The Institute of Language in Education (ILE) was established in 1982 as a training and research institute, to bring about improvements in language learning and teaching, with particular emphasis on the training of teachers of English and Chinese. The ILE and four other Colleges of Education were amalgamated in 1994 to form the Hong Kong Institute of Education (HKIEd). During the 12 years of the ILE’s existence, over 14,000 language teachers and panel chairpersons completed ILE courses. To enhance the standard of language teaching in schools in Hong Kong, the ILE organized refresher courses, seminars and workshops for experienced teachers of Chinese and English, as well as provided consultancy services for teachers and tested prototype language learning and teaching materials.

As part of the celebration of the 30th anniversary of the ILE, the Hong Kong Museum of education organized this thematic exhibition entitled, Celebrating a Rich Heritage in Language in Education Teaching, Learning, Research and Development: 30th Anniversary of the Institute of Language in Education (ILE) through a display of artefacts from our collections, historical photographs and documents provided by ILE staff and alumni. The exhibition outlines the history and development of the ILE, offering us a glimpse of its contributions to the development of teachers training, publications, research and international exchange.