<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.1//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml11/DTD/xhtml11.dtd"> <html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en"> <head> <title>Teach English in Hong Kong - Language and Culture</TITLE> </head> <body> <img src="../../../../../../unrnas.unr.edu/users/cheney/My Documents/TESOL/RCclass/block_n.jpg" width="75" height="75" alt="University of Nevada, Reno" /> <body background="mapworld.jpg"> <h1 align=center> <a id="top"></a> Teach English in Hong Kong</h1> <h2 align=center> Teach English in Hong Kong - Language and Culture</h2> <h3 align=center>Author: Rong Zhang</h3> <h4 align=center>last updated: June 4, 2008</h4> <p align="right"> Skip to <a href=#links> Links to Websites </a><br> Return to <a href="file:///D|/index.html"#home> Home Page </a><br> </p> <a href=""> </a> <p> <h2 align=center>History</h2> <a href="http://hongkongvideos.blogspot.com/"> Videos of Hong Kong</a><br><br> a. 960-1280AD - During the latter part of Song Dynasty, large numbers of the population were driven south by the Mongols and settled in Southern China and Hong Kong.<br><br> b. 1840 - Foreign merchants gradually established offices in Macau and Hong Kong as well as in Canton, China.<br><br> c. June 16th 1842, Hong Kong was ceded to Great Britain by the Treaty of Nan King after the Opium War.<br><br> d. British Government agreed to transfer sovereignty of Hong Kong to China on the 30th June 1997; in return the Beijing Central Government agreed that Hong Kong would be a Special Administration Region with its own economic, judicial and education systems, guaranteed for 50 years without interference. China describes this arrangement as "One Country, two systems".<br><br> e. Nowadays, Hong Kong people govern Hong Kong in much the same way as before the handover from British to Chinese rule. Although the economical situation around the globe has slowed down, Hong Kong is still the ideal place to invest and is still the vital gateway to China. It is still the same old prosperous Hong Kong; a mixture of modern living and traditional Chinese Culture. <br><br> </p> <h2 align=center>Language</h2> <p> Cantonese is a dialect spoken in Hong Kong, Macau, Guangzhou and some other parts in South East Asia. People speaking in Cantonese usually write in Chinese. Cantonese is usually referred to as a spoken dialect, and not as a written dialect. Spoken vernacular Cantonese differs from modern written Chinese, which is essentially formal Standard Mandarin in written form. Written Chinese spoken word for word sounds overly formal and distant in Cantonese. As a result, the necessity of having a written script which matched the spoken form increased over time. This resulted in the creation of additional Chinese characters to complement the existing characters. Many of these represent phonological sounds not present in Mandarin. Written Cantonese is largely incomprehensible to non-Cantonese speakers because written Cantonese is based on spoken Cantonese which is different from Standard Mandarin in grammar and vocabulary. Learning some basic Cantonese before you go is a good idea. When you get there, you can <a href="http://www.fsi-language-courses.com/Cantonese.aspx"> continue your study</a> by immerging yourself in the community, or making friends on-line. </p> <h2 align=center>Chinese Name</h2> <p> Before you go, <a href="http://www.mandarintools.com/"> get an authentic Chinese name</a> is a good idea. It will make your communication with local people much easier. Also make sure you know the meaning of your Chinese name. </p> <h2 align=center>Feng Shui</h2> <p> <a href="http://fengshui.about.com/od/thebasics/qt/fengshui.htm"> Feng Shui (Geomantic Omen),</a> which translates literally as "wind water," is an ancient method of divination in which harmony is achieved with the spirits of nature. Virtually every Hong Kong Chinese believes that before a house or building can be erected, a tree chopped down, or a boulder moved, a geomancer must be called in to make certain that the spirits inhabiting the place aren't disturbed. The geomancer, who uses a compass-like device as an aid, determines the alignment of walls, doors, desks, and even beds, so as not to provoke the anger of the spirits residing there. He does this by achieving a balance among the eight elements of nature -- heaven, earth, hills, wind, fire, thunder, rain, and ocean. Also considered are the spirits of yin (male-active) and yang (female-passive) forces that control our world.