Language Attitudes in Hong Kong: Regional Identity, Trilingualism, and Sociopolitical Movements

doi:10.18627/jslg.36.3.202011.397

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2020 Vol.36, Issue 3 Preview Page Next Page

Research Article

Language Attitudes in Hong Kong: Regional Identity, Trilingualism, and Sociopolitical Movements: Park, Jaehee and Uhm, Chul Joo

30 November 2020. pp. 397-415

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Abstract

The present study investigates changes in language attitudes toward Cantonese, English, and Putonghua in Hong Kong over the twenty-three years after the U.K’s political handover of the region to China. This study also scrutinizes the relationships between language attitudes and other related factors. To this end, a questionnaire survey and follow-up interviews were carried out in Hong Kong during the pro-democracy protests. The results indicate that Hongkongers have firmly sustained the status of Cantonese as their heritage language. They are highly inclined to use English as well, whereas Putonghua was rated the lowest. This article claims that language attitudes in Hong Kong were deeply intertwined with local identity and sociopolitical movements against the power from mainland China.

Keywords

language attitudes

Hong Kong

trilingualism

regional identity

sociopolitical movements

References

Adamson, B. and S. P. Li. 1999. Primary and Secondary Schooling. In M. Bray and R. Koo (eds.), Education and Society in Hong Kong and Macau: Comparative Perspectives on Continuity and Change. Hong Kong: Comparative Education Research Centre, University of Hong Kong, 35-58. 10.1007/1-4020-4449-6_3
Basic Law Promotion Steering Committee. 2020. The Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China. Full Text of the Constitution and the Basic Law. Chapter 1 General Principles. Article 5. Retrieved from https://www.basiclaw.gov.hk/pda/en/basiclawtext/chapter_1.html.
Dailey-O’Cain, J. 2017. Trans-National English in Social Media Communities. London: Palgrave Macmillan. 10.1057/978-1-137-50615-3
Edwards, H. J. G. 2015. Hong Kong English: Attitudes, Identity, and Use. Asian Englishes 27, 184-208. 10.1080/13488678.2015.1049840
Edwards, H. J. G. 2016. The Politics of Language and Identity: Attitudes towards Hong Kong English Pre and Post the Umbrella Movement, Asian Englishes 18.2, 157-164. 10.1080/13488678.2016.1139937
Evans, S. 2010a. Language in Transitional HongKong: Perspectives from the Public and Private Sectors. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development 31, 347-363. 10.1080/01434632.2010.497218
Evans, S. 2010b. Business as Usual: The Use of English in the Professional World in Hong Kong. English for Speciﬁc Purposes 29, 153-167. 10.1016/j.esp.2009.11.005
Fasold, R. 1984. The Sociolinguistics of Society. Oxford: Blackwell.
Ferguson, C. A. 1959. Diglossia. Word 15, 325-340. 10.1080/00437956.1959.11659702
Fishman, J. 1967. Bilingualism With and Without Diglossia. Journal of Social Issues 23.2, 29-38. 10.1111/j.1540-4560.1967.tb00573.x
Gao, X. 2012. ‘Cantonese is not a Dialect’: Chinese Netizens’ Defence of Cantonese as a Regional Lingua Franca, Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development 33.5, 449-464. 10.1080/01434632.2012.680461
Gardner, R. C. 1985. Social Psychology and Second Language Learning: The Role of Attitudes and Motivation. London: Edward Arnold.
Gardner, R. C. 2001. Integrative Motivation and Second Language Acquisition. In Z. Dornyei and R. W. Schmidt (Eds.), Motivation and Second Language Acquisition. Honolulu: University of Hawaii, 1-20.
Gardner, R. C. and W. E. Lambert. 1972. Attitudes and Motivation in Second Language Learning. Rowley, MA: Newbury House.
Groves, J. M. 2010. Language or Dialect, Topolect or Regiolect? A Comparative Study of Language Attitudes towards the Status of Cantonese in Hong Kong. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development 31.6, 531-551. 10.1080/01434632.2010.509507
Hernández, J. C., A. Ramzy., and T. May. June, 2020. Defying Beijing, Thousands in Hong Kong Hold Tiananmen Vigil. The New York Times. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/04/world/asia/tiananmen-hong-kong-china.html.
Ho, C. C. and J. C. Richards. 2013. Language Attitudes after the Handover: Communication and Identity in 2013 Hong Kong. International Journal of Novel Research in Humanity and Social Sciences 2.3, 6-27.
Hong Kong Census and Statistics Department. 2017. Population Aged 5 and Over by Usual Spoken Language and Year, 2006, 2011, 2016. Retrieved from https://www.bycensus2016.gov.hk/en/bc-mt.html.
Hong Kong Census and Statistics Department. 2019. Thematic Household Survey Report No. 66. Retrieved from https:// www.censtatd.gov.hk/press_release/pressReleaseDetail.jsp?charsetID=1&pressRID=4582.
