XN000022-1986-12-19 — Page 3

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 19, 1986

+AGAINST THIS BACKGROUND, WE ARE ENCOURAGING INDIVIDUAL SECONDARY SCHOOL AUTHORITIES TO ADOPT CHINESE AS THE MEDIUM OF INSTRUCTION WHILST, AT THE SAME TIME, PROVIDING RESOURCES TO STRENGTHEN THE TEACHING OF ENGLISH, + HE SAID.

THE PLANS RELATING TO THE USE OF LANGUAGES IN EDUCATION THAT HAD BEEN FORMULATED IN HONG KONG IN RECENT YEARS WERE OF CONSIDERABLE IMPORTANCE AND THERE WAS LITTLE DOUBT THAT THE FULL IMPLEMENTATION OF THEM WOULD LEAD TO SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN SOCIETY.

FOR THE PURPOSES OF COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT AND THE PUBLIC, THE OFFICIAL LANGUAGE ORDINANCE ENACTED IN 1974 STIPULATED THAT BOTH ENGLISH AND CHINESE WERE OFFICIAL LANGUAGES.

IN PURSUIT OF THIS POLICY, CHINESE WAS NOW WIDELY USED IN COMMUNICATION BETWEEN GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS AND MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WHO WERE NOT AT HOME WITH ENGLISH.

IMPORTANT DOCUMENTS AND REPORTS WERE PUBLISHED IN BOTH ENGLISH AND CHINESE. SIMULTANEOUS INTERPRETATION FROM ENGLISH TO CHINESE AND VICE VERSA WAS PROVIDED IN ALL MEETINGS OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, URBAN COUNCIL, REGIONAL COUNCIL AND THE DISTRICT BOARDS.

+WE ARE ALSO GRADUALLY STRENGTHENING, THROUGH TRAINING AND RECRUITMENT, THE LEARNING AND TEACHING OF BOTH CHINESE AND ENGLISH IN THE CIVIL SERVICE, SIR DAVID SAID.

+A HIGH STANDARD OF CHINESE IS BEING DEMANDED FROM RECRUITS TO THE CIVIL SERVICE AND WE ARE NOW PLANNING NEW TRAINING COURSES WHICH FOCUS ON THE LANGUAGE NEEDS OF DIFFERENT GRADES OF GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEE.

*THE PURPOSE OF ALL THESE EFFORTS IS TO ENSURE THAT MOST CIVIL SERVANTS ARE ABLE TO ENHANCE THEIR ABILITY TO SPEAK AND WRITE BOTH ENGLISH AND CHINESE. COURSES ARE ALSO BEING RUN TO TRAIN OFFICERS WHO HAVE A FUNCTIONAL NEED TO SPEAK PUTONGHUA.+

SIR DAVID SAID THAT PERHAPS THE GREATEST CHALLENGE LAY IN THE DRAFTING OF THE LAW.

THE GOVERNMENT WAS FOCUSSING, IN PARTICULAR, ON THE PROBLEM OF DRAFTING AN AUTHENTIC VERSION OF THE LAWS OF HONG KONG SO THAT BOTH THE ENGLISH AND CHINESE VERSIONS COMMUNICATED AN EQUIVALENT MESSAGE IN THEIR OWN FASHION AND THE TEXT IN EACH LANGUAGE ACCURATELY REFLECTED THE MEANING OF THE OTHER.

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