Having heard reports of Shanghai youths assiduously convening in Starbucks to converse in English, I herd four Form Four students from two English-medium schools into a cha tsan teng (coffee shop) - the nearest Starbucks was full - to talk about their views on the learning of the language.
The quartet - Haley Chow Han-lam, Chris Wong Hiu-tung and Kenny Cheung Ho-yin of Wa Ying College and Cornwell Li Gangwei of Ying Wa College - all agree on the importance of learning English (the 'international language', as Chris calls it), mostly because of its perceived influence on future job prospects. Cornwell feels employers won't hire someone who can't speak English, while Haley says the language is vital 'to get a job, to fulfil your future dreams - and not to work in a cha tsan teng'. In terms of getting a job, English is considered even more important than Putonghua, which is regarded as useful only when working for mainland companies. But the students also recognise the use of English beyond local and occupational levels.
'English is necessary if you go overseas for vacations, academic exchanges, work or study,' Haley says, while Chris adds: 'If you know English and go to another country, you can at least survive, even if it's not an English-speaking country.'
When the students are told about the extra-scholastic diligence of their Shanghainese counterparts, however, their response is a mixture of incredulity and ridicule. Evidently, English for this group is a subject to be learnt only in school, despite its professed importance (even watching English movies doesn't help because of the Chinese subtitles, they say).
Hong Kong schools are having more than a little trouble teaching the language. Corroborating the results of the benchmark test, which showed that just half of the teachers in Hong Kong who took the test passed the oral section while only one-third passed the written assessment, the four students agree that English teachers are generally lacking, with the exception of some expatriates.
A big problem, they say, are the teachers who conduct other subjects in English. 'Their English is poor, and they can't say what they want to say,' Haley says. 'Not only can we not learn English [from them], but we have difficulty learning the other subjects as well.' Cornwell adds: 'The teachers really try to speak English - even if they can't.'
