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SUNDAY, JANUARY 19, 1986
PLANS SET FOR BILINGUAL CIVIL SERVICE
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THE GOVERNMENT IS FORMULATING A SET OF PROGRAMMES AIMED AT ENSURING A FUNCTIONALLY BILINGUAL CIVIL SERVICE BEFORE THE CHANGEOVER OF SOVEREIGNTY IN 1997, THE DEPUTY SECRETARY FOR ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES AND INFORMATION, MR ADOLF HSU, SAID TODAY (SUNDAY).
HE POINTED OUT THAT IN ADDITION TO EXTENDING TRANSLATION SERVICE, STEPS WOULD PROGRESSIVELY BE TAKEN WITHIN THE CIVIL SERVICE, SUBJECT TO FUNDS AND MANPOWER RESOURCES BEING AVAILABLE, TO GO FOR FULL BILINGUALISM AND TO IMPROVE SERVING OFFICERS' PROFICIENCY IN CHINESE.
+THE AIM IS TO ENSURE THAT CIVIL SERVANTS WILL BE ABLE TO COMMUNICATE IN BOTH LANGUAGES WITH EASE, HE SAID.
MR HSU WAS SPEAKING AT A SEMINAR ORGANISED BY THE HONG KONG AFFAIRS SOCIETY ON +LANGUAGE POLICY FOR HONG KONG DURING THE TRANS ITIONAL PERIOD+, WHEN HE HIGHLIGHTED THE MAJOR TASKS NOW BEING UNDERTAKEN BY THE GOVERNMENT IN THIS AREA.
+ IN MEETING TODAY'S NEW CHALLENGES, EXISTING POLICIES MUST BE COMPATIBLE WITH THE TRENDS OF THE TIME AND SHOULD ALSO BE REVIEWED.
+ IN THE YEARS TO COME, THERE CAN BE NO QUESTION THAT THERE WILL BE A WIDER USE OF CHINESE IN OFFICIAL BUSINESS, + HE SAID.
TO INDICATE THE DIRECTION IN WHICH THE GOVERNMENT IS HEADING, MR HSU CITED AS AN EXAMPLE THE RECENT RECRUITMENT OF CIVIL SERVANTS WHEN APPLICANTS FOR ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER, EXECUTIVE OFFICER AND ASSISTANT LABOUR OFFICER POSTS WERE REQUIRED FOR THE FIRST TIME TO ANSWER SOME OF THE QUESTIONS IN THE TEST PAPER IN CHINESE.
HE REVEALED THAT PLANS WERE ALSO IN HAND FOR SERVING OFFICERS TO IMPROVE THE IR PROFICIENCY IN CHINESE: +DEPENDING ON THE AVAILABILITY OF RESOURCES, TRAINING COURSES GEARED TO THE NEEDS OF DIFFERENT GRADES WILL HAVE TO BE ORGANISED FOR OFFICERS WITH DIFFERENT LEVELS OF LINGUISTIC SKILL.+
+THE PRIMARY AIM IS TO ENSURE THEY WILL BE ABLE TO DRAFT PAPERS AND MINUTES OF MEETINGS IN ENGLISH AND CHINESE,+ HE SAID.
HOWEVER HE WARNED THAT ALL THESE PROGRAMMES, WHICH WERE BEING CARRIED OUT INITIALLY ON A TRIAL BASIS, MIGHT ENCOUNTER PROBLEMS IF IMPLEMENTED IN FULL.
/+THIS IS