Chinese medium instruction policy and its impact on English learning in post-1997 Hong Kong

Chinese medium instruction policy and its impact on English learning in post-1997 Hong Kong

• Poon, Anita Y. K. School of Education and Languages, Open University of Hong Kong

International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 2(2), 131-146, 1999

Routledge

1999

• F Learning & Teaching
  • FE Medium of Instruction, Language of Teaching, Bi-& Multilingual Education, Problems of Bilingualism, Code-mixing & Code-switching
• P Social Context of Education
  • PE Law & Education ; Politics & Education
• R Educational Policy & Administration
  • RC Educational Planning & Decision Making Process, Educational Administration
• P Social Context of Education
  • PC Society & Education
• P Social Context of Education
  • PD Economy & Education
• G Curriculum, Teaching & Learning: Specific Disciplines
  • GB English Language

Bilingual Education Bilingualism Chinese Educational Policy English (Second Language) Foreign Countries Language of Instruction Second Language Learning Hong Kong

• Hong Kong

• 1970s
• 1980s
• 1990-1997.6
• 1997.7 onwards

• Primary Education
• Secondary Education

The Education Department of Hong Kong issued the Medium of Instruction Guidance for Secondary Schools in October 1997. The policy stipulates that the use of Chinese as the medium of instruction in all but English language and literature subjects in secondary schools will be enforced with effect from September 1998. This signals a change in language policy in post-1997 Hong Kong, from bilingual to monolingual education. Traditionally English medium instruction has been more popular than Chinese medium instruction in Hong Kong secondary schools. Despite the Hong Kong government's recent efforts to promote Chinese medium education, the number of Chinese-medium schools was small before the handover. This is a documentary study investigating changes in Hong Kong government's medium of instruction policy amid political, economic and sociolinguistic changes in the last three decades. The study also explores some possible impact of the Chinese medium instruction policy proposed in the wake of change of sovereignty on English language learning. I will critique this new policy and make recommendations pertaining to the direction of Hong Kong's language education. The theoretical underpinning of the study is bilingualism and bilingual education. The model I propose will provide new insights for language teachers, language planners and policy makers.
[Copyright of International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism is the property of Routledge. Full article may be available at the publisher's website: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13670059908667684]

• English

Journal Articles

• 13670050

• 10.1080/13670059908667684

https://bibliography.lib.eduhk.hk/bibs/dc7a36d3

2010-11-24