English standards decline, most in workplace agree
Hong Kong workers' English standards have declined in the past decade, a majority of employers and employees agree.
They also agree poor English is bad for employer and employee alike - and that taking courses to improve employees' mastery of the language is necessary - a survey shows.
But 62 per cent of employees surveyed said their long working hours made further study difficult.
Seventy per cent of the 193 employers and 52 per cent of the 1,262 employees interviewed for the survey, commissioned by online language school Englishtown, agreed English standards in the workforce had dropped since 1995.
Over 80 per cent of respondents believed poor English standards could damage a company's image and that proficiency directly affected promotion opportunities and pay rises.
Almost all the employers said their employees should pursue continuing education in English, and 63 per cent of employees also felt it necessary.
Herbert Hui Ho-ming, vice-chairman of the Hong Kong Council for Academic Accreditation, urged Hongkongers to keep working on improving their English standards.
'Hong Kong workers should seize the opportunity of government subsidies and continue to improve their standard of English, not only to compete in the job market but to gain confidence and recognition,' he said yesterday.