Language policies for Hong Kong schools since 1997

Language policies for Hong Kong schools since 1997

• Kan, Vincent Hong Kong Institute of Education
• Adamson, Bob Hong Kong Institute of Education

London Review of Education, 8(2), 167-176, 2010

Routledge

2010

• F Learning & Teaching
  • FE Medium of Instruction, Language of Teaching, Bi-& Multilingual Education, Problems of Bilingualism, Code-mixing & Code-switching
• R Educational Policy & Administration
  • RC Educational Planning & Decision Making Process, Educational Administration
• R Educational Policy & Administration
  • RE School Management, School-Parents Relationship

Language Policy Communication, International Language & Education China Cantonese English Language Policy Putonghua Trilingualism

• Hong Kong

• 1990-1997.6
• 1997.7 onwards

• Secondary Education

Language in education debates in Hong Kong focus on the role and status of English (as the former colonial language and an important means for international communication); Cantonese, the mother tongue of the majority of the population; and Putonghua, the national language of China. This paper examines the language policy formulated in 1997-1998, and finds that it radically departed from previous policies by mandating the use of Cantonese as the medium of instruction in secondary schools. The paper then analyses two subsequent policy revisions and concludes that, while the tonal emphasis on mother-tongue education has remained, the policy revisions have reversed the language policy to previous practices that emphasised the importance of English.
[Copyright of London Review of Education is the property of Routledge. Full article may be available at the publisher's website:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14748460.2010.487336]

• English

Journal Articles

• 14748460

• 10.1080/14748460.2010.487336

https://bibliography.lib.eduhk.hk/bibs/3922f7e1

2011-01-20