English classes have never been this fun. Take a cool band, add lively music, mix in a little drama and a generous splash of comedy and you have We Rock English, an hour-long show designed to pique students' interest in learning the language.
Staged at more than 150 schools over the past year, the informal musical - about the troubles of an expatriate who hopes to be an actor but is hired as an English teacher - never fails to get students and teachers roaring with laughter. But the youngsters don't just sit back and watch the spectacle - some are invited, after a little quick prepping, to join in a skit, dance or rap number in the show.
Its creators at Dream Language Studio, the company behind We Rock, also write breaks into the act, so that most songs are followed by a brief session when performers explain the meaning of selected words.
Iris Poon Ho-yee, a Form Six student at Ho Lap College, says seeing the performance at her school last summer transformed her attitude towards English.
'I love their selection of songs [such as YMCA],' she says. 'It's easy for everyone to get into a good mood because the music is exhilarating. I remember the vocabulary better that way because I remember the context of the words.'
Dream Language managing director Sam Yau King-wai says live music is an important element in the programme.
'We used to play taped songs, but we found live music is much more effective. Many local students haven't been to live concerts, so they're more likely to respond to live performances,' says Yau, who was an English teacher before setting up Dream Language five years ago.
