Establishing a Research Cluster in The Education University of Hong Kong for Promoting Research on Multilingual Acquisition and Multilingual Education

The research cluster aims to promote The Education University of Hong Kong (EdUHK) as a hub for research on multilingual acquisition and multilingual education and to make a positive impact on language policy studies and multilingual education studies in Hong Kong. The Research Cluster Fund project (Establishing a Research Cluster in EdUHK for Promoting Research on Multilingual Acquisition and Multilingual Education [R3899]) members include Dr Wang Lixun (Department of Linguistics and Modern Language Studies [LML]), who is the Project Investigator, Professor Cheung Hin Tat (LML/Director of Centre of Research on Linguistics and Language Studies [CRLLS]), Professor Bob Adamson (Department of International Education [IE]), Dr Leung Pui Wan Pamela (Department of Chinese Language Studies [CHL]), Dr Gao Fang (IE) and Dr Kataoka Shin (LML), who are the Co-Investigators.

The cluster has organised eight seminars so far through the scheme. The project members have taken part in presenting their expertise related to multilingual acquisition and multilingual education as follows:

• Professor Bob Adamson (7 February 2018) presented on the topic “Language Policies and Sociolinguistic Domains in the Context of Minority Groups in China”.
• Professor Cheung Hin Tat (21 March 2018) presented on the topic “The development of L2 Cantonese by non-Chinese Speaking students in Hong Kong: An ecological viewpoint”.
• Dr Gao Fang (25 April 2018) presented on the topic “Non-Chinese speaking or international multilinguals? Identity and Chinese language learning among ethnic minorities in Hong Kong”.
• Dr Pamela Leung Pui Wan (3 October 2018) presented on the topic “Rethinking Chinese Language Instruction for non-Chinese speaking students in Hong Kong”.
• Dr Kataoka Shin (21 November 2018) presented on the topic “Roles of Cantonese romanization in multilingual Hong Kong”.
   

CRLLS has also invited other expert scholars from different institutions to present and share their insights. Professor David Li Chor Shing from the Department of Chinese and Bilingual Studies at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University was invited to talk about his views on the Hong Kong SAR government’s “Trilingualism & Biliteracy” Policy on 1 March 2019.

The two most recent talks were organised on 29 August and 1 November 2019. In August, Mr Teng Feng Mark from the Department of Education Studies at the Hong Kong Baptist University was invited to talk about the opportunities, challenges, and future development on multilingual education in Asian contexts. Dr Anita Yuk Kang Poon, also from the same department was invited to talk about the fine-tuning medium of instruction policy and whether it has been a solution to solving the falling English standards in November 2019. 

Mr Teng Feng Mark’s seminar attracted over 50 participants

Group photo of the research cluster members.