Learning Chinese as a second language is challenging for non-Chinese speaking population in Hong Kong. In order to facilitate the Chinese learning of this group of people, understanding their trajectory of Chinese language development is crucial. The present longitudinal study follows 88 non-Chinese speaking preschoolers in 4 time points, from their K1 to K3, in order to have a grasp of their Chinese language development in three key aspects, namely listening, speaking and reading. Results showed that non-Chinese speaking preschoolers progressed their Chinese language proficiency over time in the three domains, whereas their listening abilities have the best advancement. Though their speaking abilities were the worst at the beginning, they had significant improvement by the end of their K3. The qualitative data provides descriptors of the Chinese language proficiency of non-Chinese speaking preschoolers in different grades. The study's findings serve as a valuable reference for schools regarding school-based curriculum development, learning and teaching materials, approaches and assessments. Copyright © 2021 Academy Publication Co., Ltd.

A professional teaching development programme was established to equip multicultural teaching assistants (MTA) with skills and knowledge to teach non-Chinese speaking (NCS) preschoolers in Hong Kong. To evaluate if MTAs are perceived to be able to perform their intended roles (support Chinese and overall learning, provide pastoral support, bridge the communication between NCS parents and kindergartens, and promote social integration), questionnaires were collected from 18 principals and 74 teachers. To assess if the programme can equip MTAs with necessary skills for the planned roles, questionnaires were collected from 39 MTAs, and a focus group interview with 8 MTAs was also conducted. Results showed that principals and teachers were satisfied with MTAs' performances in supporting NCS students' learning. Moreover, the majority of MTAs agreed that the training programme helped them to perform their intended roles in preschools. Most modules taught in the training programme, apart from one exception, were well received by MTAs. The focus group interview revealed that MTAs were satisfied with the programme, though they preferred more training on Chinese writing skills and knowledge in dealing behavioral issues of children. The study shows the possibility of integrating MTAs into multicultural classrooms in Hong Kong to facilitate NCS children's learning. Copyright © 2021 Academy Publication Co., Ltd.

This qualitative study investigates how migrant students from mainland China attending Hong Kong universities, as scale makers, negotiate and construct new scales and identities by utilizing their sociolinguistic resources, and how their scale making is related to such social categories as history and politics. The findings suggest that (re)scaling practices are beyond hierarchically-ordered indexical regularities, but develop and change as a shifting category, and can be considered a construct that allows for negotiation and creation of meanings. The participants show their agentiveness in defining a translocal space that advocates hybridity to their advantage. It is also found that the participants established new tacit norms and organized their identities with reference to experiences and attitudes local students lacked. Under the force or influence of political, social, economic, and interpersonal factors, rescaling practices were continuously in play, and norms were re-constructed by language users. Copyright © 2021 Routledge.

We analyze the policies of China and Israel towards students from Hong Kong and East Jerusalem respectively. We demonstrate that they are treated as International students and subject to a form of ‘internationalization’ designed to consolidate national forms of identity and extend state control over ‘troublesome’ minorities within the nation state. This domestic adaptation of the structures designed to support internationalization within Universities, through which the state deploys higher education as a tool of ‘soft power’ to control parts of the nation, operates within a broader program of ‘internal colonization’ that is neither well developed in the literature nor explained by prominent typologies of internationalization. Copyright © 2021 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

近年，非華語學生學習中文的問題備受社會人士關注。非華語學生與本地以中文為母語的學生起步點不同。非華語學生學習漢字，要先了解學習部首與部件、筆順與筆畫等概念，這對學習者造成不少困難。而非華語學生的生活行為、飲食習慣等與華人社會的文化有頗大分別，語文教學的內容無法脫離文化，如果語文科的內容讓他們無法理解，甚至與他們固有文化產生文化衝突，更會削弱他們學習中文的動機 。 非華語生要學好中文，需要有學習環境的配合。不過，非華語學生的家長大多不懂中文，未必能指導學生，當學生遇上學習的困難亦未必得到即時的協助。在課堂上運用情境教學法可提供實際的生活情境，在施教時突出中華文化要點，例如：新年的習俗、中秋節的意義等等。而情境教學的設計也可以涵蓋品德情意的部分，例如：禮貌、尊重別人等。透過情境式教學，既可訓練他們的語文能力，同時有助他們增進對中華文化的認識，了解本地的文化，並融入社區生活。 本文嘗試提出一個運用情境式教學法的中國語文學習方案及研究計劃。研究對象是其中兩班就讀同一所學校的中一非華語學生及該校兩班的中文科教師。研究以一個中國語文科單元為本，著眼於情境式教學的學習過程，從而檢視此方式的學習成效。學習成效是指非華語學生學習語文能力及對中華文化、品德情意的認識有所提升。研究的重點包括「定質的研究」及「定量的研究」。在「定質的研究」方面，每班抽取高、中、低程度的學生(共六位)及任教的兩位老師訪談，收集老師及學生對「情境教學法」策略成效的意見及回饋。在「定量的研究」方面，會派發問卷給學生及老師填寫，並在施教前後施行前測和後測。 研究預期結果：情境教學法提升非華語學生的學習動機和語文能力，並豐富非華語學童學習中文的體驗，對於學習動機較弱的學生成效更為顯注。 Copyright © 2019 國際漢語教學研討會.

