目前， 現有的針對香港非華語學生的中文教材存在數量有限， 質量參差不齊的問題。筆者認為造成這種現象的原因與在編寫和評估方面缺少理論指導相關。 因此， 為了達到系統且客觀的瞭解現有非華語中文教材的優缺點、 提升非華語學生中文教材的編寫水平,筆者參考了中文二語教材編寫和評估的理論、 原則及相關框架， 建構了適用於香港非華語學生中文教材編寫和評估的理論框架， 即《非華語學生中文教材編寫和評估框架》 。研究同時將框架應用於實踐中， 具體表現為： （1） 根據框架的指引， 評估現有的三套非華語中文教材， 並根據所得結果對框架的內容進行修訂； （2） 根據框架的指引， 編寫適用於課後補習性質中文輔導班的教材並邀請相關領域的前線教師、 專家和學者對教材內容進行評估， 依照評估所得的結果， 進一步修訂和優化框架內容， 從而構建最終版本的框架。研究結果顯示， 依照框架編寫的自編教材內容排布科學， 能夠得到前線教師、 專家及學者的認可。 本研究構建的框架能夠幫助前線教師、 專家及學者編寫和評估針對非華語學生的中文教材。 因為， 非華語學生長期居住在香港社區， 且主要來自於南亞國家，所以框架同時能夠為豐富地域化的教材評估標準做貢獻。All rights reserved.

Quantitative research on the linguistic acculturation of sojourners in non-Western and multilingual social contexts remains scarce. Revising the Framework of Acculturation Variables (FAV), we propose a parsimonious model exploring the effect of acculturation conditions (trilingual language usage and perceived discrimination), orientations (social connectedness to mainstream and minority community), and outcome (psychological well-being). In particular, we examined the alternative paths enabled by non-local languages in the acculturation process, revealing the complexity of multidimensionality in trilingual linguistic acculturation. The findings highlight the crucial mediating role of acculturation orientation in the acculturation process. The effects of Cantonese, Mandarin, and English usage on the acculturation process of Mainland Chinese students in Hong Kong (N = 798) were examined. Copyright © 2022 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

Social capital accrued via cross-racial/ethnic networks plays an important role in the adjustment, persistence and success for minority groups of university students. Yet, few studies offered insight into how intercultural social capital impacts learning and socialising experiences among minority students in non-Western contexts. Drawing on interviews with minority university students in Hong Kong, this study canvassed their intercultural networking, its influences and institutional factors that conditioned its accessibility. Findings showed that participants garnered a full array of social capital in ethnic minority cliques, whereas their connections with institutional agents were more inclined to pastoral care rather than academic advising and mentor services. This study unearthed a campus environment wherein a monolithic Chinese/Cantonese culture and de facto racial/ethnic-segregation contributed to their restricted academic/social engagements with other counterparts and added to the manifestations of marginalisation in the literature that has been preoccupied with racial lines around the Black-White binary in Western contexts. Copyright © 2024 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

This research project involved a mixed-methods study investigating language-related challenges of first-year students at an English Medium Instruction (EMI) university in Hong Kong. The two-phased sequential study employed a questionnaire survey and semi-structured student interviews. The survey and interview findings indicate that first-year students face a number of language-related academic challenges during their first year at an EMI university in writing, reading, speaking, and listening, many of which appear to stem from lower levels of vocabulary knowledge in English, unfamiliarity with academic and technical terminology, and limited exposure to varieties of English. Additionally, the findings suggest that these challenges can vary significantly based on background and first language, relating specifically to three different demographic student groups: local Hong Kong Cantonese-speaking students, Putonghua-speaking mainland Chinese students, and non-Chinese speaking local and international students. © 2023 The Author(s).

This case study explored how the principles of multicultural and intercultural education are reflected in a minority-majority Hong Kong secondary school (that is, a school where most students are ethnic minorities). The findings suggest that the school illustrates several aspects of multicultural and intercultural education, especially content integration, prejudice reduction, equity pedagogy, and democratic deliberation, particularly in relation to school-based material, teacher sensitivity, and dialogical reasoning. The main hurdles discovered are language learning difficulties and an unsupportive social environment. This study contributes to literature on the development of multicultural and intercultural education in Hong Kong and offers directions for generalizable future research. Copyright © 2023 Peicong MA et al.

