In an international city such as Hong Kong, English is the most commonly used business language. Yet, many Hong Kongers are hesitant to speak to foreigners or find it impossible, for instance, to write an e-mail in properly phrased English. As Hong Kong has developed into a knowledge-based society, the use of English in the workplace has expanded. Academics say that more people are using English, but that, overall, the standard is wanting, with there being plenty of room for improvement.
'I came to the city in 1994 and I have seen improvement in the standard of English throughout the years. Taxi drivers and sales people use English, and more students are going to university, and using English,' says Professor Ken Hyland, director of the Centre for Applied English Studies and chair of applied linguistics at the University of Hong Kong (HKU).
'The general Hong Kong population is able to communicate in simple English, but there is a demand for people with higher levels. There is a gap between using English at the academic level and at the workplace.'
Hyland says that companies have approached the centre seeking solutions to enable their staff to improve their English skills.
'Many staff are competent English users. They know their grammar and have a vocabulary, but have trouble writing memos and business reports,' he says.
'Staff have trouble with usage and appropriateness in both written and oral communication. Sometimes they use phrases that are too casual while giving presentations to senior management, or are too formal when communicating with peers.'
To solve the problem, Hyland suggests that staff look at writing samples to learn the correct pattern of writing for different audiences. 'In school, students learn grammatical rules, and write essays by copying step-by-step. This has to change. Students should read samples and generate ideas of what good writing is, before creating their own work,' he says.
