Interview with Gloria

Who is Gloria?

I’m Gloria. I was born in the Philippines and my whole family moved to Hong Kongfor 8 years. My mum is a Filipino and my dad is a Chinese. I have 4 siblings. I studied finance in the University. After graduation, I work as a financial planner in an insurance company.

Background information

	Mother
Age	41-50
Nationality	Filipino
Highest level of education	High school
Occupation	Housewife
Years in HK	8
Language Proficiency	Tagalog (Advanced) English (Intermediate) Cantonese (Beginner) Ilonggo (Advanced)
Language Use	Home : Tagalog (use code-mixed & code-switching) Social gatherings: Tagalog, Ilonggo

What languages do you use in your everyday life?

When I talk to my parents and siblings at home, I use Tagalog, one of the official languages of the Philippines. Since my father lived in the Philippines for many years, he knows Tagalog and there is no problem communicating with him in the language.

I studied international school when I was 15. When I talked to my classmates and teachers, I used English. My school also offered Cantonese courses, so I learned how to speak and write Cantonese in the classroom. I communicated with my Cantonese teacher in Cantonese. However, my Cantonese is only at intermediate level.

During social gatherings, I talk to my friends in Tagalog because most of them cannot speak Cantonese fluently. For the gatherings at the church, I use English. Since some of my friends only know Ilonggo, it is easier to communicate with them in English.

In my workplace which is an insurance company. I use Cantonese with my colleagues and most of my customers. I can read Chinese and write Chinese. But I do not know some of the financial terms in Cantonese so I have to learn them little by little in my workplace. Since most of the time, I have to use Cantonese in the company, I feel the need to improve my Cantonese. When there are customers who speak English, I communicate with them in English. Language is not a barrier in my workplace.

What do you identify yourself as?
I live in Hong Kong for more than a decade and I have many Chinese friends. However, the Philippines is my birthplace and I feel I also belong there. I regard myself as a Hong Kong person as well as a Filipino. I think I have a mixed identity.

Do you think the Hong Kong education system has given enough support for minority communities in learning Cantonese?
I think the government has tried to help the minority groups to learn Cantonese. But learning a language requires hard work. If you are not willing to learn the language, no one can push you to do it. When I was at school, my teacher taught me Cantonese but I was not willing to learn the language because I did not know the importance of Cantonese. I wish I had put more effort in learning Cantonese.

Would you want your children to learn Cantonese?
Yes, definitely. I want to teach them step by step. First, I will teach them English because it is easier to learn. Then I will teach them Cantonese. If they want to learn Tagalog, I will also teach them but I will not force them to learn.