<br> <ul> <li>Facing the water is considered excellent feng shui; <li>If you can't look out over water, the goal is to bring the water inside; <li>To deflect evil influences is to hang a small, eight-sided mirror outside your window. </ul> </p> <h2 align=center>Etiquette and Customs in Hong Kong</h2> <p> <a href="http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/resources/global-etiquette/hongkong-country-profile.html"> Hong Kong Country Profile</a><br> <ul> <li>Hand over business cards with both hands, the type facing the recipient. Receive cards with both hands, and don t ever scribble on them or bend their edges a big faux pas. <li>At meals, do not plunge your utensils into the serving dishes; use the serving chopsticks and spoon on the table, and return them to the chopstick rest when done. Never hold them in your mouth. <li>If someone is pouring you tea, two quick taps on the table with your middle and index fingers serves as a thank-you. <li>Wait to be seated, as there is usually a seating plan, and let your host dig in before you start. <li>Hong Kong is a superstitious place; when signing a contract, the customer/client may consult an astrologer or feng shui master for an auspicious date. <li>Give a host gifts in eights or sixes, never give in fours; it s a lucky number. </ul> </p> <h2 align=center>Holidays in Hong Kong</h2> <p> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_holidays_in_Hong_Kong"> Public holidays</a> in Hong Kong are holidays designated by the Government of Hong Kong. They allow workers get rest from work, usually in conjunction with special occasions. The 17 public holidays, also called Bank Holidays, are set by the General Holidays Ordinance. According to the Employee Ordinance of the Labor Legislation, 12 of the 17 public holidays are compulsory for employers to give to the employees. These 12 holidays are known as statutory holiday, labor holidays, or factory holidays. </p> <h2 align=center>On-line TV, Radio, and Magazines</h2> <p> Watching some local TV and magazines and listening to local videos are very beneficial for you to stay with the current news, immerge into local community, get the real sense of life in Hong Kong, and find yourself more opportunities. <a href="http://www.ifeng.com/phoenixtv/77405618595430400/index.shtml"> Phoenix</a> and <a href="http://pearl.tvb.com"> Pearl English</a> channels are very good resources, as well as <a href="http://www.worldtimeserver.com/current_time_in_HK.aspx"> World Time in Hong Kong</a>. </p> <h2 align=center> <a id="links"></a> Links to Websites about Language and Culture in Hong Kong</h2> <p> <a href="http://www.eslbase.com/language-exchange/"> Language Exchange</a><br> This is an online language exchange website. You need to sign up. You are able to practice Chinese or Cantonese and make new friends from Hong Kong. </p> <p> <a href="http://www.cantonese.ca/"> Learn Cantonese </a><br> Information for learning colloquial Cantonese (Yue Chinese). </p> <p> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Standard_Cantonese"> Cantonese Wikipedia article</a><br> General information about Cantonese. Here you can find the phonology of Cantonese, Romanization, written Cantonese, cultural role, Cantonese versus mandarin in Hong Kong, and so on. </p> <p> <a href="http://www.cantonese.sheik.co.uk/"> Cantonese Learning Sheets</a><br> Thousands of print-friendly Chinese reference sheets, tests, and revision aids. It is aimed to help you speak, read and write Hong Kong Chinese. As such, the pronunciation given is not Mandarin 'pinyin' or 'Putonghua', it is Cantonese 'LSHK' or 'jyutping'. </p> <p> <a href="http://www.cantonese.sheik.co.uk/scripts/wordlist.htm"> CantoDict </a><br> A very convenient online dictionary for Cantonese-English. It also divides written Cantonese to different levels. You can also use it as a tool to learn written Cantonese. </p> <p> <a href="http://members.tripod.com/~DorothyMa/index2.html"> Basic Cantonese with Audio</a><br> On this website, you can hear, learn, and practice some basic Cantonese words, expressions, and sentences, such