SCMP | Have Hong Kong’s society and schools failed ethnic minority students?
Learning Chinese 'despite the education system' instead of 'because of it'. A comprehensive article from SCMP about the issues facing...
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In the News
Browse our collection of media reports related
to the teaching of Chinese to children from
non-Chinese speaking backgrounds in Hong Kong.
CALHK
- May 16
- 1 min
HKFP | New computer app shows Cantonese pronunciation
A new computer tool has been developed which places a Cantonese pronunciation guide on top of each character. Cantonese tones are shown...
CALHK
- Apr 11
- 1 min
HKFP | Chinese language requirement a barrier to Med School applicants from EM groups
“I feel the whole education system is built to disadvantage us because we have Chinese as a second language,” second-year medical student...
CALHK
- Mar 31
- 1 min
China Daily | Improve Children's education to secure Hong Kong's future
Opinion post by Manoj Dhar, co-founder and CEO of Integrated Brilliant Education. Despite government funding to the tune of HK$200...
CALHK
- Sep 17, 2022
- 1 min
SCMP | A history of Chinese Second Language Learning
A long article about the history of learning Chinese as a second language. The story begins in 1759 with Emperor Qianlong, who forbids...
CALHK
- Sep 12, 2022
- 1 min
HKFP | HK minorities share their stories and struggles
HKFP: People from ethnic minority groups expressing concern about language policy in locals schools and issues surrounding the Chinese...
CALHK
- Aug 9, 2022
- 1 min
Hong Kong Standard | Oxfam’s language support scheme improves ethnic minority children’s Chinese
This Oxfam project involved 74 kindergartens, along with 1,200 NCS students and 170 teachers. "Comparing scores in pre- and post-tests,...
CALHK
- Jul 30, 2022
- 1 min
SCMP | Can Hong Kong’s ethnic minority children master Chinese? It’s an uphill struggle.
by Chester Wong Another plea for suitable CSL teaching materials: "Chinese teacher Lee Yin-fong of ECF Saint Too Canaan College in Kwun...
CALHK
- Jul 22, 2022
- 1 min
RTHK | Standardised conversion tool needed for non-local Chinese exams.
Hong Kong Unison calls for a standardised conversion mechanism for Chinese-language exams outside the local system. Many students from a...
CALHK
- Jul 14, 2022
- 1 min
SCMP | Progress in learning Chinese as a second language can’t be measured by money spent
Ricky Chu from the Equal Opportunities Commission: clear learning outcomes for language proficiency must be set and monitored closely if...
CALHK
- Jul 13, 2022
- 1 min
RTHK Backchat: Discussion of the Chinese language learning needs of ethnic minority students
The RTHK Backchat discussion features: John Tse, executive director of Hong Kong Unison, Puja Kapai, Associate Professor at the Dept. of...
CALHK
- Jul 5, 2022
- 1 min
RTHK 鏗鏘集: Schools helping teach children from NCS familes.
Nice to hear young people from NCS households speaking positively about their experience learning Chinese - and even Chinese history. The...
CALHK
- Mar 21, 2022
- 1 min
Hong Kong Free Press | HK must pursue true racial integration
by Ricky Chu, Chairperson of the Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) "Language is often brought up as a barrier that prevents those from...
CALHK
- Feb 15, 2022
- 1 min
RTHK | Hashtag Hong Kong.
RTHK's Radio 3 programme Hashtag Hong Kong features CALHK Co-founder, Maggie Holmes. The need for centrally available resources to teach...
CALHK
- Dec 31, 2021
- 1 min
RTHK: Interview with CALHK Co-founder Maggie Holmes- supporting Chinese learning among CAL students
Why we shouldn't lump all ethnic minority students together - students in the CMI system have different needs to those learning in EMI...
CALHK
- Dec 15, 2021
- 1 min
RTHK Backchat | Teaching Chinese to ethnic minority students.
Interview with Phyllis Cheung, Executive Director of Hong Kong Unison. She discusses measures to improve the teaching of Chinese to...
CALHK
- Dec 14, 2021
- 1 min
SCMP | Guidelines needed for school funding to teach Chinese to ethnic minority students
Hong Kong Unison says: Vague guidelines, not lack of funding, blamed for Hong Kong schools’ failure to develop ethnic minority students'...
