Perceptions and Use of Putonghua Among Hong Kong Cantonese Speakers A Qualitative, Interview-based Study Eirik Slinning Karlsen Asia and Middle East Studies KIN4593 – Master’s Thesis in Chinese Society and Politics 30 Credits Department of Culture Studies and Oriental Languages (IKOS) Faculty of Humanities, University of Oslo Spring 2020 Abstract The official languages in Hong Kong today are Chinese and English. Whether ‘Chinese’ refers to Cantonese or Putonghua (also known as Mandarin) is unclear. Putonghua was officially introduced to the Hong Kong language milieu after the British ceded Hong Kong back to the People’s Republic of China (PRC) in 1997. The implementation of Putonghua occurred largely through language policies in education making the language a compulsory subject, as well as through an increased political, cultural, and economic involvement from the PRC. Despite these involvements, the overall reception of Putonghua among Hong Kong Cantonese speakers has been rather unenthusiastic. This thesis attempts to answer the question; How is Putonghua perceived and used by people with Hong Kong Cantonese as their mother tongue? The question was approached by first reviewing existing literature from the sociolinguistic field, especially in the context of Hong Kong, and then compare the literature to the findings from qualitative, face-to-face interviews conducted in Oslo and Hong Kong in November and December 2019. The aim of this thesis is to provide knowledge regarding the interview participants’ experiences and perspectives regarding identity, language attitudes, and language use, thereby adding another dimension to existing literature. Their perceptions and use of language are explored by examining instrumental and integrative motivations for language choices. The findings suggest that the participants only used Putonghua when the circumstances demanded it, or when they made jokes directed toward and at the expense of Putonghua- speakers. This study had a limited number of participants, as well as a limited timeframe. Therefore, more research regarding this topic, which may elaborate on areas where this study falls short, is required. De offisielle språkene i Hongkong er i dag kinesisk og engelsk. Det er imidlertid uklart om ‘kinesisk’ refererer til kantonesisk eller putonghua (også kjent som mandarin). Putonghua ble offisielt introdusert for Hongkongs språkmiljø etter britene avsto Hongkong tilbake til Folkerepublikken Kina i 1997. Implementeringen av putonghua forekom stort sett gjennom språkpolitikk innenfor utdanning hvor dette språket ble gjort til et obligatorisk fag. I tillegg var det økt politisk, kulturell og økonomisk innblanding fra Folkerepublikken Kina. Til tross for denne innblandingen har putonghua fått en lunken mottakelse hos hongkongkantonesisktalende. ii Denne masteroppgaven forsøker å svare på spørsmålet; Hvordan er putonghua oppfattet og brukt av folk med hongkongkantonesisk som morsmål? Dette ble gjort ved først å gjennomgå eksisterende litteratur fra det sosiolingvistiske feltet, spesielt i en Hongkong-kontekst, for deretter å sammenligne den litteraturen med funnene fra kvalitative ansikt-til-ansikt-intervju gjennomført i Oslo og Hongkong i november og desember 2019. Målet til denne masteroppgaven er å formidle kunnskap fra intervjudeltakernes opplevelser og perspektiver som handler om identitet, språkholdninger og språkbruk, og derved tilføye enda en dimensjon til eksisterende forskning. Holdningene og språkbruken deres utforskes ved å se på instrumentell og integrativ motivasjon for språkvalg. Funnene antyder at deltakerne kun brukte putonghua når omstendighetene krevde det, eller når de lagde vitser på rettet mot og på bekostning av putonghuatalende. Denne studien har både hatt et begrenset antall deltakere og en begrenset tidsramme. Det trengs derfor mer forskning på dette temaet for å utdype områder hvor denne studien ikke strekker til. iii Acknowledgments Although this master’s thesis is written by one person, it would be impossible without the help of others. Fittingly, these ‘others’ should also be credited by name for their efforts in guiding me, both in the course of writing this thesis and during all of my academic endeavors. First, I would like to extend my thanks to my supervisor Koenraad Wellens for continuously helping me improve the thesis. On the same note, I would like to show my appreciation to all teachers and professors from the Department of Culture Studies and Oriental Languages at the University of Oslo. During my five years of studying Chinese, I have encountered many extraordinary students and teachers, who all motivated me at times when I needed it the most. Some of them have now become my friends, and I dearly appreciate their friendship built on shared interests and experiences. I trust that you know who you are. Before I started studying Chinese at the University of Oslo, I studied English in Trondheim. My first semester there, I had the pleasure of attending the lectures of Daniel Weston. His lectures on sociolinguistics sparked my interest in the field, and I often think back on these lectures. He would have the whole auditorium burst out in tears of laughter, and at the same time have the students learn new things. I would also like to thank him for meeting me for a cup of tea when I was in Hong Kong, and how he yet again motivated me by showing interest in my undertaking. I would also like to give a heartfelt thanks to my girlfriend Annica Marie Fosli, who has been working on her thesis simultaneously as I worked on mine. Her persistence and support during these demanding times have motivated me, and I doubt I would have made it without her. My family also deserves thanks, as they have been supportive throughout all my years of studying. Even if they do not always understand my ramblings about this or that Chinese thing, they always show interest. Perhaps especially my mother Inger Slinning, who has been of great help during the writing of this thesis. Last, but by no means least, I want to show my gratitude to my big sister Cecilie Slinning Knudsen. She has done more than what could be expected as she, without warning, declared herself as my extra supervisor. I am forever grateful for her valuable academic and mental support, a support that has been there throughout my whole life. iv Table of Contents Abstract ............................................................................................................................... ii Acknowledgments .............................................................................................................. iv Abbreviations ..................................................................................................................... vi 1 Introduction ...................................................................................................................... 1 Overview of Sections ................................................................................................... 2 1.1 Hong Kong’s Language History, Use, and Identity .................................................. 3 2 Theoretical Discussion...................................................................................................... 7 2.1 Identity, Language Use, and Language Attitudes .................................................... 7 2.1.1 Identity ................................................................................................................ 7 2.1.2 Language Use ...................................................................................................... 9 2.1.3 Language Attitudes ........................................................................................... 19 2.2 Language Policies and Language in Education and Career .................................. 22 2.2.1 Language Policies.............................................................................................. 22 2.2.2 Language in Education ..................................................................................... 23 2.2.3 Language in Career .......................................................................................... 24 3 Research Methodology ................................................................................................... 27 3.1 Research Method and Data Collection Process .................................................. 27 3.2 Participants and Locations .................................................................................. 29 4 Interviews and Discussion .............................................................................................. 34 4.1 Identity, Language Use, and Language Attitudes Among Participants ................ 34 4.2 Language in Education and Career ........................................................................ 46 5 Conclusion ...................................................................................................................... 51 List of References .............................................................................................................. 53 Appendix ........................................................................................................................... 56 Interview guide: ............................................................................................................. 56 v Abbreviations CMI Cantonese Medium of Instruction CS Code-switching EMI English Medium of Instruction HKbr Broad Hong Kong Accent HKC Hong Kong Cantonese HKE Hong Kong