previous page project index next page

English or languish - Probing the ramifications
of Hong Kong's language policy

Hypothesis testing
hypothesis testing (index) | project fund (research)

Test Three: Perceived Need vs Actual Use

employers/employees | general public | foreign residents


Exploiting differences in worker and employer perspectives
hypothesis testing (index)

An alternative approach to testing this hypothesis would be to go directly to those who utilize the language. As employers and workers often share different opinions about their respective needs, important insight about the true need for English in the work place can likely be obtained by comparing the opinions of those who utilize English with those who employ those who utilize it in their daily activities. As the market for language competence only rises above that level where it is is no longer perceived as a "free" commodity (see Nature of the market), much of the demand for English is likely overstated.

Exploring language use in this context would permit those who supply language competence to know just how much of the "free" commodity employed is actually utilized.

In order to measure this difference in perspective a questionnaire must be developed that accurately discriminates among these varying points of view.

   top

The general public
hypothesis testing (index)

Language has many non-economic uses with important economic consequences. Moreover, leisure activity is an important part of our individual social well-being. Thus, exploring only business needs would provide an inaccurate assessment of true demand.

   top

Tourists, overseas investors, and sales people
hypothesis testing (index)

Another important component of demand for the English language consists of those who actually depend on the langauge to get around. Even the need for this component has likely been exaggerated. (See discussion paper Seperation of language and culture andKeeping the tourist happy.)

In order to understand the true nature of demand in this regard the foreign presence can be classified into several categories:

Having understood the different classifications of foreign residents it is important to distinguish between their true need and that which has developed as a result of artificial demand. In order to achieve this the foreign population must be questionned directly. For example,

previous page  top next page