Acculturation is an emerging field of inquiry in the multicultural context of Hong Kong. Behavioural acculturation focuses mainly on cultural practices such as language use, dietary preferences, customs and traditions, socialization and media consumption. Despite a phenomenal growth of research on the educational predicament of immigrant youth based on a deficit-based “stress and coping” approach, there is a dearth of literature on how non-Chinese young people experience the phenomenon of intercultural learning in Hong Kong. This article reports a qualitative study on the behavioural acculturation of a group of Pakistani secondary school students in Hong Kong from a culture leaning perspective. The study findings challenge the deficit-based perspective and advocate a culture-learning approach to the study of acculturation. Copyright © 2021 National Institute of Education, Singapore.

There is a growing literature including popular media articles reporting many issues about the current education provision for the ethnic minority students in Hong Kong. The Equal Opportunity Commission has also formally noticed Education Bureau of its concerns about the education of ethnic minority students. It especially recognized an issue with reference to the disproportionately low participation rates of ethnic minority children in upper secondary and post-secondary education compared to the majority ethnic Chinese children. This paper uses two important frameworks to focus on the extent of ‘out of school’ ethnic minority children in Hong Kong i.e. ‘Five Dimensions of Exclusion’ by UNICEF and the UNESCO Institute for Statistics and ‘Seven Zones of Exclusion’ by Consortium for Research on Educational Access, Transitions and Equity (CREATE). An analysis of 2006 census data confirms that a good number of ethnic minority children are not within the school; this includes the pre-primary, lower secondary, upper secondary and post-secondary age-group children. This paper concludes with suggestions concerning a research and policy agenda in the area of ethnic minority education in Hong Kong. Copyright © 2013 Comparative Education Society of Hong Kong (CESHK).

In 2013 the newly elected Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) of the People’s Republic of China delivered his first Policy Address. Among other things, it highlighted the issues of education for ethnic minority students in Hong Kong focusing on Chinese language difficulties. This paper reviews the Chinese language issues for ethnic minority students as well as other issues and challenges that have been raised. It draws on education reform documents, available policy documents from the Education Bureau (EDB) and other departments regarding the educational provision for ethnic minorities, the Race Discrimination Ordinance (RDO), census and statistics reports including the recent ‘2011 Population Census, Thematic Report: Ethnic Minorities’, existing literature and newspaper articles. While the focus of the discussion is on the challenges that ethnic minority students are facing inside the school, the issue of the ‘out of school’ or ‘dropout’ phenomenon for such students is also highlighted. The paper concludes by suggesting that an exclusive concern with Chinese language education misses other significant issues that impact on the education of ethnic minority students in Hong Kong. Copyright © 2014 by the CESHK.

According to recent census figures, the number of ethnic minority and non-local Chinese youths has doubled from 27,322 in 2001 to 42,644 in 2011, many of whom are receiving secondary or tertiary education. Despite efforts in promoting diversity, equality, and cultural sensitivity, stigma towards ethnic and cultural minorities remains common in the local context. Minority members’ negative experiences give rise to stress and poorer well-being. Within the existing local teacher education curriculum, there are general education courses that focus on multicultural and race issues. However, they are elective courses and engage a relatively small number of students. We believe basic aptitude in multiculturalism should be cultivated in all student teachers. As such, this intervention study was conducted to enrich student teachers’ training to manage diversity in school setting. The intervention involved a three-hour guest lecture, a three-hour e-learning session, and a three-hour multicultural discovery tour. Participants were pre-service teachers from five undergraduate courses at a local University. Following the intervention, the participating course lecturers commented that the intervention boosted multicultural competencies in preservice teachers innovatively. In addition, 100% of the multicultural tour participants agreed that their learning performance has improved through the activity, and that they would continue to apply the knowledge in the future. Based on these findings, it is recommended that similar activities should be incorporated in the teacher education curriculum in Hong Kong. Copyright © 2020 International Conference on Learning and Teaching.