About Typhoon Club
About Typhoon Club
TYPHOON CLUB: THE EARLY YEARS
Typhoon Club was originally intended for primary school students, but after four years, more secondary schools began to subscribe. With the introduction of the New Secondary School (NSS) Curriculum, Typhoon Club began to deliver reading material linked to the eight learning electives, thereby enabling teachers to continue to utilise the magazine within the classroom. Content is chosen on the basis of it being interesting, engaging and varied, as well as educational. Each article encourages readers to think about its themes and topics and aims to help them to develop their own opinions whilst widening their vocabulary.
Sample Typhoon Club Magazine Front Covers
December 2020
March 2021
January 2021
October 2020
November 2019
November 2018
November 2020
May 2019
May 2020
May 2018
June 2020
January 2019
February 2020
April 2019
April 2018
TYPHOON CLUB SUMMER WRITING COURSE
Each year, Typhoon Club organises summer writing programmes for primary-aged students. Over a five-day period, students are transported by bus to a place of educational interest. Following lunch, they visit the Typhoon Club classroom where a native English teacher helps students write about their morning visit. As with the Typhoon Club Magazine Writing Course, each student’s writing is collected, edited, and scanned into a personalised magazine creating a lasting memory of the summer holiday.
If you would like to receive more information about the Typhoon Club Summer Course, please complete this form and submit it to us.
TYPHOON CLUB MAGAZINE WRITING PROGRAMME
Shortly after its launch in 2002, schools began to approach the magazine to ask if Typhoon Club could help teach students to write their own magazine or newsletter. The Typhoon Club Magazine Writing Programme was soon developed where Typhoon Club teachers visited schools and taught classes of students to write different text types. Each student’s writing was then collected, typed, edited, and scanned into a specially designed 16-page magazine. This allowed participating students to each receive a unique magazine containing their own writing. Over the next few years, 45,000+ students of all levels and abilities from both the primary and secondary sectors have written their own magazine under the guidance of Typhoon Club.
TYPHOON CLUB AND SCOLAR
Between 2015 and 2021, Typhoon Club collaborated closely with the Hong Kong Standing Committee on Language Education and Research (SCOLAR), creating and implementing English reading programmes and activities for local primary and secondary schools throughout Hong Kong. These included:
The Typhoon Club Levelled Reading Programme
Twenty stories were written at different levels of difficulty for primary and secondary students. These were designed to manage the language diversity issue experienced in many schools throughout Hong Kong. Typhoon Club teachers were sent to schools to read the stories in small groups and to participate in speaking activities.
Hello From Me and Hello From Me, Too
Two storybooks were written about the cultural experiences of a local Hong Kong boy visiting England for the first time, and hosting his English cousin in Hong Kong. The illustrated stories were designed to encourage students to explore, compare and contrast local and English culture. Lessons also included a variety of activities and opportunities for group discussions. Audio readings of the story were recorded by the British opera singer Christopher Purves, and made available on the programmes’ dedicated websites.
The Unfold Story
Six short stories were written about different aspects of English culture including English breakfast and English football. The stories were printed on A2 paper with supporting activities and games printed on the reverse side. Primary students were encouraged to fold their A4 sheets origami-style to create a storybook. Even though schools were closed due to COVID-19 during the designated teaching period, lessons were adapted so they could be delivered to students by Typhoon Club native English teachers via Zoom.
READING & ME WITH HSBC
Over an 18-month period, HSBC commissioned Typhoon Club to write 10 short stories. These were read by senior bank executives to large groups of children in bank branches throughout Hong Kong on Saturday afternoons. The programme was launched by HSBC Chairman Mr David Eldon CBE, GBS, JP, and concluded with his successor Mr Vincent Cheng GBS, OBE, JP. With 3,500 local children in total in attendance, these events were reported widely in the local press and on CNBC.