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Development of Putonghua testing in postcolonial Hong Kong
Author(s)
Date Issued
2013
Citation
Yang, R., & Zhang, B. (2013). Development of Putonghua testing in postcolonial Hong Kong. 3rd International Conference of Applied Linguistics "Languages and People: Space, Time and Identity", Lithuania.
Type
Conference Paper
Abstract
On 1 July 1997, Hong Kong, which had been a British colony, became the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) of the People’s Republic of China (PRC). The political transition has had a major effect on Hong Kong society, including its language education. After the change of sovereignty, a formal policy of ‘bi-literacy and tri-lingualism’ was instituted to reflect better the political situation and the future direction of Hong Kong. Tri-lingualism refers to Cantonese, English and Putonghua – the three spoken language varieties; and bi-literacy refers to English and Chinese, reflecting the fact that Cantonese and Putonghua (Mandarin Chinese) have essentially the same written form.
Putonghua is the official language in Mainland China. In Hong Kong, Cantonese is the most common spoken Chinese dialect, and Putonghua had only limited use and low status there prior to the handover of the territory to China. However, since 1997, Putonghua has been playing an important role in Hong Kong society, as can be seen in the policy decision to introduce the language into the school curricula and its much wider public adoption. In line with the important changes in language education and the linguistic environment, assessment for Putonghua proficiency, particularly public tests and examinations, have developed significantly in Hong Kong.
The number of candidates who have sat Putonghua tests and examinations in Hong Kong has grown rapidly. For example, in 1996, when it was first conducted there, only 141 candidates took the National Putonghua Proficiency Test (Putonghua Shuiping Ceshi, PSC). However, this number increased annually; and, in 2012, the figure reached more than ten thousand – about 70 times the number in 1996. Over the period up to 2012, totally more than 85,000 candidates had taken the PSC.
Given the tremendous growth of interest in, and provision for, Putonghua testing, this study surveys the development of Putonghua assessment and discusses the content and format for different Putonghua tests conducted in Hong Kong. It also addresses some key issues, e.g. the criterion used in the tests for standard and localized Putonghua, combining Putonghua with the Chinese subject in the examination for Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education, to enhance our understanding of the nature and process of Putonghua testing in this setting, and new challenges and the possible direction for further development, given that its dramatic growth in the postcolonial Hong Kong is likely to continue.
Putonghua is the official language in Mainland China. In Hong Kong, Cantonese is the most common spoken Chinese dialect, and Putonghua had only limited use and low status there prior to the handover of the territory to China. However, since 1997, Putonghua has been playing an important role in Hong Kong society, as can be seen in the policy decision to introduce the language into the school curricula and its much wider public adoption. In line with the important changes in language education and the linguistic environment, assessment for Putonghua proficiency, particularly public tests and examinations, have developed significantly in Hong Kong.
The number of candidates who have sat Putonghua tests and examinations in Hong Kong has grown rapidly. For example, in 1996, when it was first conducted there, only 141 candidates took the National Putonghua Proficiency Test (Putonghua Shuiping Ceshi, PSC). However, this number increased annually; and, in 2012, the figure reached more than ten thousand – about 70 times the number in 1996. Over the period up to 2012, totally more than 85,000 candidates had taken the PSC.
Given the tremendous growth of interest in, and provision for, Putonghua testing, this study surveys the development of Putonghua assessment and discusses the content and format for different Putonghua tests conducted in Hong Kong. It also addresses some key issues, e.g. the criterion used in the tests for standard and localized Putonghua, combining Putonghua with the Chinese subject in the examination for Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education, to enhance our understanding of the nature and process of Putonghua testing in this setting, and new challenges and the possible direction for further development, given that its dramatic growth in the postcolonial Hong Kong is likely to continue.
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