Hong Kong Public Opinion Research Institute. 2019. Anti-Extradition Bill Movement Public Sentiment Report. Retrieved from https://www.pori.hk/anti-extradition-bill-report-3.
Hong Kong Public Opinion Research Institute. 2019. People’s Ethnic identity. Retrieved from https://www.pori.hk/ pop-poll/ethnic-identity/q001/hongkonger
Irvine, J. T. and S. Gal. 2000. Language Ideology and Linguistic Differentiation. In Kroskrity, P.V. (ed.), Regimes of Language: Ideologies, Polities, and Identities. Santa Fe: School of American Research Press, 35-84.
Jenkins, J. 2003. World Englishes: A Resource Book for Students. London and New York: Routledge.
Jensen, L. A. 2008. Through Two Lenses: A Cultural-Developmental Approach to Moral Psychology. Developmental Review 28, 289-315. 10.1016/j.dr.2007.11.001
Kirkpatrick, A. 2007. World Englishes: Implications for International Communication and English Language Teaching. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Labov, W. 1963. The Social Motivation of a Sound Change. Word 19.3, 273-309. 10.1080/00437956.1963.11659799
Lai, M. L. 2001. Hong Kong Students’ Attitudes towards Cantonese, Putonghua and English after the Change of Sovereignty. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development 22.2, 112-133. 10.1080/01434630108666428
Lai, M. L. 2005. Language Attitudes of the First Postcolonial Generation in Hong Kong Secondary Schools. Language in Society 34, 363-388. 10.1017/S004740450505013X
Lai, M. L. 2010b. Hong Kong Students' Attitudes towards Cantonese, Putonghua and English After the Change of Sovereignty. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development 22.2, 112-133. 10.1080/01434630108666428
Lai, M. L. 2011. Cultural Identity and Language Attitudes - Into the Second Decade of Postcolonial Hong Kong. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development 32.3, 49-264. 10.1080/01434632.2010.539692
Li, D. C. S. 2006. Chinese as a Lingua Franca in Greater China. Annual Review of Applied Linguistics 26, 149-176. 10.1017/S0267190506000080
Li, D. C. S. 2009. Towards Biliteracy and Trilingualism in Hong Kong (SAR): Problems, Dilemmas and Stakeholders Views. AILA Review 22, 72-84. 10.1075/aila.22.06li
Li, E. S. H. and G. Luk. 2012. The Changing Language Attitudes towards English of Chinese Secondary Students in Hong Kong. In Proceedings of the Seventh Annual Conference of the Asian Studies Association, edited by S. C. Chan. Hong Kong: The Contemporary China Research Centre, The Shu Yan University of Hong Kong, 887-913.
Liu, X. 2018. A Comparative Study of Language Attitudes in Hong Kong: Towards English, Cantonese and Putonghua. International Journal of English Linguistics 8.3, 195-209. 10.5539/ijel.v8n3p195
Pavlenko, A. 2005. Emotions and Multilingualism. New York: Cambridge University Press. 10.1017/CBO9780511584305
Pennington, M. C. and F. Yue. 1994. English and Chinese in Hong Kong: Pre-1997 Language Attitudes. World Englishes 13.1, 1-20. 10.1111/j.1467-971X.1994.tb00279.x
Pierson, H. D., G. S. Fu., and S. Y. Lee. 1980. An Analysis of the Relationship between Language Attitudes and English Attainment of Secondary School Students in Hong Kong. Language Learning 30, 289-316. 10.1111/j.1467-1770.1980.tb00320.x
Pierson, H. D. 1994. Cantonese, English, or Putonghua-Unresolved Communicative Issue in Hong Kong’s Future. In G. A. Postiglione (Ed.), Education and Society in Hong Kong-Toward One Country and Two Systems. Hong Kong: Chinese University Press, 168-183.
Pierson, H. D. 1998. Societal Accommodation to English and Putonghua in Cantonese-Speaking Hong Kong. In M. C. Pennington (ed.), Language in Hong Kong at Century’s End. Hong Kong: Hong Kong University Press, 91-109.
Sullivan, N., R. T. Schatz., and C, M. H. Lam. 2012. The (Re)nationalization of Hong Kong: The Nexus of Language and Social Identity in 2002 and 2009. International Journal of Language Studies 6.4, 41-70.
Sum, L. K. August, 2019. Young, Educated and Middle Class: First Field Study of Hong Kong Protesters Reveals Demographic Trends. South China Morning Post. Retrieved from https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/ article/3022345/young-educated-and-middle-class-first-field-study-hong-kong.
Wang, L. and H. J. Ladegaard. 2008. Language Attitudes and Gender in China: Perceptions and Reported Use of Putonghua and Cantonese in the Southern Province of Guangdong. Language Awareness 17, 57-77. 10.2167/la425.0
Wright, S. 2002. Language Education and Foreign Relations in Vietnam. In J. W. Tollefson (ed.), Language policies in education. London: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 225-244.

