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The following is issued on behalf of the Standing Committee on Language Education and Research (SCOLAR):
To promote "lively learning and use of Putonghua", the Standing Committee on Language Education and Research (SCOLAR) has commissioned Metro Radio to launch a new radio programme tomorrow (May 18) introducing Putonghua pronunciation of some terms commonly found in economic news.
This 20-episode radio programme is one of SCOLAR's Putonghua promotion activities in 2009. It will be broadcast at 8.18am on Metro Finance during the regular programme "Breakfast with Heung Shu Fai" from Monday to Friday until June 12.
SCOLAR staged a Putonghua Carnival today (May 17) to announce details of the new radio programme and other activities promoting Putonghua. Artistes Soler, FAMA and Miss Niki Chow attended the carnival to share their experiences of learning and using Putonghua. The winner of last year's Putonghua drama competition, St. Paul's College Primary School, and winners of last year's Putonghua singing competition, Mak Hiu-tung and Chung Wai-in , also performed at the event.
SCOLAR has been organising large-scale activities for students and the community since 2002 to promote Putonghua. In addition to the radio programme, this year's activities include: the "Putonghua Radio Drama Training and Competition", the "Inter-Varsity Putonghua Debating Competition for Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macau" and the "Putonghua Broadcaster Competition" (for public and secondary school students) co-organised with RTHK; the "Putonghua Singing Competition for Primary and Secondary Schools" with the Hong Kong Professional Teachers' Union; the "Putonghua Public Speaking Competition for Primary and Secondary Schools" with the Cultural and Educational Association of the New Towns; the "Putonghua Training Programme for Student Tourism Ambassadors" with the Hong Kong Community College of Hong Kong Polytechnic University; and the "School-based Putonghua Drama Training Programme" with Prospects Theatre. The series of activities will wrap up with a finale show bringing this year's promotional activities to a climax.
Free admission tickets are available for some of these activities. For more details, please refer to SCOLAR's website at www.language-education.com.
Established in 1996, SCOLAR advises the Government on language education issues and on the use of the Language Fund.
Ends/Sunday, May 17, 2009
Issued at HKT 16:25
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