Beyond Admission Scores: understanding academic English readiness in Hong Kong universities

Join us for an ELC / AHKLC sharing session where we hear from representatives from Password, a provider of customised test solutions for educational institutions. Speakers: - Caroline Browne: CEO and Founder, Password (Online) - Molly Tuttle: Head of Academic Operations and Compliance, Password (In person) - Shelley Vink: Head of University Partnerships - James Buchanan: Head of Partnerships, APAC Password (In person) - Dr Sathena Chan: CRELLA representative (Online) - Rebecca Farmer: HKUST (Online) Date: Friday, 27th of March, 17:30-19:00 Location: Room AG311, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) / Online (via Zoom) Registration University language centres play a vital role in supporting students’ academic English development, yet often have limited insight into the language abilities of incoming student cohorts. This workshop will explore how diagnostic language assessment can provide clearer information about students’ academic language readiness and support programme-level decision making. Participants will learn how entry and exit testing can inform curriculum design, support streaming in foundation courses, identify students who may benefit from additional support, and provide evidence of language development over the course of a degree programme. The session will also discuss practical implementation considerations for Hong Kong universities and the potential role of language assessment data in supporting institutional research and student success. The workshop will feature contributions from the CEO of Password, academic experts involved in test development, and university partnership leaders.

ELC's Drama Club Annual performance - The Sound of Music

The ELC’s Drama Club staged its annual production of The Sound of Music last week, with the opening night on Thursday 19 March 2026 followed by a second performance on Saturday 21 March 2026. Playing to packed audiences on both evenings, the acting, singing, and dancing were truly a joy to behold. Behind the scenes, the production was the result of months of dedication, rehearsal, and teamwork, reflecting an enormous amount of hard work from everyone involved. The performances also served as a powerful reminder that successful language learning does not always rely on technology tools. Through putting on this show, students demonstrated communication skills, collaboration, problem-solving, and creativity in action - attributes that are central to effective language use, learning and future employability! See above for photos from the performances, or visit the ELC’s YouTube channel and Instagram to watch the speeches and curtain calls from the shows.    Congratulations to the entire cast and everyone involved in bringing this wonderful production to life.

ELC's Drama Club Annual Performance - The Sound of Music

The English Language Centre Drama Club proudly presents "The Sound of Music". Please come and enjoy the performance! Performance Details:  Dates: 19th (Thursday) and 21st March 2026 (Saturday)  Time: 7:00-9:20 PM  Venue: Chiang Chen Studio Theatre (Ground Floor A core) Tickets: FREE for ELC staff! Others: Click here

Practise Smarter with Yoodli in CILL - Room A305

Preparing for presentations, role plays, or language tests? Visit CILL (Room A305) and try the Yoodli AI Roleplay function! Yoodli is especially useful for subjects like ELC1012, ELC1013, and ELC6011 (which includes an academic presentation assessment at the end of the semester). You can practise your presentation and Q&A in a realistic role-play setting, then receive instant feedback aligned with the assessment rubric. Yoodli is also great for international language test practice, including IELTS, helping you build confidence and improve your spoken responses. 📍 Location: CILL, Room A305  🕘 Opening hours: Monday - Friday, 09:30–18:30 Drop by and make the most of AI-supported speaking practice in CILL!

Masterclass CILL Workshop: Turning your opinion into award-winning writing

The ELC is pleased to announce a new Masterclass CILL workshop. This workshop, linked to the Second Annual ELC2011 Feature Article Competition, looks at feature article writing. Details below: Title: Feature Article Workshop: Turning your opinion into award-winning writing Details: This interactive workshop focuses on foundation design principles that can be applied to feature article writing but also to other genres (speeches, presentations, etc.) in which persuasively communicating your clear and bold opinion matters. Be heard! Facilitator: John Lawrence Where: CILL A305 When: Tuesday 10th March, 11.30-13.00 Sign up here

