At NTK we see a lot of students who dream of attending a prestigious US university. Needless to say, this is a dream shared by students across Asia. It’s no secret that the gates of the Ivy League take significant effort to open. But that task may be getting even harder for Hong Kong students in particular.
The problem is that according to a recent survey, English-language skill levels in Hong Kong have slipped to a degree that a local business consultant calls “pathetic”. While the survey focused on adults in Hong Kong, the implications for students are still troubling:
Anita Poon Yuk-kang, associate professor in Baptist University’s department of education studies, said mother-tongue teaching had had a “very negative influence” on the efficiency of English learning. She said having two standard written languages – English and Chinese – and three standard spoken languages – Putonghua, Cantonese and English – had further lowered the importance of English.
It’s obvious why prospective US university attendees should be concerned. English is the dominant language in the US, and most university programmes make proficiency in its use a high priority – some quite high indeed.
If you’re concerned that your English abilities are slipping in Hong Kong’s educational environment, consider boosting your skills with NTK’s Core English courses. A strong foundation in academic English will be a great asset throughout your life.
