MOI for sure affects the effectiveness of teaching, schooling and even language landscape of society. Under certain language policies or social language environments, selection of MOI is a metaphor of politics and resources. HK is a special place with a history of British colony over 150 years. After return of sovereignty to China in 1997, language landscape of HK does not change a lot. According to government statistical figures, Cantonese which HK people consider as their mother tongue is still a dominant language in daily life and local context (96.5% Proportion of the population able to speak Cantonese in 2006). This article is going to study how Putonghua becomes a core subject and Mol of Chinese Language subject in primary and secondary school curriculums from perspectives of policy making and responses of stake holders. According to scholars' research, by 2011, 46% of schools will adopt Putonghua as Mol for Chinese Language subject. Is enhancing Chinese standard of students the sole rationale behind this move? Can Putonghua, L2 or L3 of many Hong Kong students, enhance L1 Chinese standard of Cantonese speaking students? This is an interesting research question as Singapore is investigating how to use English, official L1 in Singapore, as Mol to teaching Chinese. As Putonghua has not developed from L2 or L3 to L1 in Hong Kong, is teaching Chinese Language subject in PMI a correct move right now? The findings of the paper can help us address the nature of L1 learning in multilingual and cultural societies such as Hong Kong and Singapore.

This paper attempts to define cultural globalisation and cultural glocalisation in terms of cultural identity (CI) and language. Homogenisation, heterogenisation and glocalisation are three possible ways to face the challenge of cultural globalisation but glocalisation may be the most realistic solution as it seems to be the way to a better quality of life. The process of exporting CIs to other nations is cultural globalisation while adaptation of incoming foreign CIs to suit local needs is cultural glocalisation. Language is a CI in the domain of lifestyles as well as carrier of CIs of institutional systems and spiritual values. Incoming foreign languages and foreign CIs often cause changes in local CIs. This is an interactive process as changes of any CIs may lead to alterations of other CIs. To be an effective communicator in this multilingual world, people have to develop multilingual and multicultural competencies. The experience of Hong Kong and Singapore in glocalisation of Mandarin and the rapid growth in the number of Mandarin learners and speakers all over the world indicate the potential for development of Mandarin into an international language after English.
[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/10.1080/01434632.2010.527344]