Information

Publisher :The Modern Linguistic Society of Korea
Publisher(Ko) :한국현대언어학회
Journal Title :The Journal of Studies in Language
Journal Title(Ko) :언어연구
Volume : 36
No :3
Pages :397-415
DOI :https://doi.org/10.18627/jslg.36.3.202011.397

[1] Adamson, B. and S. P. Li. 1999. Primary and Secondary Schooling. In M. Bray and R. Koo (eds.), Education and Society in Hong Kong and Macau: Comparative Perspectives on Continuity and Change. Hong Kong: Comparative Education Research Centre, University of Hong Kong, 35-58. 10.1007/1-4020-4449-6_3

[2] Basic Law Promotion Steering Committee. 2020. The Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China. Full Text of the Constitution and the Basic Law. Chapter 1 General Principles. Article 5. Retrieved from https://www.basiclaw.gov.hk/pda/en/basiclawtext/chapter_1.html.

[3] Dailey-O’Cain, J. 2017. Trans-National English in Social Media Communities. London: Palgrave Macmillan. 10.1057/978-1-137-50615-3

[4] Edwards, H. J. G. 2015. Hong Kong English: Attitudes, Identity, and Use. Asian Englishes 27, 184-208. 10.1080/13488678.2015.1049840

[5] Edwards, H. J. G. 2016. The Politics of Language and Identity: Attitudes towards Hong Kong English Pre and Post the Umbrella Movement, Asian Englishes 18.2, 157-164. 10.1080/13488678.2016.1139937

[6] Evans, S. 2010a. Language in Transitional HongKong: Perspectives from the Public and Private Sectors. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development 31, 347-363. 10.1080/01434632.2010.497218

[7] Evans, S. 2010b. Business as Usual: The Use of English in the Professional World in Hong Kong. English for Speciﬁc Purposes 29, 153-167. 10.1016/j.esp.2009.11.005

[8] Fasold, R. 1984. The Sociolinguistics of Society. Oxford: Blackwell.

