The empirical data collected in this multiple case study indicate that the constraints and limitations in the pedagogical conditions and resources have induced a product-oriented pedagogy. The pedagogy is characterized by a teacher-dominated approach which is divorced from the rhetoric of a child-centered approach, as stated in the official curriculum principles. While we are fully aware that the data from the three particular cases have limited generalizability to wider contexts, the results gained in the study offer some insights into several areas of challenge for the field of early English learning in Hong Kong. The discrepancy between the reality and the rhetoric of principles clearly imply the inadequacy of the existing conditions to support successful early English learning. We alert policy makers to the challenges in the areas of teacher training, language instruction and exposure time,