Learning Cantonese in the work context of Hong Kong: Needs, practices, and benefits

In an attempt to promote the learning of Cantonese as a second language (CanSL) in the work context in Hong Kong, this chapter outlines the needs of these CanSL learners and reviews some of the existing resources available to them. It also suggests ways to promote CanSL in the work context and explains the benefits of doing so. Taking domestic helpers (with a population of 360,000) as an example, this chapter outlines the current situation by describing the resources available to them to learn the language, as well as the obstacles and challenges they might face. This chapter stresses the demand for specifically designed work-based materials to suit the need of non-Cantonese-speaking immigrant workers in a specified job-sector, and offers advice as to how these CanSL materials could be better designed. This chapter also attempts to offer some insights into how Cantonese can be assessed more effectively in a standard way in response to the demands from the job market. It is suggested that a certified test center providing Cantonese tests should be set up in Hong Kong, to offer a standard benchmark for measuring the Cantonese proficiency of CanSL learners.