Hong Kong committed to raising English language standards
Hong Kong has to ensure the use of English remains widespread and is of a high standard if it is to maintain its position as the most cosmopolitan and international city in Asia, the Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Donald Tsang, said today (January 22).
He told members of the Legislative Council that the government was fully committed to nurturing the English language abilities of the community so that Hong Kong could become a trilingual and biliterate society.
The Official Languages Ordinance, enacted in 1974, to encapsulate Hong Kong's language policy, stated that both English and Chinese were of equal status and enjoyed equality of use in communication between the government and members of the public.
"Thus we cannot blame what we may perceive as declining English standards in Hong Kong on a lack of a clear English policy," he said.
Mr Tsang said the government was devoting considerable resources to the teaching of English at schools, in the workplace and in the wider community.
"It is upon this foundation that we will promote English usage in Hong Kong. However, we should also understand that this will be a medium to long-term undertaking," he said.
Mr Tsang was speaking during a debate in the Legislative Council on 'Promoting the use of English in Hong Kong'. The full text of his speech follows. Madam President,
I would like to thank the Honourable Selina Chow for providing us this opportunity to speak on a subject that is so vitally important to Hong Kong's positioning as Asia's world city. Thanks, also, to other Honourable Members who have given us their insight and ideas on this matter.
This is one of those occasions where I think we all agree with the sentiment of the motion before us. There is no doubt that English remains an essential ingredient in our recipe for success as an economy and a cosmopolitan, world-class city.
In Hong Kong, English is very widely used in business, in the courts and within government. It is the international language of aviation and the language of choice for the member economies of APEC. When tourists from all corners of the globe come to Hong Kong they use English to communicate with the local population, as well as fellow travellers from different countries. Quite often, when I travel overseas on duty visits or holidays, the language that brings people together more than any other is English.
Widespread use of English
It is clear that, if Hong Kong is to maintain its position as the most cosmopolitan and international city in Asia, we must ensure the use of English remains widespread and of a high standard. English is an official language in Hong Kong and this status, as the Honourable Selina Chow's motion notes, is enshrined in the Basic Law. The Official Languages Ordinance, enacted in 1974, to encapsulate our language policy, also states that both English and Chinese are of equal status and enjoy equality of use in communication between the government and members of the public. Thus we cannot blame what we may perceive as declining English standards in Hong Kong on a lack of a clear English policy.
I want to assure this Council that the government is firmly committed to nurturing the English language abilities of our community so that we can become a trilingual and biliterate society.
Indeed, as you will soon hear from my colleague the Secretary for Education and Manpower, the government is devoting considerable resources to the teaching of English at schools, in the workplace and in the wider community. The Native English-speaking Teacher scheme, the Workplace English Campaign, the recently-released consultation document from SCOLAR (Standing Committee on Language Education and Research), and the Continuing Education Fund are concrete examples of the government's commitment to raising English standards.
Medium to long-term
It is upon this foundation that we will promote English usage in Hong Kong. However, we should also understand that this will be a medium to long-term undertaking. What we must aim for is a steady improvement in the English-language abilities of our community. In addition, specific courses have been designed under the Skills Upgrading Scheme to help our service industry workers develop a good working vocabulary within a reasonably short time frame.
Over the past few years, we have heard comments, particularly from the international business community, that the standards of English are slipping in Hong Kong. Naturally, such comments concern the government because one of our greatest assets has always been a workforce that can communicate in English and Chinese. The English abilities of our population have a direct bearing on our attractiveness as an international business hub and our long-term competitiveness. And if English standards are slipping then obviously we need to address that problem.
But are standards slipping? If we use data from Hong Kong Certificate of Education Examination as a guide, it shows that Hong Kong students have performed fairly consistently in their English examinations over the past three decades. Then why do we still hear that English standards are falling?
The answer lies in the fact that our economy has undergone a massive change over the past three decades. And, with the advent of the Internet age in the 1990s, the effects of this paradigm shift have sharpened.
Demand for English
Since the late-1970s, Hong Kong has transformed itself from a manufacturing-based economy to a knowledge-based, services-oriented economy. The contribution of service industries to GDP has risen from 69% in 1982 to 86% in 2000. During that same period the number of employees engaged in service industries increased from 1.25 million, or 52% of the workforce in 1982, to 2.55 million, or 79% of the workforce in 2000.
