American English Becoming More Popular in Hong Kong

美式英语逐步走红香港

From VOA Learning English, this is the Education Report.

这里是美国之音慢速英语教育报道。

People in Hong Kong speak a rich mixture of languages. Hong Kong was a British colony for more than 156 years before was returned to Chinese control in 1997. English was the only official language until 1994.

香港人讲很多种语言。香港作为英国殖民地超过156年，直到1997年回归中国。而在1994年以前，英语是唯一的官方语言。

Most people in Hong Kong today speak Cantonese, but Mandarin and other dialects also are heard, and English as the British used is still widely spoken and taught here. Now however, many people are choosing to learn English as it spoken in the United States.

今天大多数香港人讲粤语，但是普通话和其它方言也常能被听到，同时英式英语在这里仍然被广泛使用和教授。然而现在许多人选择学习美式英语。

Victor Chan, for example, has children who attend school called Nature EQ on Saturday and Sunday, they are learning to say words the American way. Mr Chan says he wants his sons to learn American English, because he plans to send them to the United States for further study.

例如，维克多·陈（Victor Chan）的孩子周末时在Nature EQ学校就读，他们在学习美式发音。陈先生表示，他想要孩子学习美式英语，是因为他计划送他们到美国深造。

Nature EQ is one of a growing number of schools in Hong Kong that offer American English classes. Frankie Ng opened the school 17 years ago, at that time, he had only 40 students. Today, the school has 350 students, it does not have space for any more.

Nature EQ是香港越来越多提供美式英语课程的学校之一。弗兰克·吴（Frankie Ng）在17年前开办了这所学校，当时他只有40名学生。如今，这所学校有350名学生，学校已经没有空间招收更多学生了。

Mr Ng says American English is clear and defined, he says it is easy to teach and easily understood. That, however, is not the main concern of the children.

吴先生表示，美式英语更清晰明确，他说美式英语容易教，也容易懂。然而这不是孩子们最关心的。

Student Sam Yu has another reason for studying English spoken the American way.

学生山姆·于（Sam Yu）学习美式英语有另一个原因。

"I think [American English] is getting more and more important, and is maybe taking over the dominance of British English, so I'm willing to learn," said Sam Yu.

于同学说，“我认为美式英语变得越来越重要，也许正在取代英式英语的统治地位，所以我愿意学。”

Public schools in the former British colony still teach mostly British English. But the number of private language schools teaching American English is growing.

香港公立学校仍然主要使用英式英语教学。但使用美式英语教学的私立语言学校的数量正在增长。

In Hong Kong's Tseung Kwan O district, for example, the "American English Workshop" school had 20 students a week when it opened one year ago. Today, it has more 180 each week.

在香港将军澳区，“美式英语工作坊”学校在一年前开张时每周只有20名学生，如今该校每周有180多名学生。

Some observers say American English is becoming the language of international business. Increased contact with American culture, like movies, television programs, computer games and the Internet is spreading American expressions and accents in areas other than business.

一些观察人士表示，美式英语正逐步成为国际商业通用的语言。和美国文化的不断接触，像电影、电视节目、电脑游戏以及互联网，将美国惯用词汇和口音传播到了商业以外的领域。

Language teachers in Hong Kong say wealthy people who live in mainland China are helping to increase the demand for classes in American English. Mainland Chinese are crossing into Hong Kong because it has more educational choices.

香港的语言教师们表示，中国大陆的有钱人助长了美式英语课程的需求。大陆人进入香港是因为这里有更多的教育选择。

But for now, people hearing English in the streets of Hong Kong are mainly hearing traditional British English.

但当前而言，人们在香港的大街上听到的主要还是传统英式英语。

"We can understand both, but for what we speak, we speak [with] the British accent," said one local woman.

一位当地女性表示，“两者我们都能听懂，但我们讲的还是英国腔。”

"The British is better I think," commented a local man.

一位本地男性评论说，“我认为英式英语更好。”

And that's the Education Report.

Listen again for another Education Report from VOA Learning English.

I'm Avi Arditti.