Mainland scientists have developed a computer programme to assess spoken Putonghua for a test developed by Polytechnic University.
The technology, created by the Chinese Academy of Sciences and already in use in a Putonghua proficiency test run by the State Language and Writing Commission was fine tuned for Poly U's Putonghua Shui Ping Kao Shi to assess Putonghua as a foreign language.
'The test was originally designed for professionals such as teachers, actors and broadcasters,' said Professor Chan Shui-duen, head of the Department of Chinese and Bilingual Studies and associate dean of the Faculty of Communication.
'It has now become a proficiency test for all people. But its emphasis is too much on correct pronunciation and not on communication. For people in Hong Kong it is very difficult to reach the passing grade,' she said.
'In 1995 we conducted a reference study and found that close to 70 per cent of our students could not.'
The test gained validation from the State Language and Writing Commission in 2002. However it was the decision in 2003 to make Putonghua testing compulsory for all Poly U students funded by the University Grants Committee that spurred Professor Chan to enlist technology.