Boredom and fear in the undergraduate classroom : the medium of instruction controversy in Hong Kong

Po Keung HUI

Research output: Journal PublicationsJournal Article (refereed)peer-review

5 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Although the mother-tongue of some 90% of the population in Hong Kong is Cantonese, schools and universities in Hong Kong have witnessed the downgrading and even abandoning of Cantonese as a medium of instruction (MOI) in classrooms. For universities, this process is accelerated by the discourses of “internationalization.” For primary and secondary schools, the main compelling force is parents’ anxiety over their children's future. This paper discusses the social context in which the forsaking of Cantonese as a medium of instruction has occurred, and also the unintended consequences of silencing the mother-tongue of most of the Hong Kong students (and teachers) in secondary schools and universities.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)253-262
Number of pages10
JournalInter-Asia Cultural Studies
Volume16
Issue number2
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Jan 2015

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