Broken English and Hong Kong students: it’s not the wealth gap, it’s the drive gap
- The rich-poor divide should not prevent students from less-well-off families from accessing the books, films and resources they need to improve their English
- Success is all about grit, passion and perseverance
While it is right to assert that the local English curriculum does not aim at helping local students attain native-like proficiency in English language (“How Hong Kong’s English standards reflect the wealth gap and what can be done to bridge it”, April 9), it might be inappropriate to attribute students’ varied English proficiency levels to differences between the rich and the poor.
Having access to English books, English films, or even interaction with native speakers is not the exclusive privilege of wealthy students. On the contrary, every student can borrow English books in school and in public libraries; watch films online anytime, anywhere; and interact with native-speaking English teachers or non-Chinese-speaking students at school.
Whether or not local students can acquire a higher proficiency level with the proper learning material and teacher intervention would probably depend on factors other than the wealth gap. Intrinsic motivation, for instance, is a powerful driver for students to advance in any learning, as the spontaneous desire to acquire new knowledge is both joyful and satisfying.
External help and extrinsic motivation are deemed indispensable to coaching and guiding students in their learning process. However, once students have identified their needs or seen the value of what they are learning, they will make progress quickly. Those with grit, passion and perseverance would excel profoundly in what they do, regardless of their backgrounds or limitations.
Andy Seto, Shau Kei Wan