The language attitude of Hong Kong senior secondary students on Cantonese and Putonghua = Xiang gang gao zhong xue sheng dui guang dong hua ji pu tong hua de yu yan tai du diao cha

Abstract

Hong Kong is a region where multilingual ability is much valued. Cantonese, Putonghua and English together play an indispensible role to the region. Amongst the three languages, both Cantonese and Putonghua, as the varied versions of Chinese Han-language, could be the medium of instruction of the Chinese Language subject in Hong Kong local schools. Since the resumption of Chinese sovereignty over Hong Kong, the growing popularity of Putonghua has found itself a place in some classes, if not all, in local schools, such that the trend of using Putonghua as the medium of instruction (PMI) is on the rise. Yet the influence of “learning Chinese in Putonghua” on the effectiveness of students’ studies is still under controversies.

This research aims at studying the differences and similarities in students’ attitudes towards Putonghua and Cantonese. This research further looks into factors which may create an influence on students’ attitudes. In achieving the above aims, the research was conducted by way of matched-guise test, questionnaire and individual interviews with a total of 99 Form 4 students from two mainstream local secondary schools. Results of the research suggest that in the self-reporting method of questionnaires, students show less positive integrative and instrucmental attitudes towords Putonghua when compare it with Cantonese. But in the matched-guise test, students tend to give Putonghua higher marks for the status factors. Results also suggest that factors affecting students’ language attitudes include students’ first language, fluency in Putonghua, as well as existence of social issues related to the Mainland China and Hong Kong. It is further suggested that conduct of Mainland Chinese, the attitude of others towards Putonghua, as well as media, would have influence on some students’ attitude towards language.

Further, by comparing the responses of two groups of students, the result suggests that students who studied in PMI primary schools have a slightly more positive attitude towards Putonghua than those who learnt Chinese in lessons using Cantonese as medium of instruction(CMI). Even so, “learning Chinese in Putonghua” cannot guarantee students’ positive attitude towards Putonghua because the finding suggests that some PMI students pointed out that they had negative attitude towards Putonghua due to the experience of ‘learning Chinese in Putonghua’.

The above findings suggest that teachers should pay more attention to students’ attitudes towards different media of instruction in light of the growing popularity of “learning Chinese in Putonghua”. Teachers must also create a positive influence on students’ attitudes towards Putonghua as the medium of instruction through creative ways so that students will be provided with extra motivation to learn Putonghua and Chinese language in Putonghua.

作為一個著重三文兩語的地區，廣東話、普通話及英語在香港都有重要的地位，當中，廣東話及普通話同為漢語的變體，均可作為中國語文的教學語言。自香港回歸以後，令「以普通話教中文」(「普教中」)成為香港小學中文科教學的一大趨勢。但「普教中」對學生學習成效帶來的影響卻惹來多番爭議。

本研究採用語言配對調查、問卷調查及個人訪談的方式，以兩所香港主流中學的99名中四學生作為調查對象，旨在研究他們對普通話及廣東話的語言態度的異同，以及對他們的語言態度造成影響的因素。

結果反映，學生在自覺評價時，對普通話的整合性態度及工具性態度都較對廣東話為負面，但在不自覺評價中，他們對普通話的權力因素有比廣東話高的評價；學生的母語、對普通話的流利程度及與內地及香港相關的社會議題是決定學生語言態度的重要因素，內地人的行為、身邊人對普通話的態度及煤體亦會影響部份學生的語言態度；透過對比曾在小學接受普教中及粵教中的學生的回應可見，普教中學生對普通話的態度略比粵教中學生的態度為正面，而小學時普教中的經歷雖然為部分學生帶來正面影響，但樣對另一部份學生帶來負面影響，反映普教中無法保証令學生對普通話有正面的態度。這反映在普教中教學模式下，教師更多關注學生的語言態度，通過不同手段改變學生的語言態度，從而提升學生對學習普通話及以普通話學習中文的動機。