Hong Kong English: attitudes, identity, and use

The current article builds upon and expands the previous research on attitudes to Hong Kong English (HKE) by speakers of English in Hong Kong via a survey with both closed- and open-ended questions given to 307 tertiary students in Hong Kong. Specifically, the study focuses on attitudes towards the legitimacy of HKE and use of HKE as well as why respondents have these attitudes. The study also probes whether cultural identity (Hong Konger, Hong Kong Chinese, Chinese) as well as self-reported use of HKE impacts attitudes towards HKE. Findings from the current study, and particularly from the open-ended questions, provide important insight into how speakers of English in Hong Kong view and use HKE.