[9] Ferguson, C. A. 1959. Diglossia. Word 15, 325-340. 10.1080/00437956.1959.11659702

[10] Fishman, J. 1967. Bilingualism With and Without Diglossia. Journal of Social Issues 23.2, 29-38. 10.1111/j.1540-4560.1967.tb00573.x

[11] Gao, X. 2012. ‘Cantonese is not a Dialect’: Chinese Netizens’ Defence of Cantonese as a Regional Lingua Franca, Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development 33.5, 449-464. 10.1080/01434632.2012.680461

[12] Gardner, R. C. 1985. Social Psychology and Second Language Learning: The Role of Attitudes and Motivation. London: Edward Arnold.

[13] Gardner, R. C. 2001. Integrative Motivation and Second Language Acquisition. In Z. Dornyei and R. W. Schmidt (Eds.), Motivation and Second Language Acquisition. Honolulu: University of Hawaii, 1-20.

[14] Gardner, R. C. and W. E. Lambert. 1972. Attitudes and Motivation in Second Language Learning. Rowley, MA: Newbury House.

[15] Groves, J. M. 2010. Language or Dialect, Topolect or Regiolect? A Comparative Study of Language Attitudes towards the Status of Cantonese in Hong Kong. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development 31.6, 531-551. 10.1080/01434632.2010.509507

[16] Hernández, J. C., A. Ramzy., and T. May. June, 2020. Defying Beijing, Thousands in Hong Kong Hold Tiananmen Vigil. The New York Times. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/04/world/asia/tiananmen-hong-kong-china.html.

[17] Ho, C. C. and J. C. Richards. 2013. Language Attitudes after the Handover: Communication and Identity in 2013 Hong Kong. International Journal of Novel Research in Humanity and Social Sciences 2.3, 6-27.

[18] Hong Kong Census and Statistics Department. 2017. Population Aged 5 and Over by Usual Spoken Language and Year, 2006, 2011, 2016. Retrieved from https://www.bycensus2016.gov.hk/en/bc-mt.html.

[19] Hong Kong Census and Statistics Department. 2019. Thematic Household Survey Report No. 66. Retrieved from https:// www.censtatd.gov.hk/press_release/pressReleaseDetail.jsp?charsetID=1&pressRID=4582.

[20] Hong Kong Public Opinion Research Institute. 2019. Anti-Extradition Bill Movement Public Sentiment Report. Retrieved from https://www.pori.hk/anti-extradition-bill-report-3.

[21] Hong Kong Public Opinion Research Institute. 2019. People’s Ethnic identity. Retrieved from https://www.pori.hk/ pop-poll/ethnic-identity/q001/hongkonger

[22] Irvine, J. T. and S. Gal. 2000. Language Ideology and Linguistic Differentiation. In Kroskrity, P.V. (ed.), Regimes of Language: Ideologies, Polities, and Identities. Santa Fe: School of American Research Press, 35-84.

[23] Jenkins, J. 2003. World Englishes: A Resource Book for Students. London and New York: Routledge.

[24] Jensen, L. A. 2008. Through Two Lenses: A Cultural-Developmental Approach to Moral Psychology. Developmental Review 28, 289-315. 10.1016/j.dr.2007.11.001

[25] Kirkpatrick, A. 2007. World Englishes: Implications for International Communication and English Language Teaching. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

[26] Labov, W. 1963. The Social Motivation of a Sound Change. Word 19.3, 273-309. 10.1080/00437956.1963.11659799

[27] Lai, M. L. 2001. Hong Kong Students’ Attitudes towards Cantonese, Putonghua and English after the Change of Sovereignty. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development 22.2, 112-133. 10.1080/01434630108666428

