{"id":81094,"date":"2020-09-28T07:20:45","date_gmt":"2020-09-28T07:20:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/staging.expatinfodesk.com\/?page_id=81094"},"modified":"2023-05-22T07:40:47","modified_gmt":"2023-05-22T07:40:47","slug":"language","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.expatinfodesk.com\/destinations\/hong-kong\/language\/","title":{"rendered":"Language Guide – Hong Kong"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Language Information for Expats Living in Hong Kong<\/h2>\n

The de-facto official dialect of Hong Kong is Cantonese, a Chinese dialect originating from the Guangdong province, spoken by 90% of the population as a first language. Mandarin, the official language of the People’s Republic of China, is also becoming increasingly common and may even one day overtake Cantonese as the main language of Hong Kong.<\/p>\n

Although English is widely used in government bodies, the business community and in most shops and restaurants in the business district, the degree of proficiency is limited in the more local or smaller establishments. While many non-locals feel intimidated by Cantonese, it is possible to learn some basic words and phrases to converse with people on the street. People are usually pleased that you are trying to learn the language and will generally be encouraging and helpful.<\/p>\n

If you plan to be in Hong Kong<\/a> for quite a while, it is worth the effort to enroll in a course to learn to speak some simple Cantonese. You will enjoy your time in Hong Kong far more if you are able to converse with the locals in their own language, as well as making yourself more attractive to employers. The language is quite hard to learn as it incorporates 6 different tones, which means that one word can have six different meanings depending upon how you pronounce it. However, if you persist you will slowly begin to get a good grasp of the vocabulary.<\/p>\n

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Courses Available<\/h3>\n

A basic course in Cantonese typically runs between two and three months, and focuses on oral skills and listening comprehension. Courses are centered around useful vocabulary, daily expressions and sentence structure to help students communicate in a range of everyday situations.<\/p>\n

There are a number of reputable language schools offering part-time and full-time courses, as well as private and group lessons geared towards foreigners and expatriates. Course fees range from HK$2,300-HK$5,850 depending on the size of the class, and usually include books and teaching materials.<\/p>\n

Recommended Beginner Courses:<\/h4>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
\n

School<\/h3>\n<\/td>\n

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Course \/ Fees<\/h3>\n<\/td>\n

\n

Website<\/h3>\n<\/td>\n

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Contact Details<\/h3>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

Hong Kong Language Learning Centre<\/td>\n10 x 2-hour classes
\nHK$2,980<\/td>\n		http:\/\/www.hkllc.com<\/a><\/td>\n604, 6\/F Emperor Group Centre
\n288 Hennessy Road, Wan Chai
\nTel: 2572 6488<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Hong Kong Institute of Languages<\/td>\n10 x 2-hour classes
\nHK$3,400<\/td>\n		http:\/\/www.hklanguages.com\/<\/a><\/td>\n6\/F Wellington Plaza
\n56-58 Wellington St
\nCentral
\nTel: 2877 6160<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Chinese University of Hong Kong<\/td>\n14 x 3-hour classes
\nHK$5,850<\/td>\n		http:\/\/www.cuhk.edu.hk<\/a><\/td>\nShatin
\nNew Territories
\nTel: 2609 6727<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Chinese Language Professional<\/td>\n12 x 1.5-hour classes
\nHK$2,398<\/td>\n		http:\/\/www.clprof.com<\/a><\/td>\n2\/F Dah Sing Life Building
\n99-105 Des Voeux Road Central
\nTel: 3165 5191<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Global Language Centre<\/td>\nPrivate: HK$167 – $217\/hour
\nGroup: HK$110- $120\/hour<\/td>\n		<\/td>\nRm 403, 4\/F HK Trade Centre
\n161-167 Des Voeux Rd, Central
\nTel: 2151 2387<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
EDC Languages<\/td>\n20 x 2-hour classes
\nHK$4,100<\/td>\n		http:\/\/www.hkedc.com<\/td>\nSuite 1401, 14\/F Methodist House
\n36 Hennessy Road, Wan Chai<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Hong Kong Language School<\/td>\nFrom $300 per lesson<\/td>\n
\n<\/a>http:\/\/www.hkls.com.hk\/<\/a><\/td>\n		Room 1701-2
\nTung Chiu Commercial Centre
\n193 Lockhart Road, Wan Chai
\nTel:3622 2558<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
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Language Exchanges<\/h3>\n

There are many people in Hong Kong who are keen to learn English and are prepared to engage in language exchange meetings whereby two parties of different native languages meet on a regular basis to hone their speaking skills. Advertisements are often placed in the forums of Geoexpat.com by people who wish to teach Cantonese in exchange for learning a European language.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/3″ el_class=”city-side-bar”][vc_row_inner el_class=”sidebar-section-one”][vc_column_inner][vc_custom_heading text=”Top Tips” font_container=”tag:h4|font_size:24|text_align:left|color:%23ffffff” google_fonts=”font_family:Open%20Sans%3A300%2C300italic%2Cregular%2Citalic%2C600%2C600italic%2C700%2C700italic%2C800%2C800italic|font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal”][vc_separator color=”#ffffff” type=”full_width” thickness=”1″ up=”” down=””][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
01<\/td>\nThe majority of homes in Hong Kong do not have ovens, as most Chinese cooking is done on a hob. Check kitchen appliances before signing a lease.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
02<\/td>\nHong Kong is mainly hot but it does get cold between December and February. Homes don’t have heating so you will need your own heating appliances.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
03<\/td>\nAll residents need a Hong Kong ID card. Queues for registration are always huge so book an appointment in advance.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
04<\/td>\nRental prices are very high in Hong Kong and you will usually be expected to pay six weeks rent to the estate agent to pay for his or her services.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
05<\/td>\nTax is not automatically deducted from your salary in Hong Kong. You will need to ensure that you put aside enough money each month for tax purposes.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

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