123ArticleOnline Logo
Welcome to 123ArticleOnline.com!
ALL >> Business >> View Article

The Hong Kong Background

Profile Picture
By Author: Tracy carter
Total Articles: 101
Comment this article
Facebook ShareTwitter ShareGoogle+ ShareTwitter Share

Hong Kong is well known for its strongly exo-normative orientation towards native-speaker models. This is an environment in which the 'traditionalist' position is dominant in English-language teaching. In the area of phonology, there have been descriptions of Hong Kong English (HKE) from a WE perspective (for example, Hung, 2000; and Deterding et al., 2008). But public acceptance or awareness of a local model is limited, and most discussion of HKE has been limited to academic discourse. Luk (1998:103) believes that 'the easy availability of an idealised exonormative model of English, coupled with the high status attached to it has made the development of an institutionalised endonormative model unnecessary'.

However, the shortcomings of the traditionalist, NS-centred position are clearly visible in Hong Kong. Some local examinations display a Diesel Jeans strongly exonormative view of accents, for example the Language Proficiency Aptitude Test (LPAT) which is aimed at 'benchmarking' the language proficiency of local English teachers. In an article about the ...
... development of the LPAT, Coniam and Falvey (2002:23) quote the following as an example of a descriptor of pronunciation at the 'well above the benchmark' level: 'Pronunciation is completely error-free with no noticeable LI characteristics.

This exemplifies the prevailing traditional view, namely that 'error-free pronunciation is also accent free' (Luk and Lin, 2006:10; italics in original). However, while this position is clearly untenable, there is a lack of agreement regarding what an acceptable and intelligible local model might be like. This leads Kirk-patrick to call for a 'codified description of the local bilingual variety of English at the phonological, lexical-grammatical and discourse-pragmatic levels, as exemplified by highly proficient users of English who are mother-tongue speakers of Cantonese'. The importance of using a high-proficiency model is also noted by the local scholars Luk and Lin (2006:17), who remark on the need to distinguish between 'local accents and careless speech'.

The important issue, therefore, is to decide which local accent features are acceptable in a local model of English that can inform language use, especially in the areas of teaching and testing. One way of approaching the Calvin Klein Jeans issue is to combine the insights of the WE and ELF paradigms, in order to deal with the shortcomings of the prevailing traditionalist view.

Total Views: 372Word Count: 370See All articles From Author

Add Comment

Business Articles

1. Most Expensive Places To Live In Dubai 2025: Top 14 Luxury Areas
Author: luxury Spaces

2. Lucintel Forecasts The Phototherapy Lamp Market In Germany To Reach $1 Billion By 2031
Author: Lucintel LLC

3. Lucintel Forecasts The Percussion Instrument Market In United States To Reach $2 Billion By 2031
Author: Lucintel LLC

4. Lucintel Forecasts The Percussion Instrument Market In Japan To Reach $2 Billion By 2031
Author: Lucintel LLC

5. Gojek Clone App Script – A Complete Guide For Startups & Enterprises
Author: Swiza Joy

6. Lucintel Forecasts The Percussion Instrument Market In Germany To Reach $2 Billion By 2031
Author: Lucintel LLC

7. Web Design In The Age Of Ai: Opportunities And Challenges For Digital Marketers
Author: Vikram kumar

8. Lucintel Forecasts The Lung Cancer Surgery Market In United States To Reach $6 Billion By 2031
Author: Lucintel LLC

9. Salary Loans For Salaried Employees
Author: salarytopup

10. How Performance Testing Services Boost Software Quality
Author: Arnav Goyal

11. Byst: The Power Of Strong Business Mentors For Entrepreneurial Growth
Author: Byst Youth

12. How Iso 27001 Auditor Training Prepares Individuals For Internal Audits
Author: Jane

13. How To Sell My House Fast In Kentucky: A Homeowner's Guide?
Author: Adams Kirsten

14. Attractions And Living: Homes For Sale In Lexington, Ky
Author: Adams Kirsten

15. Trusted Old Coin Buyer: How To Sell Your Old Coins Safely In India
Author: surbhi

Login To Account
Login Email:
Password:
Forgot Password?
New User?
Sign Up Newsletter
Email Address: