Constructing cultural identity through text messaging: the case of Hong-Kong Cantonese-English bilinguals

Abstract

Under the Biliteracy and Trilingualism policy, both Standard Chinese and English are core subjects printed on the school curriculum throughout 12 years of compulsory education in Hong Kong, and Cantonese is expected to be spoken fluently by every local-born resident through natural exposure. It is in this sociolinguistic environment, newly created language varieties used by particular social stratum came into sight, namely Hong Kong English (HKE) and Kongish. Research to date has not yet adequately attended to what roles these varieties play when it comes to intra-group communication among bilinguals. This thesis focuses on the lexicogrammar of HKE and Kongish as reflected by text data in real-time messaging among young Hongkongers. It sheds light on the linguistic and pragmatic considerations that rationalize the use of each of these varieties in context. Using semi-structured interviews, it reports that HKE and Kongish exist as common intra-ethnic means of communication in e-discourse apart from Cantonese and standard English. Additionally, the innovation of HKE and Kongish can be traced to bilinguals' linguistic manipulation as a means of achieving a range of personal and interpersonal purposes.