Why Hong Kongers are championing Cantonese

New tools for promotion

Living & constantly changing language

Situation in Guangdong

Some are holding fast to their mother tongue, even with migration overseas, and are coming up with creative ways to spread the learning and use of Cantonese.

Synopsis: The Straits Times chats with ST’s global correspondents about life as it goes on, amid the screaming headlines and bubbling crises.

Want to pick up Cantonese? Some Hong Kongers - from a software engineer to a playgroup teacher based in Britain - have created new ways of learning the Chinese dialect such as through apps, videos and social media accounts.

This surge in a grassroots effort is coming at a time when many Hong Kongers are feeling unmoored by the political turbulence of the past decade. As more migrate to non-Cantonese speaking societies, they are holding fast to their identity and language in a foreign environment.

There are also growing fears that Cantonese in Hong Kong and Guangdong is a dying language with people abandoning it for English or Mandarin.

In this episode, ST’s foreign editor Li Xueying speaks with Hong Kong correspondent Magdalene Fung on how true such concerns are, and her assessment of these new Cantonese-language tools.

Highlights (click/tap above):

2:00 Why Hong Kongers are championing the use of Cantonese

5:20 How these new tools are different from traditional methods

9:50 A living and constantly changing language

13:00 The situation in Guangdong

Read Magdalene Fung’s article here: https://str.sg/AfVW

Read Li Xueying’s articles: https://str.sg/iqmR

Follow Li Xueying on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/ip4x

Register for Asian Insider newsletter: https://str.sg/stnewsletters

Host: Li Xueying (xueying@sph.com.sg)

Edited by: Fa’izah Sani

Executive producer: Ernest Luis

Follow Asian Insider on Fridays here:

Channel: https://str.sg/JWa7

Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/JWa8

Spotify: https://str.sg/JWaX

Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg

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Follow more ST podcast channels:

All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7

ST Podcast website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts

ST Podcasts YouTube: https://str.sg/4Vwsa

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Get The Straits Times' app, which has a dedicated podcast player section:

The App Store: https://str.sg/icyB

Google Play: https://str.sg/icyX

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#STAsianInsider

Some are holding fast to their mother tongue, even with migration overseas, and are coming up with creative ways to spread the learning and use of Cantonese.
Synopsis: The Straits Times chats with ST’s global correspondents about life as it goes on, amid the screaming headlines and bubbling crises.
Want to pick up Cantonese? Some Hong Kongers - from a software engineer to a playgroup teacher based in Britain - have created new ways of learning the Chinese dialect such as through apps, videos and social media accounts.
This surge in a grassroots effort is coming at a time when many Hong Kongers are feeling unmoored by the political turbulence of the past decade. As more migrate to non-Cantonese speaking societies, they are holding fast to their identity and language in a foreign environment.
There are also growing fears that Cantonese in Hong Kong and Guangdong is a dying language with people abandoning it for English or Mandarin.
In this episode, ST’s foreign editor Li Xueying speaks with Hong Kong correspondent Magdalene Fung on how true such concerns are, and her assessment of these new Cantonese-language tools.
Highlights (click/tap above):
2:00 Why Hong Kongers are championing the use of Cantonese
5:20 How these new tools are different from traditional methods
9:50 A living and constantly changing language
13:00 The situation in Guangdong
Read Magdalene Fung’s article here: <a href="https://str.sg/AfVW">https://str.sg/AfVW</a>
Read Li Xueying’s articles: <a href="https://str.sg/iqmR">https://str.sg/iqmR</a>
Follow Li Xueying on LinkedIn: <a href="https://str.sg/ip4x">https://str.sg/ip4x</a>
Register for Asian Insider newsletter:<a href="https://str.sg/stnewsletters"> https://str.sg/stnewsletters</a> 
Host: Li Xueying (<a href="mailto:xueying@sph.com.sg">xueying@sph.com.sg</a>)
Edited by: Fa’izah Sani
Executive producer: Ernest Luis
Follow Asian Insider on Fridays here:
Channel: <a href="https://str.sg/JWa7">https://str.sg/JWa7</a>
Apple Podcasts: <a href="https://str.sg/JWa8">https://str.sg/JWa8</a>
Spotify: <a href="https://str.sg/JWaX">https://str.sg/JWaX</a>
Feedback to: <a href="mailto:podcast@sph.com.sg">podcast@sph.com.sg</a>
---
Follow more ST podcast channels:
All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: <a href="https://str.sg/wvz7">https://str.sg/wvz7</a>  
ST Podcast website: <a href="http://str.sg/stpodcasts">http://str.sg/stpodcasts</a>  
ST Podcasts YouTube: <a href="https://str.sg/4Vwsa">https://str.sg/4Vwsa</a> 
---
Get The Straits Times' app, which has a dedicated podcast player section:
The App Store: <a href="https://str.sg/icyB">https://str.sg/icyB</a>
Google Play: <a href="https://str.sg/icyX">https://str.sg/icyX</a>
---
#STAsianInsider

Synopsis: Every Friday, get our distinct take on global issues with an Asian perspective, with ST’s globally-based correspondents.

Produced and edited by: Fa'izah Sani

Executive producer: Ernest Luis

A podcast by The Straits Times, SPH Media.

Synopsis: Every Friday, get our distinct take on global issues with an Asian perspective, with ST’s globally-based correspondents.
Produced and edited by: Fa'izah Sani
Executive producer: Ernest Luis
A podcast by The Straits Times, SPH Media.

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