Students: Hong Kong lacks an English-learning
environment

Vincent
Hui, right, says his teachers in Australia,
like Catherine, left, activate students’ learning
interest. (Courtesy of Vincent Hui)
By Eunice Ho
Vincent
Hui and Man Tang, two Hong Kong students now study-ing in Australia,
say that Hong Kong lacks an English-speaking environment outside of
school.
Vincent, 22, currently studying at The University of New South Wales,
left Hong Kong after he finished Form 7 in SKH Tang Shiu Kin Secondary
School.
Man Tang, 25, is a graduate of The University of Adelaide. He went to
Australia after he finished Form 3 in Yuen Long Chiu Lut Sau Memorial
Secondary School. He is now doing his postgraduate studies in marketing
in Australia.
Question:
How do you find education in Hong Kong?
Man Tang: I find it too exam-oriented. It would be better if it focused
more on enlightening students’ creativity and developing their
interests.
Vincent: In Hong Kong, everybody is studying for the sake of exams without
knowing the actual meaning of learning.
The system trains us to be a crammer and after examinations we forget
everything. We do not have the interest to seek knowledge.
I agree examinations have their use. They ensure that we obtain basic
knowledge, but that should not be the end of the road.
The most important thing should be that students realize the benefits
of having learnt something.
Q:
How did you learn English in Hong Kong?
M: I practised English in school only. We had to speak English in our
English class; otherwise we would be given a warning. If we received
three or more warnings, we had to do a performance, say, singing an
English song or giving a speech in English in front of the class.
V: We were not even forced to speak English during lessons.
Q:
Do you think that the language learning environment outside the classroom
is good in Hong Kong?
V: Absolutely not! Most Hong Kong students do not speak English during
their spare time and even during lessons.
M: I don’t think it’s good, either. Usually we just hang
around with Cantonese-speaking people.
Q:
Do you have difficulties communicating with Australians?
V: I do not think I communicate well with them.
Sometimes I feel isolated because I do not know what they are talking
about. Even when I can understand what they are talking about, I just
get stuck searching for the right word. Eventually I end up with only
“yes” or “okay”.
M: So far so good. People understand me all right if they can see my
facial expressions and gestures.
But when I am on the phone, it is harder for them to understand what
I am talking about.
Ordering food is also a challenge, since I didn’t pay much attention
to the names of the food.
Also, it is difficult to understand the various slang people use every
day.
Q:
After studying abroad, has there been any improvement in your English?
Why?
V: Sure. I improved mostly in listening and speaking. Most of the people
around me communicate in English, so I have had to get used to daily
communications and the slang.
Besides, teachers in Australia activate our interests and critical-thinking
power. We also have more activities and excursions than in Hong Kong.
M: Yes. Both my speaking and writing skills have improved.
I spent more time with English-speakers so I could observe how others
speak, and I tried to understand why people said certain things in certain
ways.
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