An analysis of the implementation of the putonghua curriculum (elective) for junior secondary level in Hong Kong = Chu zhong pu tong hua xuan xiu ke ke cheng shi shi ga kuang diao cha

1998 ◽  
Author(s):  
Man-kit, Francis Lau
Keyword(s):  
Hong Kong ◽  
Secondary Level ◽  
Junior Secondary

The Long March to Biliteracy and Trilingualism: Language Policy in Hong Kong Education Since the Handover

2013 ◽  
Vol 33 ◽  
pp. 302-324 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen Evans
Keyword(s):  
Hong Kong ◽  
Mother Tongue ◽  
Secondary Level ◽  
Fine Tuning ◽  
Medium Of Instruction ◽  
Junior Secondary ◽  
Daunting Task ◽  
Chinese And English ◽  
Chinese Subjects ◽  
Hong Kong Education

Since the handover, policymakers in Hong Kong have faced the daunting task of determining the educational roles of two major international languages (Putonghuaand English), as well as a vibrant local language (Cantonese), which is the mother tongue of around 90% of the city's predominantly Chinese population. Their response to this unprecedented challenge has been to set the ambitious goal of developing students’ ability to read and write Chinese and English and to speak Cantonese,Putonghua, and English. At the same time, however, they are pursuing policies that in some respects run counter to this commendable if ill-defined aim. This article examines the background to and rationale for the promotion of biliteracy and trilingualism and reviews recent research into the government's major language-in-education initiatives since 1997, namely, the adoption of a compulsory mother-tongue policy at junior secondary level, the recent fine-tuning of this controversial policy, and the use ofPutonghuaas the medium of instruction in Chinese subjects at primary and secondary levels.

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