by Fiona Sun
Legco assistant Fariha Salma Deiya Bakar speaks fluent Cantonese, Mandarin, Bengali, Hindi, Tagalog and English
Having learned Cantonese since the age of two, she speaks like a native and says the language is key to building a life and career in the city. “Cantonese is important. If I do not master it, I may have a lot of difficulties finding jobs, whether I have a degree.
“Cantonese is part of Hong Kong culture and important for a sense of belonging here.”
Bakar chose Cantonese as a compulsory course in school while most of her ethnic minority classmates studied it as a second language. Apart from taking courses, she also watched television dramas and read local newspapers to immerse herself.
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