Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Functional English and Chinese as Mediums of Instruction in a Higher Institution in Hong Kong

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Critical Perspectives on Language Education

Part of the book series: Multilingual Education ((MULT,volume 11))

Abstract

Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) is a vibrant multi-lingual society whose official languages include Chinese and English. The language policy of Hong Kong calls for biliteracy (Chinese and English) and trilingualism (Cantonese, Putonghua and English), reflecting its complex multilingual situation. In this chapter, I shall review the multilingual language policies of Hong Kong, and issues regarding the medium of instruction (MOI) in the educational context with focus on the tertiary sector. I shall analyse two courses offered in one of the eight government-funded higher education institutions (HEIs) and discuss issues of functional English and Chinese as the MOI in alignment with the local institutional language policy. I argue that in multilingual societies, higher education institutions should make language policies compliant with the regional language-in-education policies, and adopt models of MOI that align with the realities of linguistically diverse teaching and learning communities.

I would like to acknowledge Professors Andy Kirkpatrick and David C. S. Li for involving me in the HEI-8 institutional language policy committee, and their steering roles (including the conceptualisation of ‘functional trilingualism’ as a way of setting the aims of the institutional language policy) throughout the policy-making process, as well as their constructive comments on the manuscript of this chapter.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
eBook
USD 16.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Baker, C. (2011). Foundations of bilingual education and bilingualism. Bristol: Multilingual Matters.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bolton, K. (2012). Language policy and planning in Hong Kong. In E.-L. Low & A. Hashim (Eds.), English in Southeast Asia: Features, policy and language in use (pp. 221–238). Amsterdam: John Benjamins.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Boyle, J. (1995). Hong Kong’s education system: English or Chinese? Language, Culture and Curriculum, 8, 291–304.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Canagarajah, S. (2011). Translanguaging in the classroom: Emerging issues for research and pedagogy. Applied Linguistics Review, 2, 1–27. doi:10.1515/9783110239331.1.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chinese Government. (1990). The basic law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China. Beijing, Hong Kong. http://www.basiclaw.gov.hk/en/basiclawtext/images/basiclaw_full_text.pdf. Accessed 23 Nov 2012.

  • Clyne, M. (2003). Towards a more language-centred approach to plurilingualism. In J.-M. Dewaele, A. Housen, & W. Li (Eds.), Bilingualism: Beyond basic principles (pp. 43–55). Clevedon: Multilingual Matters.

    Google Scholar 

  • Creese, A., & Blackledge, A. (2011). Ideologies and interactions in multilingual education: What can an ecological approach tell us about bilingual pedagogy? In C. Helot & L. M. O’Laoire (Eds.), Language policy for the multilingual classroom (pp. 3–21). Bristol: Multilingual Matters.

    Google Scholar 

  • Department of Justice of Hong Kong SAR. (1974). Hong Kong official languages ordinance. Hong Kong: Department of Justice. http://www.legislation.gov.hk/index.htm. Accessed 23 Nov 2012.

    Google Scholar 

  • Education Bureau of Hong Kong SAR. (2009). Enriching our language environment, realising our vision: Fine-tuning of medium of instruction for secondary schools. Hong Kong: Education Bureau, The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. http://www.edb.gov.hk/FileManager/EN/Content_7375/leaflet-eng.pdf. Accessed 23 Nov 2012.

    Google Scholar 

  • Evans, S. (2000). Hong Kong’s new English language policy in education. World Englishes, 19(2), 185–204.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hornberger, N. H. (2003). Multilingual language policies and the continua of biliteracy: An ecological approach. In N. H. Hornberger (Ed.), Continua of biliteracy: An ecological framework for educational policy, research, and practice in multilingual settings (pp. 315–339). Clevedon: Multilingual Matters.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kirkpatrick, A. (2011). English as a medium of instruction in Asian education (from primary to tertiary): Implications for local languages and local scholarship. Applied Linguistics Review, 2, 99–120. doi:10.1515/9783110239331.99.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kirkpatrick, A., & Chau, M. (2008). One country, two systems, three languages: A proposal for teaching Cantonese, Putonghua and English in Hong Kong’s schools. Asian Englishes, 11(2), 32–45.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kirkpatrick, A., & Xu, Z. (2001). The new language law of the People’s Republic of China. Australian Language Matters, 9(2), 14–15.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lee, K. S., & Leung, W. M. (2012). The status of Cantonese in the education policy of Hong Kong. Multilingual Education, 2, 1–22. doi:10.1186/2191-5059-2-2.