as numbers and greetings. However, this website is built by individual and still under construction. Grammar learning is not provided. </p> <p> <a href="http://chinesebay.com/main/"> Chinese Bay </a><br> Learn Chinese languages (Mandarin, Cantonese and other dialects), learn Chinese culture and find better ways to do business with Chinese in China or other countries around the world. </p> <p> <a href="http://www.ethnologue.com/14/show_language.asp?code=YUH"> Ethnologue report for Cantonese</a><br> Some detailed introductions about Cantonese provided by Ethnologue 14th edition. Even though this is not a learning website, it is worth visiting for its cool information. </p> <p> <a href="http://www.freelang.net/dictionary/cantonese.html"> Freelang Cantonese-English dictionary</a><br> Download a free dictionary (for Windows) and browse both the Cantonese-English and the English-Cantonese lists. Look up a word, add or modify an entry, and learn words at your own rhythm from a personal learning list. </p> <p> <a href="http://lc.ust.hk/~sac/advice/english/pronunciation/P7.htm"> Common English pronunciation problems for Cantonese speakers</a><br> Information on why pronunciation problems may occur and specific sounds in English that Cantonese speaker may have difficulty with. </p> <p> <a href="http://www.loc.gov/catdir/cpso/roman.html"> Romanization table-Chinese </a><br> Detailed information about the Romanization of Chinese and rules of application. </p> <p> <a href="http://www.languageresourceonline.com/languages/learn_cantonese.html"> Cantonese Learning Recourse</a><br> Some Cantonese learning recourse, such as software, CDs, audio tapes, and so on. It also provides you links to the sellers. </p> <p> <a href="http://www.multilingualbooks.com/chinese.html"> Multilingual Books</a><br> All about learning Chinese, featuring books, courses, and software for teaching and translating both Mandarin and Cantonese Chinese. Products on this page are for Mandarin. </p> <p> <a href="http://www.fsi-language-courses.com/Cantonese.aspx"> FSI Language Courses </a><br> FSI is an acronym for the Foreign Service Institute, "the (US) Federal Government's primary training institution for officers and support personnel of the U.S. foreign affairs community". This is a sweet and simple website that provides users with the ability to view and download the Foreign Service Institute's courses free. </p> <p> <a href="http://cantonesepod.podbean.com/"> CantonesePod Podcast </a><br> Here you can find all kinds of resources to learn Chinese, such as movies, books, and software. You can just look through and find the ones that suit you. </p> <p> <a href="http://pinyinpractice.com/wangzhi/"> Pinyin Practice </a><br> Practice your pronunciation of Mandarin Chinese. You can also find interesting articles and get useful information about Chinese language and China. </p> <p> <a href="http://www.wimba.com/demos/voiceboard.php"> Voice Discussion Board </a><br> This voice forum will allow you to record and post your message to the discussion board. You can also send voice e-mail. No need to download software. </p> <p> <a href="http://www.chinaw.com/chinese/chat.htm"> Chat in Chinese </a><br> A great way to chat in Chinese, English and Pinyin. Chinese chat can really help you in your Chinese learning experience. The interface is great for sharing videos from Youtube and other video sharing sites. </p> <p> <a href="http://zhongwen.com/"> Zhong Wen </a><br> Look up Chinese characters, read articles and learn vocabulary, and learn to write Chinese. It also provides you a great chat room to communicate with friends. </p> <p> <a href="http://personal.kenyon.edu/bai/vcsc.htm"> Video Clips of Survival Chinese </a><br> Watch real-life video clips and learn some survival Chinese. It is very easy to navigate. </p> <p> <a href="http://vlc.polyu.edu.hk/putonghua/putonghua.htm"> Putonghua for Beginners </a><br> Some on-line resource for beginners to learn basic Mandarin. Each lesson includes dialogues, exercises, sentences, note, vocabulary in Chinese and English. </p> <p> <a href="http://www.dicts.info/ "> Free Dictionary </a><br> This is an online project to build free translating dictionaries by allowing individuals to add and correct entries. Dictionaries can be searched online or downloaded. Includes links