[28] Lai, M. L. 2005. Language Attitudes of the First Postcolonial Generation in Hong Kong Secondary Schools. Language in Society 34, 363-388. 10.1017/S004740450505013X

[29] Lai, M. L. 2010b. Hong Kong Students' Attitudes towards Cantonese, Putonghua and English After the Change of Sovereignty. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development 22.2, 112-133. 10.1080/01434630108666428

[30] Lai, M. L. 2011. Cultural Identity and Language Attitudes - Into the Second Decade of Postcolonial Hong Kong. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development 32.3, 49-264. 10.1080/01434632.2010.539692

[31] Li, D. C. S. 2006. Chinese as a Lingua Franca in Greater China. Annual Review of Applied Linguistics 26, 149-176. 10.1017/S0267190506000080

[32] Li, D. C. S. 2009. Towards Biliteracy and Trilingualism in Hong Kong (SAR): Problems, Dilemmas and Stakeholders Views. AILA Review 22, 72-84. 10.1075/aila.22.06li

[33] Li, E. S. H. and G. Luk. 2012. The Changing Language Attitudes towards English of Chinese Secondary Students in Hong Kong. In Proceedings of the Seventh Annual Conference of the Asian Studies Association, edited by S. C. Chan. Hong Kong: The Contemporary China Research Centre, The Shu Yan University of Hong Kong, 887-913.

[34] Liu, X. 2018. A Comparative Study of Language Attitudes in Hong Kong: Towards English, Cantonese and Putonghua. International Journal of English Linguistics 8.3, 195-209. 10.5539/ijel.v8n3p195

[35] Pavlenko, A. 2005. Emotions and Multilingualism. New York: Cambridge University Press. 10.1017/CBO9780511584305

[36] Pennington, M. C. and F. Yue. 1994. English and Chinese in Hong Kong: Pre-1997 Language Attitudes. World Englishes 13.1, 1-20. 10.1111/j.1467-971X.1994.tb00279.x

[37] Pierson, H. D., G. S. Fu., and S. Y. Lee. 1980. An Analysis of the Relationship between Language Attitudes and English Attainment of Secondary School Students in Hong Kong. Language Learning 30, 289-316. 10.1111/j.1467-1770.1980.tb00320.x

[38] Pierson, H. D. 1994. Cantonese, English, or Putonghua-Unresolved Communicative Issue in Hong Kong’s Future. In G. A. Postiglione (Ed.), Education and Society in Hong Kong-Toward One Country and Two Systems. Hong Kong: Chinese University Press, 168-183.

[39] Pierson, H. D. 1998. Societal Accommodation to English and Putonghua in Cantonese-Speaking Hong Kong. In M. C. Pennington (ed.), Language in Hong Kong at Century’s End. Hong Kong: Hong Kong University Press, 91-109.

[40] Sullivan, N., R. T. Schatz., and C, M. H. Lam. 2012. The (Re)nationalization of Hong Kong: The Nexus of Language and Social Identity in 2002 and 2009. International Journal of Language Studies 6.4, 41-70.

[41] Sum, L. K. August, 2019. Young, Educated and Middle Class: First Field Study of Hong Kong Protesters Reveals Demographic Trends. South China Morning Post. Retrieved from https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/ article/3022345/young-educated-and-middle-class-first-field-study-hong-kong.

[42] Wang, L. and H. J. Ladegaard. 2008. Language Attitudes and Gender in China: Perceptions and Reported Use of Putonghua and Cantonese in the Southern Province of Guangdong. Language Awareness 17, 57-77. 10.2167/la425.0

[43] Wright, S. 2002. Language Education and Foreign Relations in Vietnam. In J. W. Tollefson (ed.), Language policies in education. London: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 225-244.

The Journal of Studies in Language ISSN:1225-4770(Print) 2671-6151(Online) 언어연구

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