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Why our young generation will stay on guard over language policy </h1>
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<p><span style="font-size-ignore:13pt;">The Curriculum Development
Council (CDC) has just completed a consultation on Chinese Language
curriculum, in which one of the most controversial new teaching
objectives is to equip students with the ability to recognize and read
simplified Chinese characters.</span></p>
<p>When you look at the Hong Kong government’s language policy as a
whole, it is not surprising at all, as it is simply a ring of many in a
chain.</p>
<p>After the 1997 handover, the government was very keen on implementing
mother-tongue teaching and advocating biliteracy and trilingualism.
While the former had been severely questioned, there had not been much
opposition to the other policy.</p>
<p>A key aspect of the biliteracy and trilingualism policy is centered
on the promotion of Mandarin, although lavish resources have also been
spent on Chinese and English languages, as usual.</p>
<p>The main reason for advocating the use of Mandarin is obviously
political. Mandarin is the official language of mainland China, and it
serves as the best starting point for constructing national identity in
Hong Kong youth.</p>
<p>The promotion of Mandarin is extensive, from school level via
curriculum and public exams, to public sphere such as radio, television
and public utilities announcements.</p>
<p>Fundamentally it begins from education. Hence, Mandarin has been
included in compulsory curriculum in the primary and junior secondary
education since 1998. By 2000, it has been listed as one of the
selective subjects in Hong Kong Certificate of Education Examination
(HKCEE).</p>
<p>Setting Mandarin/Putonghua as a medium of instruction, or PMI, is the ultimate goal of the authorities.</p>
<p>Yet, thanks to a serious setback in implementing mother-tongue
teaching, the Education Bureau finds its hands tied in giving a push to
PMI.</p>
<p>Authorities are now promoting Putonghua as the medium of instruction
in Chinese language lessons (PMIC) in a low-profile manner, as there’s
no research data backing up the advantages of using Mandarin over
Cantonese in the instruction of Chinese language.</p>
<p>As early as in 2003, the Standing Committee on Language Education and
Research (SCOLAR) endorsed the CDC’s decision on setting PMIC as a
long-term objective, though there is no timeframe for the
implementation.</p>
<p>I couldn’t locate the exact CDC document that calls for setting PMIC
as a long-term objective in language policy. At best, I was only able to
trace back to Education Commission report No.6 — “Enhancing Language
Proficiency” — that was issued in March 1996.</p>
<p>In the document, the commission advised SCOLAR to study whether
Mandarin should be an independent subject or integrated in Chinese
Language. Nonetheless, it didn’t touch upon PMIC.</p>
<p>In simpler words, the CDC has been in support of PMIC without
detailed research or consultation. Meanwhile, the SCOLAR, though it
didn’t set a timeframe for PMIC in 2003, worked out a large-scale plan
between 2008 and 2014, allocating HK$200 million for applying PMIC in
160 primary and secondary schools in four phrases. It has been the
biggest and extensive execution ever done by the SCOLAR.</p>
<p>According to unofficial data, over 70 percent of primary schools and
40 percent secondary schools have adopted PMIC as of 2014. Hence, though
the government hasn’t yet formally introduced PMIC policy, it is making
steady progress in schools.</p>
<p>No wonder Hong Kong parents have been complaining that it is getting so difficult to find a school that uses<strong> </strong>Cantonese as the medium of instruction in Chinese language lessons.</p>
<p>Sadly, as of today, there have been no specific research findings
indicating the usefulness of Mandarin in raising the level of Chinese
language skills.</p>
<p>On the contrary, there are reports confirming that students using
Cantonese have beaten peers who use Mandarin, in terms of proficiency in
Chinese language.</p>
<p>Launching PMIC is a political ploy for constructing “national
identity” and to speed up the amalgamation of Hong Kong and mainland
China. PMI and learning of simplified Chinese characters are the obvious
next moves.</p>
<p>Chinese language is going to be redefined, where “written Chinese is regarded as Standard Chinese, and<strong> </strong>Mandarin for colloquial use”. Cantonese might soon be labeled as a dialect for family and regional usage only.</p>
<p>Hong Kong youngsters, I believe, wouldn’t let go of their real
mother-tongue easily and will stay on guard against PMI and simplified
Chinese characters, especially in the post-Umbrella Movement era.</p>
<p><em>This article appeared in the Hong Kong Economic Journal on March 11.</em></p><p><em><a href="http://www.ejinsight.com/20160319-why-our-young-generation-will-stay-on-guard-over-language-policy/">http://www.ejinsight.com/20160319-why-our-young-generation-will-stay-on-guard-over-language-policy/</a><br></em></p><br clear="all"><br>-- <br><div class="gmail_signature">**************************************<br>N.b.: Listing on the lgpolicy-list is merely intended as a service to its members<br>and implies neither approval, confirmation nor agreement by the owner or sponsor of the list as to the veracity of a message's contents. Members who disagree with a message are encouraged to post a rebuttal, and to write directly to the original sender of any offensive message. A copy of this may be forwarded to this list as well. (H. Schiffman, Moderator)<br><br>For more information about the lgpolicy-list, go to <a href="https://groups.sas.upenn.edu/mailman/" target="_blank">https://groups.sas.upenn.edu/mailman/</a><br>listinfo/lgpolicy-list<br>*******************************************</div>
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