CALHK
- Oct 10, 2021
- 1 min
SCMP Young Post | British teen shares how learning Cantonese led her to start a YouTube channel
Grace Nijoku decided to learn Cantonese so she could communicate with her friend’s mother, who did not speak English. She taught herself...
CALHK
- Oct 5, 2021
- 1 min
Stand News | HK Unison calls for rebuild of Chinese Second Language Policy.
In anticipation of the Chief Executive's 2021 Policy Address, Hong Kong Unison asks the HKSARG to rebuild the Chinese second language...
CALHK
- Aug 31, 2021
- 1 min
Asia Sentinel: HK's Minority Students in Uphill Language Battle
by Shameel Ibrahim Hong Kong’s ethnic minority students face inadequately prepared teachers and a lack of sufficient resources for...
CALHK
- Jul 9, 2021
- 1 min
香港01 | HK Society benefits so much from our multi-lingual young citizens!
Kainaat's family are from Pakistan. She was born and bred in HK and is studying Nursing at HKU. She is working on multi-lingual resources...
CALHK
- Jun 29, 2021
- 1 min
香港01 | Strengthen teacher training and support children from non-Chinese families in local schools
Studying in a mainstream school should be a fast-track way to attain Chinese language fluency. But, as this article explains, non-Chinese...
CALHK
- May 13, 2021
- 1 min
SCMP | Implementation guidelines and outcome tracking metrics needed for NCS Grant, says HK Unison
Hong Kong Unison calls on The Education Bureau to develop guidelines for money spent by schools to support children from non-Chinese...
CALHK
- May 10, 2021
- 1 min
HKFP | HK School system leaves non-Chinese minorities behind.
"It is time to fix this gaping hole in our education system, not simply because it is the right thing to do, but because it is an...
CALHK
- May 8, 2021
- 1 min
SCMP | Online learning pushes children from ethnic minority families down the learning curve
Article by Emma Russell Another article which reports how the suspension of face to face classes has a negative impact on children from...
CALHK
- Apr 29, 2021
- 1 min
HKFP | Government auditors say HK's ethnic minority children need more help learning Chinese
A write up of the Audit Commission's March report. Read Full Article here:
CALHK
- Apr 29, 2021
- 1 min
The Standard | Schools receiving non-Chinese speaking grant not monitored by Education Bureau
Some 283 schools receive the Grant for Non-Chinese Speaking (NCS) Students up to HK$1.5 million. However, the latest government’s audit...
CALHK
- Feb 15, 2021
- 1 min
SCMP | Online lessons may cause children from non-Chinese speaking households to fall behind.
Article by Chan Ho-him Some highlights: Restrictions on schools during the pandemic have also affected children from ethnic minority...
CALHK
- Feb 13, 2021
- 1 min
HKFP | Schools should use Jyutping to teach Chinese to children from non-Chinese speaking families.
Article by CALHK explaining why romanisation is a necessary tool for students of Chinese (Cantonese) as an additional language. Read Full...
CALHK
- Jan 30, 2021
- 1 min
SCMP: Chinese lessons translate into success for ethnic minority pupils
Article about Integrated Brilliant Education, which has managed to stay open for face to face lessons during the pandemic. Read Full...
CALHK
- Jan 29, 2021
- 1 min
Ming Pao 明報 | The experience of children from ethnic minority groups studying Chinese in Hong Kong.
Ming Pao 明報 has devoted a whole section of its magazine to the issue of students from ethnic minority groups learning Chinese in Hong...
CALHK
- Jan 14, 2021
- 1 min
MingPao | Kulsoom's Dad insisted she learn Chinese. Now she is studying Nursing at HKU.
(Photo by 黃炒謙） Kulsoom was born and bred in Hong Kong. She went to a 'designated' primary school but her Dad was adamant she should go to...
CALHK
- Dec 13, 2020
- 1 min
HKFP | Why the ‘Non-Chinese Speaking’ tag is doing real harm to Hong Kong’s non-Chinese pupils
by CALHK's Maggie Holmes The term NCS is not appropriate because many of the students do speak Chinese. It's a self limiting term, which...
