Success story fo mainlander

FOR someone who spoke little Cantonese and even less English a few years back, Chiang Mung's linguistic achievements seem almost miraculous.

The 18-year-old Queen's College student, who came to Hong Kong seven years ago from Tianjin, China, has accumulated a pile of language awards that would impress anyone. His latest achievement is being named the South China Morning Post Student Linguist of the Year 1995.

'When I first came to Hong Kong I knew very little English and Cantonese,' said Mung. 'I was studying Primary Six in China, but I had to repeat Primary Five here.' Mung attributed his success to hard work and enthusiasm, and the support of his parents and teachers. 'They've been a real inspiration.' 'As a new immigrant, I remember how disappointed I was when I failed my first English exam in school,' said the sixth-former.

'But everything changed when an English teacher decided to give up his lunch hour to teach me. I am deeply grateful to him.' The science student loves to read in his spare time. 'Reading is an important source of knowledge and inspiration,' he said. 'It has opened up the world to me.' His favourite books in English are not necessarily light reading - they include The Decline of the West by Oswald Spengler, and God and the New Physics by Paul Davis. To relax, he enjoys reading the Chinese works of Lu Xun and Gu Cheng.

Mung's talents are not confined to languages. In 1994 he won the Outstanding Student of Hong Kong Award, and was one of the top performers at last year's HKCEE in which he gained 10 distinctions.

He hopes to be an engineer one day, and to study for his degree in the United States, with the promise that he will bring his expertise back to Hong Kong and China.

'I plan on studying science or engineering at an American university. The scholarship I've just won will help me realise my dream,' he said.