The influence of the language that Hong Kong primary school students habitually speak at home on their Chinese reading ability in school

The influence of the language that Hong Kong primary school students habitually speak at home on their Chinese reading ability in school

• Tse, Shek Kam Faculty of Education, University of Hong Kong
• Lam, Joseph Wai Ip Faculty of Education, University of Hong Kong
• Loh, Elizabeth Ka Yee Faculty of Education, University of Hong Kong
• Lam, Raymond Yu Hong Faculty of Education, University of Hong Kong

Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, 28(5), 400-417, 2007

Routledge

2007

• G Curriculum, Teaching & Learning: Specific Disciplines
  • GB English Language
    • GBC Teaching Methods of Listening, Conversation, Speech & Their Outcomes
• A Human Growth & Development
  • AF Family & Development, Family Relationship, Reproduction & Child Rearing, Family Education, Parental Involvement

Reading Comprehension Research Native Language & Education Multilingualism Multiculturalism Socioeconomic Factors Home & School School Children Social Status Hong Kong China

• Hong Kong

• 1997.7 onwards

• Primary Education

This study examines how the language used at home, Putonghua or Cantonese, has influenced the Chinese reading attainment of 4335 primary school students in Hong Kong. Also examined was the influence of the birthplace and home background socioeconomic status (SES) of the reader. Although the indigenous Hong Kong population uses Cantonese, a dialect of Chinese, for everyday communications, the Chinese written in school is Modern Standard Written Chinese (MSWC), the written equivalent of Putonghua, the spoken language of the people of China. Many of the numerous families migrating from China to Hong Kong in recent years have brought with them children educated in Putonghua in China and with extensive experience of MSWC. It was hypothesised that the reading attainment of these students would be superior to that of classmates born in Hong Kong and using Cantonese habitually. This would apply particularly to students from advantaged SES homes. The children born in China indeed had superior reading attainment. But children speaking Cantonese at home and Putonghua 'sometimes' had the highest reading scores, regardless of their birthplace or SES. The writers reflect on assumptions about the influence of the language used at home on language attainment and the implications for educational planning.
[Copyright of Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development is the property of Routledge. Full article may be available at the publisher's website:
http://dx.doi.org/10.2167/jmmd529.1 ]

• English

Journal Articles

• 01434632

• 10.2167/jmmd529.1

https://bibliography.lib.eduhk.hk/bibs/63165473

2010-09-27