The controversy over teaching medium in Hong Kong — an analysis of a language policy

This paper analyses a language plan proposed by the Hong Kong government to promote Chinese medium education. A brief history of the past language situation in the secondary school system is first provided followed by an outline of the evolution of the proposed plan. Then the targets set up in the plan are examined against the background of the existing language requirements in the field of education and employment. Since the English‐biased linguistic infrastructure in the wider social setting does not correlate to the targets to be promoted in school, it is predicted that the proposed plan will not achieve much success. Moreover, the failure of the plan may even lead to the perpetuation of the inferiority of Chinese medium education.