Implementation of trilingual education in the early years in Hong Kong: Factors that affect the learning and teaching of Cantonese, Putonghua and English in kindergarten classrooms

Abstract

Existing research on trilingual education has typically focused on primary and secondary classrooms, and there is dearth of research on implementation of trilingual education in preschools. The Hong Kong government promotes bi-literacy and a trilingual policy, and the Education Bureau has in 1997 officially endorsed teaching of Cantonese, Putonghua and English to kindergarteners from the age of three, with the transfer of sovereignty from British to Chinese rule. Against this background, this talk (i) portrays the teaching of Cantonese, Putonghua and English in kindergartens wherein vouchers can and cannot be encashed in Hong Kong; (ii) examines factors that affect the language teaching practices in the five kindergartens. One voucher kindergarten was randomly selected from each of Hong Kong’s three regions, and two non-voucher kindergartens were studied as special cases, in order to illustrate the range of prevalent practices. Half-day classes for four- year-olds were chosen for the study. Chinese and English curriculum documents were reviewed. Cantonese, Putonghua and English language lessons were video-taped in each kindergarten for five consecutive days, and classroom language activities were analyzed using an adapted version of the Communicative Orientation of Language Teaching (COLT) observation scheme. The quality of the classroom environment and literacy curricula were assessed using the Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale-Revised (ECERS-R) and Curricular Subscales Extension (ECERS-E). Five principals and fourteen language teachers were interviewed on language policies and curriculum, the environment for language teaching, and their teaching practices and beliefs. Findings from the study suggested that a range of factors affect the language teaching practices in the five kindergartens, and they are categorized under Role of the government, People factors, School culture, and Classroom factors. These have implications for government policy and pedagogical practice in Hong Kong.