Hong Kong English in the eyes of Hong Kong people : does it have a place?
The study of Hong Kong English (HKE) is not anything new. However, it is important to know what Hong Kong people think about the variety they speak. The acceptance of the locals towards HKE determines whether this variety has a place in the society or not. In this research, the following questions are addressed. 1. What are Hong Kong people's attitudes towards HKE? Does HKE exist? Do they think that HKE is a legitimate variation of English? 2. Are Hong Kong people proud of HKE or are they ashamed of it? 3. What exactly do Hong Kong people think HKE is? What language elements are considered features of HKE and what are considered errors? 4. Do Hong Kong people have similar or mixed views about HKE? 5. What are the future of HKE and the use of English in Hong Kong? What are the factors that contribute to the development of languages in Hong Kong? Eight selected subjects of different age range and with different education levels were invited to participate in a survey which involves a questionnaire with both open-ended and close-ended questions. The study finds that the subjects are mostly neutral to negative towards HKE. Nearly half of them think that HKE can be a recognised variety. They are open to special vocabulary and expressions but are intolerant to deviations in grammar. They have mixed views about whether pronunciation differences should be considered an error or a feature. Finally, the subjects have given insights about the influence of politics and technology towards the future development of HKE. Words ; published_or_final_version ; English Studies ; Master ; Master of Arts
