Learning and teaching Cantonese in the UK

Author Lillian Ip-Koon

Date May 2023

You’re speaking to them as much as you can, you try to read to them those Chinese books with whatever limited amount you remember from Chinese school, and you spend hours digging out Cantonese animation for them to watch- all in the hope they’ll pick up a word or two.

You’re desperate for them to communicate with you in Cantonese, but it seems no matter how hard you try, they’re speaking back to you in English. 🤦🏻‍♀️

If you are a British-Cantonese mother like me, this story might sound familiar to you- and trust me, you’re not alone. It’s been a difficult journey passing on Cantonese to my kids, one that I didn’t expect at all as Cantonese was my mother tongue. But before I knew it, without the need to use it on a regular basis, I found myself barely speaking Cantonese and I realise I was unfamiliar with expressing myself entirely in Cantonese.

It can be a challenge to remain engaged in Cantonese if it is considered a minority language where you live and is not essential in daily life, including in education and work. This has been the case for many Cantonese speakers living in the UK, particularly those of second or more generations.

I conducted this study in 2020 to investigate the challenges British Cantonese families face when learning and passing on their native language in an English-speaking country. 7 participants were interviewed individually through 1-hour sessions, which directed the survey, where 103 responses were received.

💬 The Interviews

A total of 7 participants were interviewed. 6 of the interviewees were British-Chinese parents of children in the age range of 7-11 years old, and one participant was also a Cantonese teacher. The 7th participant was a linguistics professor, for an expert perspective.

Data from the interviews were collected and converted into individual notes and grouped to summarise into the following key findings.

Key findings

Results from the interviews were summarised into 4 key insights:

1. Cantonese is important to them because it is their culture and heritage.

Participants expressed they felt it is important to them to pass on the Cantonese language. However, particularly those who did not acquire the language fluently, are experiencing feelings of shame and helplessness as they struggle to teach Cantonese to their children.

2. It is understood that immersive learning is the most effective.

Participants expressed that being immersed in a Cantonese community helped them and their children learn the language more effectively. One commented: “I probably learned more from friends than I have formal learning…”.

3. It is difficult to find the right resources.

Participants found options for Cantonese learning are very limited. Cantonese classes are diminishing and even if you have a good level of Cantonese Chinese that you’d want to teach yourself, there are very limited options in learning material- particularly for older children. You often need to have a high level of reading skills to find material at a suitable standard, so the process can be overwhelming.

4. Later generation learners are lacking in motivation.

First or second generations often learnt Cantonese through the need to communicate with their parents or family, so having bilingual parents eliminated this important factor. Participants reported that the most difficult thing was to “get their kids to speak back in Cantonese” as the children are fully aware the parents were fluent in English.

✍🏻 The survey

A total of 103 responses to the survey and a large number of optional comments were received.

The interview questions directed the survey, which was shared publicly. Participants had the option to remain anonymous and for them to leave additional comments.

Key Findings

The results from the survey provided 5 key insights:

1. A lack of confidence in speakers discourages them to use the language or pass it on to younger generations.

66% of respondents expressed they are too self-conscious to speak Cantonese, with 59% of parent respondents not feeling confident to support learning. One commented that “Cantonese people are tactless, blunt and mean. As a learner, it is disheartening to be mocked for bad pronunciation.” And many others also commented on a similar experience of embarrassment when attempting to speak Cantonese with native speakers.

2. There is a strong connection between language and culture, therefore a strong community is needed.

70% of respondents expressed there aren’t enough people to speak Cantonese with, many commenting that having people to speak helps them improve their skills. 64% showed an interest in a Cantonese social platform.

3. It is difficult to access suitable learning resources.

61% of respondents felt they didn’t know where to look and found the search difficult to navigate through and 67% found there aren’t many quality learning materials. Comments included that many resources were focused on young children, which were no longer age appropriate once they are a little older- for those resources you would need a good level of Chinese-reading abilities to access suitable material (i.e. from native countries.)

4. Responses showed that the majority agreed there were social and emotional struggles with Cantonese learning.
These are ranked by the “no. of people who agree” and subtract “no. of people who disagree”:

a. There aren't enough, if any, Cantonese schools available

b. There aren’t enough people to speak Cantonese with

c. People feel too self-conscious to speak Cantonese (i.e. not confident in their fluency levels to engage in a full conversation)

d. Parents don’t feel confident enough to support learning

e. Cantonese schools have not been effective

5. Responses showed that the majority agreed there were issues with Cantonese resources.
These are ranked by the “no. of people who agree” and subtract “no. of people who disagree”:

a. The fact written Cantonese Chinese is often different to colloquial/spoken Cantonese is very confusing to learn and teach

b. There aren’t many quality Cantonese learning resources

c. There aren’t enough resources overall

d. People don't know where to look for Cantonese media or resources

e. The resources available are difficult to navigate through

💭 Conclusion

From this research project, it is apparent that the barrier to learning Cantonese is not only how Cantonese was learnt, but also why it should be learnt. For British Cantonese, the relationship with the language is as much an emotional struggle as it is a technical one.

The lack of confidence in adults and parents makes it difficult to pass on the language effectively and moreover, if the incentive is weak, it would be difficult for future generations to continue preserving the language.

It is necessary to approach the issue with a holistic view of providing meaning to learners and support for Cantonese speakers in order to improve their fluency. The data suggests that this was best done through immersive learning, but many do not know where to look.

This research revealed many other considerations related to learning Cantonese in the UK, including identity, confidence, resources, documentation, learning environment and incentives.

If you are also interested in supporting Cantonese, here are some suggestions:

Reach out and support the growth of local Cantonese communities and media
Be friendly and welcoming to those practising Cantonese
Write in spoken Cantonese to help document the language

And to all the Cantonese parents out there who are struggling like myself- hang in there 💪🏻 you’re doing a great job by trying hard enough to even read this blog! I feel you. My kids are now attending Chinese school, doing online lessons, have a mountain of Chinese books and playlists to help them get interested, and we visit our Cantonese- speaking family as much as possible. Try your best to have them enjoy Cantonese the way you do and know that you’re trying your best. It takes more than a village, but let’s support each other to keep Cantonese alive. 💕✨

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