to other free dictionary sites. </p> <p> <a href="http://www.cchar.com/ "> CCHAR Chinese Character Software </a><br> Enter a Chinese character and this site will generate an animated picture of the proper stroke order for drawing the character. It is also available as a more full-featured commercial (not free) software application for Windows. </p> <p> <a href="http://www.xuezhongwen.net/ "> Xuezhongwen </a><br> A Chinese-English English-Chinese dictionary for basic and advanced words. It also gives the pronunciation for each character in Mandarin and Cantonese. Perhaps the most useful aspect of this website is the flash cards and character practice which is broken down into five different levels from beginner to expert. </p> <p> <a href="http://www.transparent.com/languagepages/chinese/chinese.htm"> Transparent</a><br> Free online word games, quizzes in Chinese, free language and culture newsletters, 'word of the day', and more edutainment for language learners. </p> <p> <a href="http://eng.cartoonwin.com/index.php"> CartoonWin </a><br> The largest scale of Chinese comics in the world. Here you will appreciate plenty of great paintings, cartoons and comics made by famous Chinese artists, as well as the works of the Chinese young generations. </p> <p> <a href="http://www.mandarintools.com/"> On-line Chinese Tools </a><br> Tools to assist people in learning Chinese culture and using Chinese language. From the novice Chinese language student to the advanced programmer, there is something here for everyone. Rather than being a Chinese language course, it provides tools to people who are already studying and using Chinese. </p> <p> <a href="http://www.chinaorbit.com/"> China Orbit </a><br> This web portal offers China newcomers and experts alike the opportunity to become informed and exchange information about the People's Republic of China, Chinese culture, Chinese politics and philosophy, Chinese history, as well as current events and developments in and about China. </p> <p> <a href="http://www.nettvdb.com/CountryTV.asp?ID=96"> Net TV </a><br> Watch live broadcasts and pre recorded programs available from Hong Kong. </p> <p> <a href="http://www.thechinaperspective.com/index.html"> The China Perspective </a><br> An online newspaper. Through this website, you can stay current with the latest trends and developments in China's rapidly changing economy. </p> <p> <a href="http://www.worldtimeserver.com/current_time_in_HK.aspx"> World Time</a><br> A lot of information about Hong Kong, such as travel information, international phone calls, weather, Hong Kong in news, and so on. </p> <p> <a href="http://hongkongvideos.blogspot.com/"> Hong Kong Videos </a><br> Videos and PowerPoint presentations available to help with teaching and learning about Hong Kong. </p> <p> <a href="http://www.rthk.org.hk/rthk/news/englishnews/index_news.htm "> RTHK </a><br> Radio Television Hong Kong is a TV station covering general news, owned by Chinese government. </p> <p> <a href="http://www.thestandard.com.hk/"> Hong Kong Standard </a><br> Hong Kong Standard is a newspaper covering general business news. </p> <p> <a href="http://www.covermagazine.biz/ "> Cover Magazine</a><br> Cover Magazine covers life style and entertainment. As Hong Kong's premier luxury fashion magazine, Cover strives to be the Asia Pacific region's leading authority on fashion, beauty and entertainment with a distinctly Asian focus. </p> <p> <a href="http://www.globalchina.com/eng/easttouch.shtml "> East Touch Magazine </a><br> About general entertainment. It is a weekly magazine written in Cantonese style. It is published each Tuesday. </p> <p> <a href="http://www.manfredwong.com/ "> Headlines Magazine </a><br> Covers music entertainment. A free magazine that began publication in 1987. </p> <p> <a href="http://www.aziacity.com/hk "> HK Magazine </a><br> Covers local events and entertainment. A free-distributed weekly city-living magazine. </p> <p> <a href="http://www.ifeng.com/phoenixtv/77405618595430400/index.shtml "> Phoenix Television </a><br> Phoenix Television is a Hong Kong-based Chinese television broadcaster. It has 5 different television channels, covering general entertainment to news. </p> <p> <a href="http://www.prestigehk.com/index.html "> Prestige Hong Kong Magazine </a><br> Prestige Hong Kong is a