Teachers’ Feedback on a New Variety of English: The Case of Hong Kong English

Ka Long Roy Chan

doi:10.30560/lt.v1n1p36

Abstract

The present short report reveals how teachers of English in Hong Kong (HKTEs) react to Hong Kong English (HKE). By employing a mixed method approach consisting of 100 survey responses and 28 interviews, types of feedback and activities teachers use when they encounter HKE in classroom were recorded and reported. The results showed that the two types of teachers of English – Native and Non-native English speakers – provided different kinds of responses because of the differences in attitude they held toward new varieties of English. The current study potentially sheds light on how different varieties of English could fit in traditional ESL curricula. Further research is warranted on how the feedback may affect English acquisition among Hong Kong students and whether the feedback brings positive or negative effects to the students.

Highlights

While the linguistic features of Hong Kong English (HKE), a rather new variety of English, have been investigated over the past two decades, little has been done on its application in ESL teaching, teachers’ reaction to the variety or teachers’ education in new Englishes
Because this paper is concerned with the feedback on HKE, a relatively “newer” variety of English, the attitudes of HKTEs towards HKE were examined first
This result suggests that HKTEs generally accept the use of HKE, which mirrors the result of several previous studies, like that of Chan (2019) and Hansen Edwards (2016)

Summary

Introduction

While the linguistic features of Hong Kong English (HKE), a rather new variety of English, have been investigated over the past two decades, little has been done on its application in ESL teaching, teachers’ reaction to the variety or teachers’ education in new Englishes. Little research has examined how teachers of English, especially, those who are L2 speakers, react to these varieties of new Englishes. Hino (2018) proposes that localized English (like Japanese English) could be the native language of the Japanese according to a roadmap which includes a reformation of education policy and curriculum. A reformation of the linguistic landscape requires teachers’ cooperation in ESL teaching, especially their reactions to new varieties of English

Methods

Results

Conclusion