Hong Kong's ethnic minority students lag in Chinese language skills

The Chinese proficiency level of 60 per cent of ethnic minority students in Hong Kong aged between 12 and 23 is roughly the same as that of the average primary school student, according to a study.

City University and Hong Kong Christian Service (HKCS) surveyed 378 students between March and July this year and asked them to evaluate their Chinese language level and their experience and perceptions of how Chinese language education affects their opportunities for further studies and career development.

"Although the Education Bureau has introduced some measures to help students from ethnic minority groups in recent years, the survey shows that they have failed to help them improve their Chinese competence," says Karrie Chan Chung-ho, chief supervisor of ethnic minority services at HKCS.

The survey also interviewed 107 ethnic minority job seekers, 60 per cent of whom were unable to read or write Chinese. They faced the double hurdle of not being able to understand Chinese recruitment advertisements, as well as a shortage of suitable positions to apply for.

Dr Anna Hui Na-na, associate professor at CityU's department of applied social sciences and a City-Youth Empowerment Project adviser, who helped conduct the survey, says that most ethnic minority students had problems catching up in their Chinese in secondary school.

"Chinese proficiency has a significant impact on them as the more competent they are, the higher the expectation they have for further studies and careers, and the better sense of satisfaction they have in life," she says.

To bolster proficiency levels, chief executive Leung Chun-ying launched a Chinese as a second language curriculum for ethnic minority students in his policy address in January.