Fung Scholars Crossroads – Sociolinguistics and the City: Hong Kong in Her Own Words

Fung Scholars Crossroads (Hong Kong Chapter)

Crossroads Details

Date: 22 August 2026 (Saturday)
Time: 2:00 PM – 3:30 PM (networking session to follow, refreshments provided)
Medium: English
Venue: Explorium, 1/F, LiFung Tower, 868 Cheung Sha Wan Road, Hong Kong

Speaker

Tse Sheung Hei (FS 2023/24, The University of Hong Kong) is an MPhil candidate at School of English, The University of Hong Kong. He is an Associate Member (ACIL) of the Chartered Institute of Linguists (CIOL).

Words from the Speaker

Sociolinguistics has a long-standing interest in exploring how society influences language perception and production. But why does it matter to all of us, beyond a mere subject of inquiry by academics in the ivory tower? Since Primary One, we have been instructed to learn about Chinese and English, abiding by grammatical rules and proper pronunciation, but why are we learning? What are we collectively doing? And how do we make sense out of it? We all know both the English and Chinese words for redundancy, but what’s the fuss about “1999” in online forums?

In this talk, I will talk about the way we talk—beyond what we are instructed as right or wrong—and what it tells us about ourselves and our city. I will first provide an overview of the languages and dialects in Hong Kong to set the scene. I will then discuss how languages are intricately intertwined with the very space we live in, from news reports to WhatsApp chats, from government posters to cha chaang teng menus, and how each curates different corners of our city. The thing is: We are all unique despite living in the same city, and the way we speak tells something about ourselves. We speak differently from the way we write; we write differently from place to place.

I will end my talk on the languages present in Hong Kong’s most marginal space: the back alleys and sketchy lanes beneath the city’s façade. And the most overlooked space is where we discover our most visceral voices, along with the most creative linguistic practices—translanguaging—the amalgamation of alphabets, symbols, and even numerals. Join me to take a pause and wonder: How have languages influenced our lives and the place we call home?

Spots are limited. Please register to join us.

For enquiries: Admin@FungScholars.org

* This is a Fung Scholars Only event.