In Hong Kong, the issue of teaching Chinese as a second language (CSL) to school children is receiving considerable attention in recent years due to the trending proportion of CSL students in classrooms. While the Hong Kong Government encourages the integration of these students into mainstream schools in which the medium of instruction is predominately Chinese, the inadequate support provided puts these school aged children in a disadvantaged position. In light of this, there is a need of developing effectual interventional strategies to support the CSL learning of these students at preschool, primary and secondary levels. This chapter introduces a new support mode, the Dynamic Enrichment Learning Mode (DELM), which has been specifically developed for an intervention programme for promoting CSL students’ proficiency in Hong Kong kindergartens. Pre-test and post-test data were collected from 146 CSL kindergarteners aged 4 to 5 years who received DELM activities (DELM group) and compared to that of 110 CSL kindergarteners of the same age group who learned Chinese by merely learning in an immersion setting (immersion group). Findings show that the DELM is more effective in promoting CSL kindergarteners’ overall Chinese proficiency levels when compared to an immersion setting. Copyright © 2023 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.

E-learning has been proposed as a sustainable delivery method for higher education. During the COVID-19 pandemic, online/e-service-learning was widely adopted around the world as a replacement for face-to-face service learning, providing an opportunity to explore whether e-learning as a sustainable delivery method could be applied to service learning. The present study adopted a qualitative approach to investigate the e-service-learning experiences of Mainland Chinese students studying at a Hong Kong university with regard to their general perceptions about the e-service-learning projects, perceived learning gains, and factors associated with their learning gains. A total of 28 undergraduates who participated in e-service-learning in the 2020/21 academic year were recruited from different faculties of the university. Seven focus groups were established with the participants. The results showed that Mainland Chinese students generally had positive perceptions about their experiences in e-service-learning during the pandemic. They appreciated the convenient and effective online learning and service, although they needed contact that is more direct with service recipients to deepen their reflection. Students perceived that they had improved their problem-solving skills and subject knowledge; they also gained meaningful personal growth and positive emotions through e-service-learning. Facilitators of and barriers to students' effective learning were also identified. The findings provide important evidence for the effectiveness of e-service-learning from the perspective of Mainland Chinese students at Hong Kong universities and the potential of e-service-learning as a sustainable delivery method for service-learning programs in the post-pandemic era. Copyright ©2023 Mdpi.

This study examined proficiency levels and attitudes of main languages in use among ethnic minority students in Hong Kong. We surveyed 260 students from primary and secondary schools with English as the medium of instruction. They were multilingual speakers who were proficient in spoken English and Cantonese. Our results revealed asymmetric and correlated proficiency levels including in the students' native languages (L1s). Their multilingual proficiencies were also affected by factors such as age variables and associated with aspects of L1 attitudes. Our key finding corroborated previous research claims that mastery of multiple languages could allow ethnic minority students to construct a more powerful multilingual and multicultural identity. Copyright © 2023 Routledge.

This study considered the influences of the home learning environment and preschool quality on the development of 5-year-old Chinese (N = 43) and South Asian (N = 32) children in Hong Kong. Children were recruited from two preschools—one admitted only South Asian children, and the other admitted only Chinese children. Children were assessed in individual sessions with the Hong Kong Early Child Development Scale-3. Their parents were surveyed about the home learning environment. Teacher interviews, classroom observations, and document reviews were used to gauge preschool quality. Results of regression analyses indicated that socioeconomic status (SES) was positively associated with language development and pre-academic learning for both Chinese and South Asian children. In contrast, only the SES of Chinese children was related to their knowledge of society and the environment. The frequency of home learning activities was positively associated with language development for Chinese children. Controlling for SES, multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) results revealed that Chinese children performed significantly better than South Asian children in Chinese language and knowledge of society and environment. In contrast, South Asian children did better than Chinese children in pre-academic learning and fine motor development. Interviews revealed that teachers from the two participating preschools needed more professional development. Classroom observations showed that the preschool that admits only South Asian children has limited physical space, which may hinder children’s all-round development. Nevertheless, the teacher interviews and document reviews suggested that regular home-preschool communication and parental participation in preschool activities are high. Implications of the findings are discussed. Copyright © 2023 Springer.