LettersHandle integration of Hong Kong’s ethnic minority children with care
Readers discuss Chinese language acquisition among children from the city’s ethnic minority communities, and the harm social media causes children
When I was teaching ethnic minority children Chinese, I observed that the individual difference in the linguistic background of the children’s parents played a paramount role in determining whether they could fit into a local school. Some children grew up with parents having a satisfactory command of Chinese while others were raised in families where the parents could barely speak Chinese. The former had more opportunities to practise Chinese at home and could eventually become proficient in the language. For the latter, unfortunately, school was the only place for them to learn and speak Chinese.
The letter, “Chinese learning must begin in kindergarten”, on the same day correctly pointed out that children are gifted with an innate ability to pick up languages swiftly. I concur that the earlier children receive the relevant linguistic inputs, the better they can master the language. Yet, before formal schooling, children spend most of their time with their parents in a family setting. If the family can provide frequent language inputs at this early stage, the children will definitely pick up the language easily.