I refer to the article headlined 'Schools may switch to Putonghua for Chinese language', (October 20). Teaching the Chinese language in Putonghua in primary school would mean future Hong Kong generations would be unable to pronounce Chinese characters in the Cantonese dialect. Does our native tongue deserve such treatment? It's hard to believe that teachers are currently proficient enough to teach in Putonghua. Most children do not come across English in their daily lives once they step out of the classroom. Generally, the same can be said of Putonghua. I am not against using Putonghua as a teaching medium for the Chinese language in secondary school. Putonghua should be taught as a language in primary school. The switch can be successful only if educators are willing to shift focus from academic performance to language development in the primary and early secondary school. TONY YUEN, Coquitlam, Canada
