Hong Kong’s Evolving English Language Policy

Challenges for the Future

Bibliographic Data

ID20498932
AuthorsWing Fai Cheung (Education University of Hong Kong, corresponding author)
Year2010
Volume13
Issue1
Pages34-47
Publication date2010-06-01
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueAsian Englishes (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1348-8678 • E-ISSN: 2331-2548
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/13488678.2010.10801271
OpenAlexW2127337803
LanguageEN
Citations received1
References cited10

When Hong Kong was returned to China in 1997, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government implemented mother-tongue education in secondary schools. Only a quarter of the secondary schools were allowed to use English as a medium of instruction (EMI). As a result, more and more parents wanted to send their children to EMI schools. This prompted the local government to ‘fine-tune’ its language policy. The new policy will give schools more flexibility to choose their medium of instruction in September, 2010. However, the root problem still remains: a substantial number of secondary students still have little opportunity to use English in their daily lives. This paper will propose that English teachers should be encouraged to speak English to students outside the classroom in school as a first step. Furthermore, Hong Kong English should be promoted in order to encourage students to speak up. Lastly, the weight given to oral English in public examinations for secondary students should be increased

China · First language · Language policy · Linguistics · Management · Mathematics education · Medium of instruction · Pedagogy · Political science · Sociology · History · Multilingual Education and Policy · Psychology · Second Language Learning and Teaching

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