Putonghua

 

Since the dawn of the 21st century, teaching students Putonghua has gained substantial significance. A strong nation must possess a unified language to facilitate external and internal economic, cultural, and ideological exchanges. Foreigners desiring to learn Chinese must opt for the official language of China, not its dialects. When Chinese delegates address the United Nations, they must do so in Putonghua, reflecting the dignity of the nation and the spirit of China's independence and autonomy.

 

In Hong Kong, the majority of the population speaks Cantonese, and most Hongkongers are not conversant in Putonghua. However, language unification and the promotion of Putonghua is an overall trend. Therefore, establishing this course provides favourable conditions for exchanges between Hong Kong, mainland China, and foreign countries. Our school is committed to promoting national education, and as Putonghua is the national lingua franca, exchange groups and compatriots in China must use Putonghua for communication. Hence, the establishment of this course aligns with the school's development objectives and meets the requirements of education in Hong Kong.

 

The objective of this course is to enable students to communicate effectively in Putonghua. To achieve this, we aim to build a solid foundation in vowels and consonants to ensure correct usage of Putonghua. Despite limited lesson time, we hope to provide students an environment to cultivate Putonghua proficiency through after-school self-study, extra-curricular activities, and clubs. The course's objective is to enhance students' learning levels, enabling them to understand the consonants, rhymes, and tones of the language.