Top news

EARTH is organizing a discussion group and a panel discussion for two local conferences. If you have never been to Hong Kong and/or would like to become a part of the HKLNA-Project in the company of your peers, this is YOUR opportunity!

In order to show its appreciation for your support of the HKLNA-Project EARTH will greet you at the airport and help you to your hotel! At your request, EARTH will also help you book a hotel reservation, and find your way back to the airport. See Community relations below for details.

Government relations
EARTH's business license has been renewed for a third consecutive year!

Community relations

EARTH is launching an unexpected second promotional blitz to raise support for EARTH's participation at two local conferences. If you are interested in participating in either of these events in the company of EARTH, please contact EARTH's HKLNA-Project Director at hsmr@pacific.net.hk before the indicated deadlines.

EVENT I
2005 Pacific Rim Conference (January 14-16, 2005)
Western Economic Association International
Hong Kong Economics Association

Panel deadline: August 15, 2004
Paper deadline: September 15, 2004

With regard to this event EARTH is seeking to organize a panel session that would address problems of the economics of education, culture, and/or language, as these apply to globalism and regionalism in the world today. Papers that address problems similar to those found at either of the following two URLs would be especially welcome:

Hong Kong Language Needs Assessment Project

• English or language - A severe case of market distortion
• Hong Kong’s Bottom Line

EVENT II
The Way Forward in Language Education (December 16-18, 2004)
The 18th International Language in Education Conference

Paper deadline: September 30, 2004

With regard to this event I am seeking to organize a colloquium that would include public policy makers and researchers concerned about the wasteful application of UEL requirements across East Asia and the world as a whole. Proponents of the UEL requirement, who could constructively address specific problems introduced by the HKLNA-Project, are also welcome. Please see the below URL for more information about topics congruent with the goals of the HKLNA-Project.

Hong Kong Language Needs Assessment Project - Quality Assessment.

Website additions and maintenance

New additions

• Reaching Out - In order to insure the success of the above two initiatives EARTH has begun an unscheduled promotional blitz. Look for the sections highlighted in red under Reaching Out on the HKLNA-Project's website.
  
• Conference Announcements - A new webpage has been added in order to help HKLNA-Project supporters discover other venues for advancing the goals of the HKLNA-Project.
  

Maintenance

• A little googling suggests that people seeking out the HKLNA-Project are also desirous to learn more about its creator. As these inquiries are rarely direct, a general revision of old, neglected material has begun.
  
  
• IMAGINE - My lost decade in Japan - Grammatical revision has been completed up to the section entitled The Japanese Way.
  

Software update

• In anticipation of obvious visual needs for EARTH's upcoming digitial presentations Adobe Photoshop's user's manual has become EARTH's current text of preference.
  

Strategy Update
Recruitment, presentation, and fund-raising.

Acknowledgments
Special thanks to Dr. SIU Hin Ho for his continued patience and financial support, as well as Klaus Colanero for rescuing the HKLNA-Project's website in its nearly final hour. Special thanks also go to Hong Kong's Inland Revenue Department this month for waiving EARTH's business fee and levy for a third consecutive year.

Closing Remarks
Please do not forget to take advantage of EARTH's quality translation service.  EARTH's survival might very well be the HKLNA-Project's success!

Sincerely,

R. A. Stegemann
hsmr@pacific.net.hk