WHILE Mr Benjamin Tang has made some valid assumptions in his letter (South China Morning Post, July 27) some of his assertions should not be taken at face value. First, his claim that Hong Kong should adopt a similar outlook as Singapore is untenable on several levels. Politically, Hong Kong has less than three years under British sovereignty. Culturally, Hong Kong is predominantly Chinese simply because of the ethnic composition. But the undisputable fact is, English dominated Hong Kong school education from the outset only because of British rule. Secondly, since English has never become a language which the vast majority of residents came to learn by choice, it will undoubtedly fall into relative disuse after 1997. Thirdly, to assert that Chinese students in the past who have not really mastered the English language have every reason to regret is an overstatement, since every individual has the right to choose and right to reject. CECILIA AW North Point I'M glad Mr Benjamin Tang (SCMP, July 27) realises a language ''is only a medium of communication''. So it's a mystery to me as to why someone who can speak the local dialect chooses to speak a language which others do not understand, or feel comfortable using. Please, Mr Tang, while mono-linguals have no choice but to stick to their own dialect, you have. And it is only a matter of respect to allow locals to choose Cantonese as their vehicle of communication. NAME AND ADDRESS SUPPLIED
