Learning Cantonese as an additional language (CAL) or not: What the CAL learners say

Abstract

Based on qualitative data obtained from 33 participants in four focus groups, two each in Putonghua (17) and English (16) respectively, this study shows that learners of Cantonese as an additional language (CAL) in Hong Kong experience a lot of difficulties. As a ‘dialect’, Cantonese has not been standardized and is not part of school literacy. A variety of romanization systems are used in commercially obtainable learning aid like Cantonese course books and bilingual dictionaries, which tend to diverge from romanized Cantonese in street signs and personal names. Independent learning is difficult while incidental learning is almost impossible. Cantonese tuition, often focusing on tones, is reportedly not so helpful. With six distinctive tonemes, the Cantonese tone system appears to be a major stumbling block. When spoken to in Cantonese, local speakers tend to switch to English or Putonghua. Inaccuracies in tone contours often trigger laughter, damaging CAL learners’ self-esteem and dampening their motivation to learn and speak Cantonese. Unlike sojourners, non-Chinese residents who see themselves as Hongkongers often get upset as their identity claims are questioned or even challenged by the mainstream Cantonese society.

本研究的資料取材自 33 位學習廣東話人士參與的四次焦點小組面談, 其中包括兩次普通話 (17人) 和兩次英語 (16人) 焦點小組面談, 結果顯示這些參與者在學習廣東話方面遇到很多困難。作為一種方言, 廣東話沒有規範標準, 亦不是一種書寫語言。坊間的廣東話教材和雙語字典多採用不同的拼音系統, 而這些拼音系統往往又與路標或個人姓名所採用的拼音系統大相逕庭。因此, 自學廣東話非常困難, 延伸學習甚至可說是不可能的事情。本研究結果顯示, 著重聲調教授的廣東話課程對學習者的幫助不大。廣東話包含的六個獨特聲調, 似乎是學習人士最大的絆腳石。遇到非本地人說廣東話, 本地人往往會以英語或普通話回應。由 於聲調錯誤而惹來的嘲笑, 不但傷害學習人士的自尊, 亦窒礙他們學習和使用廣東話的動機。與旅港人士不同, 自忖為香港人的非華裔本港居民, 經常因為被主流廣東話社會質疑其香港人的身分而感到不快。