perform in the IELTS test?

2. How does the scale rank students?

3. What do experts attribute the flat performance to?

4. What is the difference in testing between the IELTS and DSE exams?

Hong Kong students’ IELTS scores reflect their weakness in writing and speaking English. Photo: Shutterstock

Suggested answers

1. they scored around 5.9, lower than in 2022 when they scored 6.1

2. from “non-users” of the language at 1 to “expert users” at 9

3. limited opportunities to speak or write in English

4. the IELTS involves one-on-one conversations with examiners, while the DSE holds a group discussion