Unlocking the Secrets of Linguistic Development: A Comparative Study of Hong Kong and Mainland Students’ Language Choice and Learning Motivation in Hong Kong

Following the transfer of sovereignty in 1997, the Hong Kong government instituted the ‘Bi-literacy and Tri-lingualism’ policy within primary and secondary educational frameworks, which delineates the roles of English, Putonghua, and Cantonese in Hong Kong, yet studies on higher education students' attitudes toward Putonghua and Cantonese are scarce. A survey with 260 students from Hong Kong and mainland China explored language preferences, motivational factors, and attitudes. Results indicate Cantonese as the predominant communication medium across contexts; a positive attitude toward one's mother tongue; motivation driven by the language's functional value for career and education; and a positive link between language attitude and self-assessed proficiency, independent of parental educational background.