The UBC Cantonese Language Program recently held its first workshop of the new academic year on October 4, 2024, as part of its ongoing efforts to promote Cantonese language learning in the community. This workshop titled “Cantonese and Learner Corpora” marks a special occasion, as it is the first workshop of the program’s 10th anniversary year. Over the past decade, the UBC Cantonese Language Program has worked to promote Cantonese and teach the language to non-Cantonese speakers.
In the workshop, guest speakers Dr. Wong Tak-sum and Dr. Ken Cheng from Hong Kong Polytechnic University introduced the concept of corpora and its practical applications for both learners and teachers of Cantonese. They explained that Cantonese corpora are collections of language data sourced from various platforms, such as TV shows, movies, and participants in language studies. These corpora can help learners and teachers understand the characteristics of specific words or phrases and track changes in language use over time.
Dr. Ken Cheng also shared his experience of teaching Cantonese in Hong Kong, highlighting common challenges faced by learners. For instance, English-speaking learners may struggle with understanding the “to-be” verb and aspect markers in Cantonese, while Mandarin speakers may find the tonal system difficult. The most challenging aspect for learners is building a linguistic intuition towards the target language, especially how Cantonese speakers manipulate different tones to convey nuanced meanings and attitudes for efficient and effective communication.
The speakers emphasized how corpora can be an essential tool in enhancing the teaching and learning of Cantonese. UBC is currently collaborating with Hong Kong Polytechnic University to collect data from Cantonese second-language learners to improve teaching methods. This cooperation will continue to benefit both institutions as they strive to enhance Cantonese language education.
More workshops and cultural events are planned as part of the UBC Cantonese Language Program to engage the community further and support Cantonese language and culture learning.
