Title
Boredom and fear in the undergraduate classroom : the medium of instruction controversy in Hong Kong
Document Type
Journal article
Source Publication
Inter-Asia Cultural Studies
Publication Date
1-1-2015
Volume
16
Issue
2
First Page
253
Last Page
262
Publisher
Taylor and Francis Ltd.
Abstract
Although the mother-tongue of some 90% of the population in Hong Kong is Cantonese, schools and universities in Hong Kong have witnessed the downgrading and even abandoning of Cantonese as a medium of instruction (MOI) in classrooms. For universities, this process is accelerated by the discourses of “internationalization.” For primary and secondary schools, the main compelling force is parents’ anxiety over their children's future. This paper discusses the social context in which the forsaking of Cantonese as a medium of instruction has occurred, and also the unintended consequences of silencing the mother-tongue of most of the Hong Kong students (and teachers) in secondary schools and universities.
DOI
10.1080/14649373.2015.1037082
Print ISSN
14649373
E-ISSN
14698447
Publisher Statement
Copyright © 2015 Taylor & Francis. Access to external full text or publisher's version may require subscription.
Full-text Version
Publisher’s Version
Language
English
Recommended Citation
Hui, P.-k. (2015). Boredom and fear in the undergraduate classroom: The medium of instruction controversy in Hong Kong. Inter-Asia Cultural Studies, 16(2), 253-262. doi: 10.1080/14649373.2015.1037082
