Abstract
This study examines the use of language and the communicative needs of Chinese professionals in Hong Kong using both quantitative and qualitative data. The participants were from the four key industries in Hong Kong (i.e. financial services, tourism, logistics, professional and producer services). 163 participants filled in a questionnaire and 66 of them joined a subsequent interview.
The aim of the questionnaire was to examine the language use and communicative needs of Chinese professionals in Hong Kong, covering mainly spoken means of communication, written means of communication, and use of enterprise social media (ESM). Participants were also asked to express their comments towards the business English courses taken and their relevance and usefulness. In the follow-up interviews, participants were allowed to illuminate in detail their communicative needs and language use for different genres, and their expectations of an effective business English course.
This study is significant in collecting systematic and comprehensive data in revealing the language use and needs of working adults in the local workplace right before the pandemic. Based on the findings, pedagogical implications are discussed.
The aim of the questionnaire was to examine the language use and communicative needs of Chinese professionals in Hong Kong, covering mainly spoken means of communication, written means of communication, and use of enterprise social media (ESM). Participants were also asked to express their comments towards the business English courses taken and their relevance and usefulness. In the follow-up interviews, participants were allowed to illuminate in detail their communicative needs and language use for different genres, and their expectations of an effective business English course.
This study is significant in collecting systematic and comprehensive data in revealing the language use and needs of working adults in the local workplace right before the pandemic. Based on the findings, pedagogical implications are discussed.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Perspectives on Teaching Workplace English in the 21st Century |
| Editors | Mable Chan |
| Place of Publication | New York; London |
| Publisher | Routledge |
| Chapter | 2 |
| Pages | 23-49 |
| Number of pages | 27 |
| Edition | 1st |
| ISBN (Electronic) | 9781003041283 |
| ISBN (Print) | 9780367485016, 9781032512488 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 12 Jul 2023 |
Publication series
| Name | Routledge Research in Language and Communication |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Routledge |
Scopus Subject Areas
- Arts and Humanities(all)
