Presentation Schedule
Family Multilingualism and Language Policy Among Ethnic Minorities in Hong Kong (106310)
Session Chair: Jette Hansen Edwards
Monday, 11 May 2026 16:45
Session: Session 4
Room: Room G405 (4F)
Presentation Type: Oral Presentation
Research shows that Nepali ethnic minorities are one of the most marginalized and disadvantaged ethnic minorities in Hong Kong (Tsung & Gao, 2012). The official ‘biliterate’ (Chinese and English) and ‘trilingual’ (Cantonese, Mandarin and English) language policy of the city is one of the major factors affecting the sociocultural, educational, economic and professional engagement of Nepali ethnic minorities in the public sphere. This policy has created an unequal linguistic environment contributing to growing language shift and loss of ethnic minority languages. This study uses ‘thirdspace’ (Soja, 1996) and ‘embedded mixed method’ (Creswell & Clark, 2007) to investigate and problematize the role of the family in language management of Nepali ethnic minorities in Hong Kong. Survey data from 200 Nepali ethnic minority families in Hong Kong have been collected. Both descriptive and inferential analyses have been conducted on the survey data using SPSS. In addition, a subset of 12 families from the survey participants have been selected for in-depth data collection: This encompasses families from each of 4 major Indigenous/tribal groups: Limbu, Rai, Gurung, and Magar. Participant observation, in-interviews, including oral history, and field notes are the major data collection methods for the twelve families. To date, 36 interviews have been carried out. Findings indicate that families have diverse family language policies emerging from the past and present linguistic, cultural, and socioeconomic experiences of the Nepali family members across generations. The talk offers critical insights into understanding the role of the family for multilingualism among ethnic minorities in Hong Kong.
Authors:
Jette Hansen Edwards, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
About the Presenter(s)
Prof. Jette G. Hansen Edwards is Professor of Applied English Linguistics at The Chinese University of Hong Kong.
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