ABSTRACT
This article examines the attitudes toward Hong Kong English (HKE) and its role in carrying the linguistic identity of Hong Kongers under the influence of the Hong Kong protests against the proposed legislation of the 2019 extradition bill. Two groups of Hong Kongers with and without overseas living experiences were chosen in this study. A questionnaire survey and semi-structured interviews were used to compare their acceptability on HKE and views on language use. This study sheds light on the evolution of HKE by examining its interpretation based on the personal experiences of the participants influenced by different sociological factors. The results show that even though the majority of the two groups disagree that they speak or use HKE more often during this period, they tend to support HKE as a marker of identity with a distinct pattern shown between the young and middle to older generations.
Acknowledgements
This study would not have been possible without the time, support, and dedication of many people in my MAES study. I wish to express my gratitude to my professors for their guidance and inspiration. I would like to extend my special thanks to my linguistics professors and tutors, who have offered me many feedback and insights for my learning and research with their genuine enthusiasm and professional expertise in the field. I am very grateful to be part of the program and apply the knowledge and concepts I have learned in class in the capstone research project. Lastly, I also thank my family, classmates, and friends for their encouragement and bright ideas.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.