Being bi- or multilingual is advantageous and essential, and we often look at language learning simply as a method of communication and building up proficiency capabilities, oftentimes for professional advantage.
In fact, while Hong Kong has long promoted a distinct language policy of biliteracy and trilingualism, the government is currently engaged in a pilot scheme, to provide subsidies to schools that will teach languages other than Chinese and English, such as Japanese, Korean and French. The purpose of this initiative is to enrich educational experiences and boost global competitiveness of young people.
This issue of Youth Hong Kong looks at language learning and how it shapes us as a person. It not only provides personal growth and cultural appreciation, but also enriches lives as we share experiences and mutual understanding. As the Italian film director, Federico Fellini once said, “A different language is a different vision of life.” As learning languages influences our perceptions of the wo
