S. C. M. P
J 9 AUG 197!
Language committee recommends official status for Chinese
The Chinese Language Committee is in favour of Chinese being made an official language in Hongkong.
It has recommended that Government should consider "promulgating a firm policy, in suitable manner, that Chinese and English are 'fat ting u man', that is to say, official language".
The recommendation is contained in the Committee's fourth and final report to the Governor, which was tabled in the Legislative Council yesterday.
The Committee defines "fat ting u man," or official language, as a language authorised for communication between Government and the people, and recalls the Governor's reference to "as near equality of status and use as is practicably possible" for both Chinese and English in official business.
"In our mind, therefore,” the Committee states, “acceptance of Chinese as a "fat ting u man" is implicit in the foregoing reference and wil! become even more evidently so if Government puts into effect the recommendations we have made, all of which we consid practical."
The Committee has also recommended that Chinese and English be declared to have "equal status". But it points out that "equal status does not necessarily imply equal use in every single instance.”
Nevertheless, it further recommends that "Chinese and/or English will be used by Government in accordance with all the recommendations contained in our reports."
The Committee's
recommendations were welcomed, but with some reservations, by advocates of the language campan.
The Hongkong Federation of Students Language Action Committee complained that the Committee had failed to recommend legislation to nake Chinese an official language.
It reaffirmed its commitments to press Government, through “peaceful means". to enact legislation to that effect.
It conceded however, thai the Committee S recommendations were "widely- based and practicable”.
The Chairman of the Action Committee, Mr James Chui, and an Urban Councillor, Dr Denny Huang, urgea Government strongly to implement the Committee's recommendations
delay.
without
In stating that "proliferation of poor quality interpreters and translators would only defeat the whole purpose of our recommendations,' the Committee made the following additional recommendations to improve the translation and interpretation services in Government:
Government interpreters and translators should be divided into two separate categories; one to be primarily engaged in translation from English to Chinese, and the other the reverse.
A class of specialist translators should be trained within each of the
categories.
two
Basic qualifications for direct entry LO the interpreter/translator grade should be amended to include at least a pass at Grade C or above, in either English or Chinese in the Hongkong Certificate
of
Education examination.
Candidates possessing basic entry qualifications should pass a qualifying examination before being considered for appointment.
A short, full-time induction course should be given for interpreters/transla- tors in the first year of service, followed by part-time day- releass courses and inter- mittent, short, full-time courses.
The career structure of the interpreter/translator grade should be revised to allow quick advancement for those with ability and to create a senior class of interpreter/translators to meet the functional re- quirements of each depart-
ment.
The "Central Authority" recommended in the Committee's second report for the enforcement of i Government's policy on bilingualism, should be i responsible for
the interpreter/translator grade. administration of the
in addition to the immediate problems of interpretation and translation, the Committee also considered the role of Hongkong's education system în a bilingual society.