Beyond Proficiency: Fostering Intercultural Dialogue in the EAP Classroom

Join Helen McAllister for ‘Beyond Proficiency: Fostering Intercultural Dialogue in the EAP Classroom’, a session for practitioners navigating the complexities of the modern, multicultural university. Registration Room A607, PolyU Thursday 5 March, 3-4pm. In this session, we will explore how linguistic and cultural diversity can be reframed from being a potential barrier into a powerful educational resource. Drawing on the pedagogical framework of "thinking through making", we will discuss the use of "alternative learning spaces" and creative visual processes - such as model building and zine-making - to help students navigate cultural differences and reduce the natural anxiety of adjusting to new environments. Participants will gain insights into fostering truly inclusive learning environments that promote student validation, compassion and a sense of belonging. Please read Why UK universities should support all students in developing their intercultural communication skills before the session. Helen McAllister is a freelance consultant on language and intercultural communications education and a BALEAP Accreditation Scheme assessor of English for Academic Purposes provision in higher education. She was previously Associate Dean and Director of the Language Centre at University of the Arts London, has worked for the British Council, including on their accreditation scheme, and taught English in five different countries. She is a Principal Fellow of Advance HE.

Rubicon Podcast Season II: The Feeling Goes On

The Rubicon students are crossing over into Season II and invite everyone to follow.  You are now just one click away from previewing the podcast’s new all-video format, which features the creative efforts of students from a swath of faculties.   ELC podcast channel Thank you for supporting and sharing PolyU’s undergraduate podcast, hosted by the ELC and created by students for the local community.    See you on the other side!  Team Rubicon 

Second Annual ELC2011 Feature Article Competition

We are pleased to announce the second annual ELC2011 feature article competition. Come to Room A305 to view the posters and articles and take part in the competition. Dates: Monday 23 February until Friday 13 March Venue: Room A305 (CILL) ELC2011, Advanced Reading and Writing, is one of the ELC’s LCR Electives. The second assessment in the subject involves writing a multimodal feature article on a topic that the student is personally connected to. ELC teachers have selected seven of the best articles from the previous semester and converted them into posters for the competition. QR codes on each poster point to the full article. Come to Room A305 to view the posters, read the full articles, and vote for the one that you find most engaging. All students are welcome! Staff can also vote by using their ‘connect’ account. Student authors stand to win great prizes. Students who vote in the competition can win through posting the ‘best comment’ and through a special lucky draw. Find out more about ELC2011 by joining this Co-pilot Agent Chatbot (use your connect account; please use your laptop / desktop computer to access the agent) Think more about the seven articles by joining this Riffbot (no account needed) Be sure to come and join this event!

Masterclass Series of CILL workshops

The ELC is pleased to announce a new Masterclass Series of CILL workshops. The first two workshops are available for booking now. Details below: Title: Picture Perfect: Mastering Phone Photography & Expression Details: Turn Hong Kong’s streets into your studio while learning to craft captions that bring your photos to life. Facilitator: Calum Page Where: CILL A305 When: Wednesday 4th February 12.30-14.30 Title: The Power of Storytelling: Turn Moments into Meaning Description: Learn how to shape simple ideas into short, compelling narratives. Facilitator: Chrissy Burns Where: CILL A305 When: Thursday 5th February 10.30-12.30 Sign up here

CILL Help Desk

Do you have questions about learning English? An assignment task? Some quick advice for a presentation or interview? Then visit the CILL Help Desk. It’s available Monday to Friday from 1:30 to 2:30 pm where you will find the friendly and knowledgeable ELC CILL Help Desk teacher. You can ask the teacher anything about vocabulary, grammar, pronunciation, English learning strategies, assessment tasks and much, much more! CILL Help Desk for AI Speaking Tools New for this semester! We also have a new helpdesk where you can get advice on the AI Speaking Tools available in CILL on Tuesdays and Fridays from 12:30 to 2:30 pm. Find out about TalkPal and Yoodli which are both available on CILL computers. These tools can help you improve your speaking, interviews, and presentations … anything speaking related! You can also ask about the AI tools during the usual helpdesks from 1:30pm, and you can ask the special help desk any of the other questions you’d ask at the usual help desk! Remember, no booking is needed: just drop in anytime during the hours above at the open area in Room A305.