monthly magazine that began publication in September 2005. It covers lifestyle and entertainment. </p> <p> <a href="http://www.hk-runner.com/ "> Hong Kong Runner Magazine </a><br> About general sports. </p> <p> <a href="http://pearl.tvb.com/ "> TVB Pearl </a><br> TVB Pearl is one of the two free television services in Hong Kong, covering general entertainment. Established in 1967, TVB Pearl broadcasts free of charge to over 2.1 million households in Hong Kong. </p> <p> <a href="http://www.timeout.com/travel/hongkong"> Time Out Hong Kong Magazine </a><br> Time Out Hong Kong is an online guide to Hong Kong's restaurants, nightlife, hotels, shopping, sightseeing and more. The city guide is available online and as a guide book, covering local events and entertainment. </p> <p> <a href="http://www.etvonline.tv/etv_new/ "> ETV</a><br> Educational Television, known as ETV, is a series of educational television programs jointly produced by Radio Television Hong Kong and the Education Department of Hong Kong. ETV is an auxiliary means for teaching the primary and secondary school curriculum. </p> <p> <a href="http://sundayex.catholic.org.hk/ "> Hong Kong Sunday Examiner </a><br> Covering religion, Christian society and culture. It is published weekly and is available every Sunday at the Catholic churches in Hong Kong. </p> <p> <a href="http://www.typhoonclub.com/tc_index.php "> Typhoon Club Magazine </a><br> Typhoon Club is a monthly children's magazine. It was launched in 2002 and is designed to encourage local children to enjoy their reading of English. </p> <p> <a href="http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/hkedition/hktop.html"> China Daily Hong Kong Edition </a><br> One of the most popular English newspapers in China. This Hong Kong Edition covers general news in Hong Kong, some international news, and business news. </p> <p> <a href="http://61226.com/self/hongkong.html"> Hong Kong Photo 1</a>, <a href="http://61226.com/share/hk.swf "> Hong Kong Photo 2</a><br> These are two interactive Hong Kong Photos. They show you Hong Kong from dawn to dark, and a panoramic view. </p> <p> <a href="http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/resources/global-etiquette/hongkong-country-profile.html"> Etiquette and Customs in Hong Kong </a><br> A lot of useful etiquette and customs in Hong Kong. You can find information about meeting and greeting, gift giving etiquette, dining etiquette, business card etiquette, and so on. </p> <p> <a href="http://www.cyborlink.com/besite/hong_kong.htm"> Information about Hong Kong </a><br> Some general introductions about Hong Kong, and some cultural tips about appearance, behavior, and communication. </p> <p> </p> <a href=""> </a><br> <br> <a href=""> </a> <p align="right"> Return to <a href=#top> Top of Page </a><br> Return to <a href="file:///D|/index.html"#home> Home Page </a><br> </p> <br> <br> <br> <TABLE align=center cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 border=0> <TBODY> <TR> <TD bgColor=#ffffff><IMG height=1 src="" width=1></TD></TR> <TR> <TD class=copyright align=middle bgColor=#d6e2fa height=18> <div align="center"> <p align="left" style=font-size:10pt> <span class="style3"> </span> </font><span class="style3"></b> Information shown on this website is the result of a collaborative effort by Dr. Rod E. Case and the EDS491/691 Special Topics in Teaching English as a Second Language Class, Wintermester, 2007.<br><br> Direct questions about the <a href="http://www.unr.edu/tesol/"> TESOL Program </a> to <a href="mailto:&#99heney@unr.edu">Dr. Christine Cheney</a>.<br> This website is maintained by <a href="mailto:r&#99ase@unr.edu">Dr. Rod E. Case</a>.</span><br> Last modified: August 23, 2007 <SCRIPT LANGUAGE="JAVASCRIPT"> </SCRIPT></p> <p align="left"> <span class="style3"> </span> <img src="file:///D|/nlogo.gif" alt="UNR logo" width="64" height="43"><span class="style3"><span class="style5"><a href="http://www.unr.edu">University of Nevada, Reno</a></span> <br> </span><br> <span class="style3"></span></font> </p> </div> </h5></TD> </TR></TBODY></TABLE> <TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=778 border=0> <TBODY> <TR> <TD bgColor=#ffffff><IMG height=1 src="file:///D|/images/7dspace.gif" width=1></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE> </body> </html>