    Google Scholar 

  • Legislative Council of Hong Kong SAR. (1997). Medium of instruction guidance for secondary schools. Hong Kong: Legislative Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China. http://www.legco.gov.hk/yr97-98/english/panels/ed/papers/ed1508-6.htm. Accessed 23 Nov 2012.

  • Li, D. C. S. (2009). Towards ‘biliteracy and trilingualism’ in Hong Kong (SAR): Problems, dilemmas and stakeholders’ views. AILA Review, 22, 72–84.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Li, D. C. S. (2011). Lexical gap, semantic incongruence, and medium-of-instruction-induced code-switching: Evidence from Hong Kong and Taiwan. In E. A. Anchimbe & S. A. Mforteh (Eds.), Postcolonial linguistic voices: Identity choices and representations (pp. 215–240). Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter.

    Google Scholar 

  • Li, D. C. S. (2013). Linguistic hegemony or linguistic capital? Internationalization and English-medium instruction at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. In A. Doiz, D. Lasagabaster, & J. M. Sierra (Eds.), English-medium instruction at universities: Global challenges (pp. 65–83). Clevedon: Multilingual Matters.

    Google Scholar 

  • Li, N., Leung, D. Y. P., & Kember, D. (2001). Medium of instruction in Hong Kong universities: The mis-match between espoused theory and theory in use. Higher Education Policy, 14, 293–312.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lin, A. M. Y. (2005). Critical, transdisciplinary perspectives on language-in-education policy and practice in postcolonial contexts: The case of Hong Kong. In A. M. Y. Lin & P. W. Martin (Eds.), Decolonisation, globalisation: Language-in-education policy and practice (pp. 38–54). Clevedon: Multilingual Matters.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lin, A. M. Y. (2006). Beyond linguistic purism in language-in-education policy and practice: Exploring bilingual pedagogies in a Hong Kong science classroom. Language and Education, 20(4), 287–305.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Martin, P. (2003). Bilingual encounters in the classroom. In J.-M. Dewaele, A. Housen, & W. Li (Eds.), Bilingualism: Beyond basic principles (pp. 67–87). Clevedon: Multilingual Matters.

    Google Scholar 

  • Morris, P., & Adamson, B. (2010). Curriculum, schooling and society in Hong Kong. Hong Kong: Hong Kong University Press.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Preece, S. (2011). Universities in the Anglophone centre: Sites of multilingualism. Applied Linguistics Review, 2, 121–145.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Preisler, B. (2009). Complementary languages: The national language and English as working languages in European universities. In P. Harder (Ed.), English in Denmark: Language policy, internationalization and university teaching (pp. 10–28). Copenhagen: Museum Tusculanum Press. (Special issue of ANGLES on the English-Speaking World 9).

    Google Scholar 

  • Snow, D. (2010). Hong Kong and modern diglossia. International Journal of the Sociology of Language, 206, 155–179. doi:10.1515/IJSL.2010.052.

    Google Scholar 

  • So, D. W. C. (1996). Hong Kong. In P. Dickson & A. Cumming (Eds.), National profiles of language education in 25 countries (pp. 41–46). Berkshire: National Foundation for Educational Research.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tsui, A. B. M., Shum, M. S. K., Wong, C. K., Tse, S. K., & Ki, W. W. (1999). Which agenda? Medium of instruction policy in post-1997 Hong Kong. Language, Culture and Curriculum, 12, 196–214.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Languages, Literatures, Cultures and Linguistics, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia

    Zhichang Xu

Authors
  1. Zhichang Xu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Zhichang Xu .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Education, University of Bath, Bath, Bath&NthEstSomerset, United Kingdom

    Katie Dunworth

  2. Humanities Department, Curtin University, Bentley, West Australia, Australia

    Grace Zhang

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2014 Springer International Publishing Switzerland

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Xu, Z. (2014). Functional English and Chinese as Mediums of Instruction in a Higher Institution in Hong Kong. In: Dunworth, K., Zhang, G. (eds) Critical Perspectives on Language Education. Multilingual Education, vol 11. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-06185-6_11

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation