Language is a very meaningful word. There are two important elements in language One is the expression through our mouth, the other is the expression in writing. Reading, writing, listening and speaking are the basis in the language education. The biggest problem in Chinese education is the system is not comprehensive. In mainland, the language test in school only focus on reading and writing, but not listening and speaking. As a result, children in mainland may unable to speak beyond the words or even have the problems in logically receiving words and fluently expressing themselves verbally. To compare the language education style in Hong Kong, Hong Kong people seems to have a better language education.
First, Hong Kong education atmosphere is very emphasize about the grades in student's exam. In Hong Kong’s education system is in a examination-oriented school culture, the students will have different exams in their learning process. For example, there is a Territory-wide System Assessment (TSA) for Primary Three children, a Hong Kong Attainment Test for students to get a good results to enter a better classes in Secondary school and the Diploma of Secondary Education (DSE) exam for secondary 6 students, which decides the future learning decision. All these exam include the reading, writing, listening and writing. As most of the Hong Kong parents are concern about their children’s academic achievement , therefore they will arrange their children to to join different tutorial classes. According to a survey conducted by The Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups, in 2012 there was over 50 percent of secondary students enrolled in private tutoring services and approximately 22.1 percent of primary students in primary level 3 or lower enrolled in private tutoring. Due to many students join the tutorial classes, it helps to enhance their language ability. To compare the situation in mainland, the tutorial culture is not that prevailing, therefore students in mainland may have less supporting in their language, especially in their school lesson, the teacher usually use the mother language in teaching, the chances that they can learn and practice the others languages is less. Therefore, Hong Kong student have a better language development as they have more opportunities to practice.
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Second, Hong kong people have a better language education due to the language politics in Hong Kong’s education system. Hong kong students use to learn different languages start from their Kindergarten. During their learning in Kindergarten to Secondary school, except of study the languages of their mother language (cantonese), they also need to learn the Putonghua and English. According to the datas from the Education Bureau, in the school year of 2015/16, there were 72 percent Primary and 32 Secondary students using the Putonghua to teach Chinese (Hong Kong Free Press, 09/04/2017). Beside, some of the schools in Hong Kong for example, the English as medium of instruction school and direct subsidy scheme, they are mainly using the English in teaching different subjects. In this education system in Hong Kong, most of the students can absorb more languages in learning. To compare with the education system in mainland, as some of the mainland cities are still developing, therefore their education quality may not be well-develop compare with Hong Kong, the students in these cities may only focus on learn their mother language. Therefore, to compare the situation in Hong Kong, Hong Kong people should have the better language ability through the education system.
Besides, Hong Kong Primary and Secondary provide extra-curricular activities or program for students to learn different languages like Japanese, Korean, Franch. Students and people in Hong Kong is easy to learn in different language As Hong Kong is a cosmopolitan city, there are many foreigners that lives or travel in our city. It’s easy to get interact or communicate with these people. As Hong kong is a cosmopolitan city, there are people from different lives in our city, some of their jobs might be a teacher. In this situation, people in hong Kong can have the a quality language lesson by taught by these foreigners. Then, people in Hong Kong can learn languages effectively compare with the people in mainland. as to compare with the situation in mainland, there’s less foreigners will stay in mainland. The less foreigners go to mainland, the less people can learn, practice or absorb the languages. Back to the situation in Hong Kong, this phenomenon helps to build up a better language learning environment and education to Hong Kong people.
In conclusion, Hong Kong’s language education level is higher than the mainland is because of the levels of examination. It helps to improve the language education level of Hong Kong’s children. And this teaching methods are beneficial to Hong Kong children to build up a good language communication skills and have more chances to learn different language deeply. Learning multiple languages from the childhood can help to absorb the knowledge faster and easier. In contrast, the children in the mainland only focus on the traditional teaching principles , they do not promote the diversified language teaching in schools. This situation due to the backwards in mainland language education development. Hong Kong education system and atmosphere is total different to mainland and that’s why Hong Kong people have a better language education compared with the people in the mainland.
References
- Angela Ng, Yi Yeung and Gloria Lee, 2017
- Varsity. (2017, April 7). Cantonese, Putonghua or English? The language politics of Hong Kong's school system. Retrieved from https://www.hongkongfp.com/2017/04/09/cantonese-putonghua-english-language-politics-hong-kongs-school-system/.
- Mandy Zheng, Zoe Law, Veta Chan, Evanna Gurung
- Mandy Zheng, Zoe Law, Veta Chan, Evanna Gurung. ( 2018, July 30). 2018 Why is private tutoring such a big deal in Hong Kong? Retrieved from https://www.google.com.hk/amp/s/amp.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/2149572/why-private-tutoring-such-big-deal-hong-kong
- David C.S. Li (2019). Multilingual Hong Kong: languages, literacies and identities. Place of publication not identified: SPRINGER.
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