Jane Lee

Opinion | If Hong Kong is to stay successful, good English is essential

Proficiency in English is not just part of Hong Kong’s trilingual policy, it is also needed to engage effectively with international partners and share the China story with global audiences

Reading Time:3 minutes

Why you can trust SCMP

99+

Secondary school students sit for an English examination at a school in North Point, Hong Kong, on April 21. Photo: Dickson Lee

Jane Lee

Published: 9:30am, 7 Nov 2023

The slide in English language skills in Hong Kong has long been a popular topic of discussion in the local community, particularly among companies.

This deterioration is contrary to the government’s language policy, which aims to enable Hongkongers to be trilingual in Cantonese, Mandarin and English, and literate in Chinese and English. Many believe more needs to be done to improve English standards, enhance our trilingual culture and sustain our status as a leading international centre.

English became the dominant language in international trade and finance in the latter half of the 20th century, and has played a vital role in Hong Kong’s development as a prominent hub for trade and services. It is critical to preserving our competitive edge against regional rivals.

But the changing dynamics of the global economy – including China’s emergence as the world’s second-largest economy and the largest exporter of merchandise – are shaping the linguistic environment of international business. These factors contribute to the need for Hong Kong to maintain the highest possible trilingual standards.

So, what must we do? Issues we face include our examination-oriented approach to teaching English, which prioritises rote learning and test preparation, and has traditionally focused heavily on written, rather than oral, skills. This is not the most effective approach to teaching English because of its inherent weakness in developing comprehension and communication.

Underpinning the problem are the worryingly low standards of English language teaching and the need for ongoing professional training of English language teachers.