CALHK
- Nov 25, 2020
- 1 min
The Chief Executive's 2020 Policy Address
Supplement: Chapter 8. Caring Society. Page 129 The HKSARG WILL: Continue to provide NCS students with the support for Chinese language...
CALHK
- Nov 24, 2020
- 1 min
Stand News | Hong Kong Unison: Lack of teacher training for Chinese as a Second Language teachers.
On the eve of the Hong Kong Chief Executive’s Policy Address: Hong Kong Unison laments the lack of teacher training for teachers of...
CALHK
- Aug 30, 2020
- 1 min
SCMP | Academic marginalisation of HK’s ethnic minority groups increases amid coronavirus pandemic
CALHK is making language support materials available online, including vocabulary lists as well as videos and Chinese poems
CALHK
- Aug 22, 2020
- 1 min
CNN | Spat at & segregated: Hong Kong's dark-skinned minorities say they've never felt accepted
The article explains the structural problems within the HK Education system, which have caused in educational segregation
CALHK
- Aug 21, 2020
- 1 min
HKFP | Cantonese is the key to success for Hong Kong’s ethnic minorities
learning a language is not a preference but a right which every student in Hong Kong should be able to enjoy....
CALHK
- Jul 13, 2020
- 1 min
HKFP | Should we expect non-Chinese Hongkongers to learn Cantonese?
Non Ethnic Chinese parents lament that the focus on learning Chinese causes a great deal of stress, disappointment and confusion.
CALHK
- Jun 22, 2020
- 1 min
The Standard | Survey finds hurdles to hiring ethnic minorities
Dr Simon Chan from HKBU said a tailor-made Chinese-language curriculum is needed...
CALHK
- Jun 4, 2020
- 1 min
SCMP | How comedian Vivek Mahbubani came to be the funniest person in HK – in Cantonese and English
How comedian Vivek Mahbubani came to be the funniest person in HK – in Cantonese and English
CALHK
- Apr 6, 2020
- 2 min
hk01 | How can NCS students learn online if they don't understand the questions?
the difficulties faced by children from non-Chinese speaking families since school classes schools moved online.
CALHK
- Apr 4, 2020
- 2 min
hk01 | School closures mean a loss of Chinese language environment for ethnic minority students
School closures mean a loss of Chinese language environment for ethnic minority students and their Chinese levels are suffering.
CALHK
- Mar 20, 2020
- 1 min
Reuters | NCS students may fall behind as Coronavirus Forces Online Learning.
Hong Kong Unison's Phyllis Cheung adds: 80% of the 30 families they contacted were unable to help with homework because of language barrier
CALHK
- Mar 16, 2020
- 1 min
HKFP | Improving the quality of education for non-Chinese speaking students requires effort
Currently, there is a serious lack of teaching materials systematically designed for NCS students that cater to their varying academic level
CALHK
- Feb 28, 2020
- 1 min
HKFP | Hong Kong Teachers have a professional responsibility to non-Chinese speaking learners.
Manoj Dhar is the co-founder & CEO of Integrated Brilliant Education. "...Teaching, the noblest of professions, entrusts educator with..."
CALHK
- Feb 25, 2020
- 1 min
China Daily | Teaching Chinese to ethnic minority requires commitment
the current narrative hinges on educators’ tendency to frequently blame their failure on the ethnic background of NCS students. T
CALHK
- Feb 3, 2020
- 1 min
SCMP | To tackle poverty, Hong Kong must end discrimination against all minorities
Ethnic minorities are disadvantaged by structural problems in the education system. The lack of a fully-fledged Chinese curriculum
CALHK
- Jan 23, 2020
- 1 min
SCMP | Hong Kong schools struggling to teach Chinese to ethnic minority students.
by Chan Ho-him Three in five teachers are not confident in teaching Chinese to ethnic minority students, a survey has found, sparking...
CALHK
- Jan 10, 2020
- 1 min
Bastille Post | The Hong Kong Pakistani teacher who teaches Chinese to ethnic minority students.
Hina Butt was born and bred in Hong Kong but suffered years of racial discrimination during her school years. She attended Chinese...
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