And in the past decade we have also seen an influx of international companies into Hong Kong. The number of international companies with regional operations in Hong Kong has more than doubled from 1,345 in 1992 to 3,119 in 2002. Many, if not all, of them require staff who can speak English and Chinese.
Quite simply, we have a situation where demand for staff with good English-speaking abilities is at a premium and has outstripped supply. It is not so much a case of slipping standards. Rather, it is a case of bringing more students and workers up to the required standards. This we are working very hard to achieve.
English in government
Within government we are acutely aware of the need to promote the use of English among our colleagues. As the largest employer in Hong Kong we must lead by example. From January 1 this year, all applicants for civil service posts at degree or professional level will need to have acquired a pass in the Use of English and Use of Chinese papers in the Civil Service Common Recruitment Examination before applying for a job. For any other civil service post with academic qualifications below degree level, an applicant needs to have attained at least a Grade E in English Language [Syllabus B] and Chinese Language in the Hong Kong Certificate of Education Examination, or its equivalent. Without passing this minimum standard, no one now can enter the Civil Service irrespective of rank. By introducing these standards, we are demonstrating the government's commitment to providing the community with a civil service proficient in both English and Chinese.
On a personal note, I opt to conduct senior internal meetings in English. I know from past experience that most, if not all, of my colleagues at the senior level of government do the same. English and Chinese are used at Executive Council meetings, and government officials attending to the questions of Honourable Members in this Chamber are equally at home using English or Chinese.
English remains widely used within the government. In many departments it is the primary working language. Almost all inter and intra-departmental correspondence is in English.
The Director of Administration has, on occasion, reminded government departments and bureaux to ensure that all written material meant for public consumption is in both English and Chinese. This includes government announcements, official forms, invitations, minutes of meetings and publicity material. By doing this we fulfil our obligations under the Basic Law and the Official Languages Ordinance, we remain faithful to our policy for a biliterate civil service and we eliminate inconvenience caused to members of the public who cannot read Chinese.
On the training side, the Civil Service Training and Development Institute (CSTDI), has a unit specifically dedicated to English and communication training. Over the past four years, some 27,500 civil servants have taken part in English-training courses over a total of almost 110,000 training days. Another 8,700 civil servants are expected to have completed English training courses by the end of the 2002/03. Courses cover both oral and written communication.
Standard English writing programmes focus on day-to-day writing skills such as minutes, memos and letters, with emphasis on writing styles and language clarity. Middle managers receive training on editing and image building through writing. Apart from these 'standard' programmes, customised courses are developed for specific groups and departments.
Oral communication training is designed mainly for junior, front-line staff. With the exception of two standard courses, all courses are designed for the specific communications needs of various departments.
Apart from formal courses, the CSTDI offers various services to meet specific needs of departments and staff through seminars, self-learning packages, web courses and mixed-mode programmes combining all the elements I have just mentioned.
Self-learning packages, mostly web-based, have been developed to help staff learn at their own pace. A number of job aids and e-tools are also available for staff who need a handy reference for their day-to-day writing tasks. These include the Plain English Campaign, the English Net and the Art of Word Choice.
These awareness and skills building tools have enabled our civil service staff to enhance their English competency at work, and such courses have been well received.
As you can see, Madam President, we are doing a lot to not only maintain but raise English standards within the government. But we shall remain vigilant and not let complacency and mediocrity set in.
High quality
Madam President, one of the core values that underpins our positioning as Asia's world city is 'high quality'. This applies as much to the products we make as to the services we provide. It also relates to the quality of our human capital in Hong Kong. We all know that people will pay a premium for quality goods or services. In other words, an investment in quality will reap dividends in the long run.
As a government we are committed to providing Hong Kong with a high quality workforce, and that must include a workforce that can speak fluent English and Chinese. To achieve this goal we will continue to invest heavily in education and training so that Hong Kong can remain the international city of choice for companies doing business in the region.
Madam President, may I make a humble suggestion for consideration by Honourable Members. Very few public forums come close to this Council in influencing public perceptions or starting a new community movement. In order to impress upon the community, the importance this Council attaches to the use of English and to maintaining good English standards, I suggest that the Council establishes a convention of holding its full open council meeting regularly, say once a month, in English. The same practice should apply in committee or panel meetings. Individual Members may, of course, speak always in Cantonese or Putonghua if they so decide at these meetings. I stress again this is entirely my humble suggestion and the decision is entirely for the Council to make.
With these words, Madam President, I support the motion.
End/Wednesday, January 22, 2003
