Blowing Water | Speak Cantonese loud and proud – there is no need for it to play second fiddle to Mandarin
Like the youngest child in a family, Cantonese, which is unpredictable and delightful, does not follow rules and is far more influential than people give it credit for
Every now and then, the political rumour mill in Hong Kong is abuzz with talk of replacing Cantonese with Mandarin as the medium of instruction in schools.
It happened again earlier this month, but this time it wasn’t the usual brand of gossip setting passions aflame. Education chief Kevin Yeung Yun-hung suggested experts should look into whether the official tongue of mainland China should be used instead of Cantonese to teach the Chinese language.
Most Hongkongers were particularly offended by his comment, in which he said “the future development of Chinese language learning across the globe will rely mainly on Mandarin”.
His comments unwittingly hit a raw nerve with Hongkongers because many see their southern dialect as an exemplification of their proud heritage and distinctive identity. As a result, Yeung had no choice but to clarify it was not his intention to force schools to teach Mandarin.
I was at a school talk recently and was asked by a student whether I thought Cantonese was a dialect or language.
My answer was a simple one: it does not actually matter whether Cantonese has status as a language or a dialect. I elaborated my point with an unusual – but hopefully apt – analogy. If one owns a priceless antique but leaves it to collect dust in the corner rather than display it proudly, then what purpose does it serve?