French Language in Hong Kong
Native French speakers in Hong Kong number about 8,000, of which approximately 6,000 are French citizens. An estimated 50,000 people occasionally practice French, while 2% of Hong Kong’s total population of 7 million have studied the language.
Cantonese is the dominant and one of the two official languages (Cantonese & English) of Hong Kong. English is firmly established and is the language of business & communication due to the colonial history of Hong Kong. There has been a steady increase of the importance given to the Mandarin language since the retrocession in 1997.
Nevertheless, French language is an important determinant factor in the Hong Kong Education: French is one of the two foreign languages (Mandarin & French) that could be taken in the Hong Kong Certificate of Education (HKCEE). In 2006, 214 pupils chose French as their foreign language. The pupils can also choose French or German in the Hong Kong Advanced Level Examination (HKALE - equivalent of French Baccalaureate).
http://www.consulfrance-hongkong.org/spip.php?article592
Native French speakers in Hong Kong number about 8,000, of which approximately 6,000 are French citizens. An estimated 50,000 people occasionally practice French, while 2% of Hong Kong’s total population of 7 million have studied the language.
Cantonese is the dominant and one of the two official languages (Cantonese & English) of Hong Kong. English is firmly established and is the language of business & communication due to the colonial history of Hong Kong. There has been a steady increase of the importance given to the Mandarin language since the retrocession in 1997.
Nevertheless, French language is an important determinant factor in the Hong Kong Education: French is one of the two foreign languages (Mandarin & French) that could be taken in the Hong Kong Certificate of Education (HKCEE). In 2006, 214 pupils chose French as their foreign language. The pupils can also choose French or German in the Hong Kong Advanced Level Examination (HKALE - equivalent of French Baccalaureate).
http://www.consulfrance-hongkong.org/spip.php?article592