港式英語
香港作為世界金融中心﹐背靠祖國﹐面向世界﹐受過殖民式統治﹐華洋雜處﹐有8間大學﹐數十間中學名校﹐出過無數名人。可是在最近10年﹐不知怎的﹐香港人的英文水平插水式下降﹐連一封簡單的英文 email 也寫不好﹐串錯字﹐錯 grammar 一應俱全。你現在隨便找個大學 fresh grad﹐叫他拿份英文報紙讀給你聽﹐肯定會叫你氣得七孔出煙﹗曾幾何時﹐中七畢業的英文已經頂瓜瓜﹐現在大學畢業的學生竟然連一封 email 也寫不好﹐連 Kelvin 和 Kevin 也分不清﹐真是個詭異的笑話﹗
我在獨書的年代﹐老師會叫我們在班上朗讀南華早報﹐讀錯字的立刻指出﹐全班一起學習。我記得有次讀 “extraordinary” 這個字﹐全班只有少數人曉得讀﹐老師就逐一改正﹐到現時我也記得怎麼讀這個字。今時今日你問問那些大學生﹐有10%讀得到我立即切。
英文水平下降某程度上可以歸咎於母語教學﹐但問題的重點不在這裡﹐而是在師資的問題。20年前大學教授是何等高尚的職業﹖隨著社會價值觀改變﹐現在只有那些入不到大學的人才會入師範做教師﹐只有那些畢了業不肯出來找工作的人才會讀 Ph.D 去教書。現時香港的教師全是那些三流的貨色﹐試問怎樣教得出一流的學生呢﹖難得應屆畢業生的平均薪水是萬五蚊﹐肯請他們的僱主真是忽上腦﹗
注﹕extraordinary 的讀音是 “ex”-”tror”-”din”-”nary” 而不是 “extra”-”ordinary”。請參閱 http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/extraordinary。
by 落花流水@沉睡森林
dark said,
June 15, 2007 @ 5:33 am
你好阿~^^~
大許Eric said,
June 15, 2007 @ 1:41 pm
唔係嘛, 呢個字好易讀wor, 中學都已經有教啦, 如果你以前讀過account, 就更加知呢個字既正確讀音
leafy said,
June 15, 2007 @ 2:38 pm
hi..我的英文也不好的. 不過, 我也覺香港現在的教師有問題. 雖然不代表全部,可是,我有一個女老師人品都有問題的. 為人師表..成日在背後講學生壊話和取笑學生. 香港有這些教師真悲哀!!
Asuka said,
June 15, 2007 @ 5:03 pm
i totally agree with your point of view. Hong Kong is probably the worst post-British or post-American colony in Asia in maintaining English level. Look at Singapore, India, Malaysia, and the Philippines. Hong Kong people should feel shameful that their English is the worst among them. they should re-think about their “World City” slogan.
落花流水@沉睡森林 said,
June 15, 2007 @ 8:32 pm
大許Eric﹕那你的英文是很好了﹗我請人Interview時問了不少在香港讀大學的人﹐答得出的人少到你不信。
Kevin said,
June 15, 2007 @ 9:01 pm
Kelvin 和 Kevin 也分不清
I am one of the victums… =,=… everyone’s calling ‘Kelvin’ when they see Kevin / Kelvin… just like lots of ppl has ‘lazy’ sound.
Just found this blog out and hi!
Kevin said,
June 15, 2007 @ 9:06 pm
I mean lots of ppl “have” lazy sound = 懶音.
saleetea * said,
June 15, 2007 @ 10:04 pm
我既英文雖然都唔係好勁 ,,
不過我真係覺得 宜家d 老師 愈黎愈唔掂囉 ‘ ..
唔單只o係背後講學生壞話 ,, 仲o係到串學生 ,,
明明係個老師唔岩 ,, 就”死雞撐飯* ” ,,講到自己岩晒咁 ‘ ..
仲有 ,, 有d老師英文唔係好掂 ,, 就入 英中教 ‘.. 唉 . . .. . .
宜家香港d老師既貿素真係愈黎愈低 ‘..
sammi迷 said,
June 16, 2007 @ 12:59 pm
你個blog有好多野睇喎,好多好有用0既info,,等我一有時間就過黎先!
tks
manfung said,
June 16, 2007 @ 2:36 pm
我雖是中國語文教師，但不否定你對教師的指責，所謂: 「君子求諸己」，先反思自己之過失，才是君子。
銀有兩面，事有多角。教師能力不濟當然不是全無道理，可是，請諸君環顧現今的世代: 重英輕中的情況下，能書寫一手漂亮及流暢的中文已鳳毛麟角; 再加上圖像思考的出現，令文字彷彿變成外星之語言。現代人善於以圖像或符號表達感情，也善於以歌詞以記情遣懷，獨獨看到文字而生畏，這真教人唏噓不已。
所以，我認為現代人語言不濟，除了教師因素外，社會風氣也是不容忽視之主因。
賓 said,
June 19, 2007 @ 3:38 am
我覺得香港人就是香港人，不是鬼佬，點解一定要求講英文講到好似鬼佬咁一模一樣呢？正如你唔會要求個鬼佬學中文時要講到同個中國人一模一樣嘛，其實，少少錯或加上少少港式風格我覺得問題不大，只要不要太離譜就可以。
不過話說回來，我這一代的英語水平又真的很不濟，自己知自己事！
養兔場主人 said,
June 19, 2007 @ 11:14 pm
To be honest, people nowadays don’t really pay close attention to grammar or structure. It’s a worldwide trend.
It’s easy to blame others but it can be better if we can treat it as a source to train up youngsters, review our education system. Indeed, classroom training doesn’t fit many young students; thus we focus on more interactive teachings.
Even for pronounciation, since English is a global language, different people speak with different dialects. It’s quite hard to classify what “true” English is. If you’ve been to North America, you will notice English there is way different from that in England. Just like “Maintenance”… people from N. America pronounce it as “Maint - nance”… but HK … and British guys pronounce it as “Main - tain - nance.
Both work, indeed… it just takes time for people to get used to it.
落花流水@沉睡森林 said,
June 20, 2007 @ 12:00 am
養兔場主人﹕Agree with you that the current educational system here in HK is not good at all. Interactivity will definitely help, if the quality of those interacting with the students are good, and this is the hard part.
I believe, however, that grammar & sentence structure are still very very important in a languaue, especially in professional fields like legal consultants and finance. The ability to use a language should extend beyond that of daily conversation, right?
lasallejai said,
June 20, 2007 @ 2:03 am
Perhaps we should first look at the standards of English Language amongst the teachers themselves first?? How many English teachers can truly say they understand the basics and fundamentals of the English Discipline for them to teach and pass on to their students?? If only about 40% of the English teachers can pass the examination set forth by the government of Hong Kong, then how do you expect the youngsters in Hong Kong can learn how to read, write and speak properly??