[lg policy] Two languages in class better than one, Hong Kong teachers say

Mon Jul 6 15:25:39 UTC 2015

 Two languages in class better than one, Hong Kong teachers say

   - [image: Virginia Yip and Steven Mathews assist students at the
   Childhood Bilingualism Research Centre at Chinese University. Photo: Franke
   Tsang]
   <http://cdn1.scmp.com/sites/default/files/styles/980w/public/2015/07/03/3bb7933f5aaf63ad8d4064335f7dab17.jpg?itok=JpM8Nv75>

  Virginia Yip and Steven Mathews assist students at the Childhood
Bilingualism Research Centre at Chinese University. Photo: Franke Tsang

Having grown up in a bilingual environment in Hong Kong, Daphne Chu chose
to be a teacher. A year ago, she joined Lam Tai Fai College in Sha Tin and
has since relished her time brushing up students' English.

When she was in school, English was used by teachers across the board. At
home, her parents talked to her in Cantonese, but together they also
watched movies and read books in English.

"I have always enjoyed learning English, so when I grew up, I decided to
combine my passion for this dynamic language and my wish to work with young
people to become a teacher," she says.

Hong Kong has an increasingly large population of young homegrown
bilinguals such as Chu, many of whom are now coming of age as informed
parents and teachers.

Amid recent concerns over Hong Kong's declining English standards and
possibly waning competitiveness, Chu is positive about what she and others
like her can bring to the picture.

"I understand the reasons why the public feels that less emphasis is placed
on English now. In the education sector, for example, schools are stressing
the use of Putonghua more, on top of the move toward mother-tongue
teaching," she says. "But there are still many of us who were brought up
and trained in a bilingual environment. Most of my peers are fluent
bilinguals working in different fields despite this common feeling that
English is becoming less important."

For professors Virginia Yip and Stephen Matthews, husband-and-wife
linguists and co-directors of the Childhood Bilingualism Research Centre
(CBRC) at Chinese University, this emerging generation of bilinguals
underlies a distinct edge of Hong Kong - a fertile environment for
bilingualism, something that the couple feel is often undervalued by the
media and society at large.

"As a result of historical circumstances, we have a bilingual, and
increasingly trilingual society," says Matthews. "This can be a challenge
but also an opportunity. The public is just not sufficiently aware of the
advantages this presents."
Most of my peers are fluent bilinguals working in different fields despite
this common feeling that English is becoming less important
Daphne Chu

Under the linguists' leadership, CBRC has conducted studies of local
children growing up bilingually in English and Cantonese for more than 10
years. In reference to their substantial and continuously growing body of
research, Matthews says: "The fluently bilingual young people from our
earliest studies are adults about to enter the workforce. Is the standard
of English in Hong Kong declining? It could be said to be the opposite."

Over the years, the CBRC's studies have clearly shown that children can
achieve fluent bilingualism given the right environments, even in two
languages as unrelated as Chinese and English. Both research done by Hong
Kong linguists and by the international scientific community also
consistently shows how bilingualism gives children wide-ranging cognitive
benefits and, counterintuitively, allows them to gain literacy in both
languages more efficiently for academic success.

Despite these robust research findings, Yip and Matthews still find
themselves clarifying many misconceptions among parents and educators. Many
still wrongly believe that children can only handle one language at a time,
or that bilingualism stalls literacy. This has often led to missed
opportunities for nurturing bilinguals in the most effective ways possible,
both at home and in school.

The importance of immersion for both first- and second-language learning
has long been established among linguists. Many parents, however, still
choose not to provide their children with a bilingual home environment even
if they can. Parents from less privileged or educated backgrounds, on the
other hand, often do not have the means to do so.
We have a bilingual, and increasingly trilingual society. This can be a
challenge but also an opportunity. The public is just not sufficiently
aware of the advantages this presents.
Stephen Matthews

Because these discrepancies in the home are unavoidable, bilingual school
environments are all the more vital. While Yip and Matthews think that much
more could be done to experiment with teaching content optimally in
bilingual classes, existing language policies in the education system are
doing some things right.

For instance, recent research shows that extra and varied language input,
of the type that Native English-speaking Teachers (NETs) provide in
classrooms, help activate certain language instincts in students who are
primarily exposed to only one type of English.

Teachers such as Chu present another ideal opportunity for bilingual
education. As competent bilinguals, they can provide the double benefit of
complete immersion on the one hand and linguistic and cultural
understanding for students on the other.

"In school, I use English exclusively with my students, as that is the only
way to provide them with an immersive environment in the classroom," says
Chu. "But as a native Cantonese speaker, I understand the unique
difficulties my students are facing in learning English." Yip agrees that
bilingual teachers bring a unique advantage.

"This new, emerging generation of homegrown bilinguals are ideal as
teachers because they understand the students' perspective. This
sensitivity allows them to highlight meaningful language contrasts more
effectively."

This sensitivity is most important when helping students gain not only
proficiency in spoken English but also literacy.

"Many students are used to translating sentences from Chinese to English
directly, which often results in ungrammatical writing," Chu says. "As a
bilingual teacher, I understand exactly where many of these mistakes are
coming from. It is easier for me to pinpoint and tackle them precisely."
As a native Cantonese speaker, I understand the unique difficulties my
students are facing in learning English
Daphne Chu

The Education Bureau has tried to tap into this pool of competent
bilinguals by offering incentives for talented youngsters to become
teachers.

Established in 2010, the scholarship offers HK$50,000 per year to
high-achieving secondary students of English to study education or a
relevant subject in university. In return, they are required to teach
English in local schools for a minimum of three years.

According to the bureau's Language Teacher Qualifications Team, the scheme
has attracted many new and qualified graduates to join the teaching
profession in the past five years.

Although initiatives to encourage bilingualism at home are harder to
implement, it is clear that young bilingual Hongkongers understand its
importance from their own experience. "I will use a 'one parent, one
language' policy at home when I have children," says Chu.

Yip is hopeful about the rise of even more competent bilinguals in the
future. "This emerging group is equipped with both the awareness and
high-level bilingualism to do the right things as both teachers and
parents."

*life at scmp.com <life at scmp.com>*

http://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/families/article/1832073/two-languages-class-better-one-hong-kong-teachers-say

-- 
**************************************
N.b.: Listing on the lgpolicy-list is merely intended as a service to its
members
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)

For more information about the lgpolicy-list, go to
https://groups.sas.upenn.edu/mailman/
listinfo/lgpolicy-list
*******************************************
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://listserv.linguistlist.org/pipermail/lgpolicy-list/attachments/20150706/21e7b1e3/attachment.htm>
-------------- next part --------------
_______________________________________________
This message came to you by way of the lgpolicy-list mailing list
lgpolicy-list at groups.sas.upenn.edu
To manage your subscription unsubscribe, or arrange digest format: https://groups.sas.upenn.edu/mailman/listinfo/lgpolicy-list