Decline of Written Cantonese in Education

語言學家警告，隨住普通話教學喺香港學校嘅普及，書面粵語嘅使用空間正在急劇收窄。

jyu5 jin4 hok6 gaa1 ging2 gou3, ceoi4 zyu6 pou2 tung1 waa2 gaau3 hok6 hai2 hoeng1 gong2 hok6 haau6 ge3 pou2 kap6, syu1 min2 jyut6 jyu5 ge3 si2 jung6 hung1 gaan1 zing3 zoi6 gap1 kek6 sau1 zaak3.

Linguists warn that as Mandarin instruction spreads through Hong Kong schools, the space for written Cantonese is rapidly shrinking.

研究顯示，過去十年間，學生喺作文中使用粵語詞彙嘅比例下跌咗百分之四十二。

jin4 gau3 hin2 si6, gwo3 heoi3 sap6 nin4 gaan1, hok6 saang1 hai2 zok3 man4 zung1 si2 jung6 jyut6 jyu5 ci4 wui6 ge3 bei2 lai6 haa6 dit3 zo2 baak3 fan6 zi1 sei3 sap6 ji6.

Research shows that over the past decade, the proportion of Cantonese vocabulary used by students in essays has dropped by 42 percent.

中文大學語言學系教授指出，書面語同口語之間嘅鴻溝越嚟越大，可能導致下一代喪失用文字精確表達粵語思維嘅能力。

zung1 man4 daai6 hok6 jyu5 jin4 hok6 hai6 gaau3 sau6 zi2 ceot1, syu1 min2 jyu5 tung4 hau2 jyu5 zi1 gaan1 ge3 hung4 kau1 jyut6 lai4 jyut6 daai6, ho2 nang4 dou6 zi3 haa6 jat1 doi6 song3 sat1 jung6 man4 zi6 zing1 kok3 biu2 daat6 jyut6 jyu5 si1 wai4 ge3 nang4 lik6.

A CUHK linguistics professor points out the gap between written and spoken language is widening, potentially causing the next generation to lose the ability to express Cantonese thought precisely in writing.

部分教育工作者開始推動「粵語寫作」課程，但面對制度性嘅障礙仍然步履維艱。

bou6 fan6 gaau3 juk6 gung1 zok3 ze2 hoi1 ci2 teoi1 dung6 jyut6 jyu5 se2 zok3 fo3 cing4, daan6 min6 deoi3 zai3 dou6 sing3 ge3 zoeng3 ngoi6 jing4 jin4 bou6 leoi5 wai4 gaan1.

Some educators have started promoting Cantonese writing courses, but they face systemic obstacles and progress remains difficult.