Two languages in class better than one, Hong Kong teachers say
Young bilingual teachers are keen to pass on their English-language expertise in our schools, bit city doesn't understand how valuable bilingualism is, experts say
Having grown up in a bilingual environment in Hong Kong, Daphne Chu chose to be a teacher. A year ago, she joined Lam Tai Fai College in Sha Tin and has since relished her time brushing up students' English.
When she was in school, English was used by teachers across the board. At home, her parents talked to her in Cantonese, but together they also watched movies and read books in English.
"I have always enjoyed learning English, so when I grew up, I decided to combine my passion for this dynamic language and my wish to work with young people to become a teacher," she says.
Hong Kong has an increasingly large population of young homegrown bilinguals such as Chu, many of whom are now coming of age as informed parents and teachers.
Amid recent concerns over Hong Kong's declining English standards and possibly waning competitiveness, Chu is positive about what she and others like her can bring to the picture.
"I understand the reasons why the public feels that less emphasis is placed on English now. In the education sector, for example, schools are stressing the use of Putonghua more, on top of the move toward mother-tongue teaching," she says. "But there are still many of us who were brought up and trained in a bilingual environment. Most of my peers are fluent bilinguals working in different fields despite this common feeling that English is becoming less important."