Letters | In Hong Kong, let’s learn and like Mandarin
- Readers discuss the value of being trilingual, and why mainland tourism to Hong Kong hasn’t instantly recovered
The government should reinforce its commitment to trilingual education. Although English, Cantonese and Mandarin are part of school curriculums, few students are truly fluent in all three.
Being trilingual in English, Cantonese and Mandarin unlocks immense potential and opportunities. According to Ethnologue, 1.5 billion, 85.6 million and 1.1 billion people speak English, Cantonese and Mandarin respectively. By this count, being trilingual enables you to interact with more than 3.456 billion people, which is about 43.2 per cent of the world population. As prevalent as translation apps are, a grasp of more languages allows students more academic and job opportunities.
Hong Kong residents should also understand that the spread of Mandarin does not correlate to an erosion of the Cantonese identity. Rather, it gives you an extra edge over others. Learning a second language is comparable to learning a new skill – it never hurts. It is also unwise to treat Mandarin with hostility due to cultural differences.
Jasper Tang, Kowloon Tong