Learning Cantonese as an additional language (CAL) or not: What the CAL learners say

2016 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-22 ◽  
Author(s):  
David C. S. Li ◽  
Shuet Keung ◽  
Hon Fong Poon ◽  
Zhichang Xu
Keyword(s):  
Hong Kong ◽  
Focus Groups ◽  
Qualitative Data ◽  
Incidental Learning ◽  
Self Esteem ◽  
Independent Learning ◽  
Motivation To Learn ◽  
Personal Names ◽  
Bilingual Dictionaries

AbstractBased on qualitative data obtained from 33 participants in four focus groups, two each in Putonghua (17) and English (16) respectively, this study shows that learners of Cantonese as an additional language (CAL) in Hong Kong experience a lot of difficulties. As a ‘dialect’, Cantonese has not been standardized and is not part of school literacy. A variety of romanization systems are used in commercially obtainable learning aid like Cantonese course books and bilingual dictionaries, which tend to diverge from romanized Cantonese in street signs and personal names. Independent learning is difficult while incidental learning is almost impossible. Cantonese tuition, often focusing on tones, is reportedly not so helpful. With six distinctive tonemes, the Cantonese tone system appears to be a major stumbling block. When spoken to in Cantonese, local speakers tend to switch to English or Putonghua. Inaccuracies in tone contours often trigger laughter, damaging CAL learners’ self-esteem and dampening their motivation to learn and speak Cantonese. Unlike sojourners, non-Chinese residents who see themselves as Hongkongers often get upset as their identity claims are questioned or even challenged by the mainstream Cantonese society.

scholarly journals Qualitative Evaluation of the Project P.A.T.H.S. Based on the Perceptions of the Program Participants

2006 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. 2254-2263 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel T.L. Shek ◽  
Tak Yan Lee ◽  
Andrew Siu ◽  
Ching Man Lam
Keyword(s):  
Hong Kong ◽  
Focus Groups ◽  
Qualitative Data ◽  
Qualitative Evaluation ◽  
Chinese Adolescents ◽  
Rater Reliability ◽  
Holistic Development ◽  
Beneficial Effects ◽  
Specific Focus ◽  
Tier 1

Qualitative evaluation was carried out to understand the perceptions of the students participating in the Tier 1 Program of the P.A.T.H.S. Project. Five focus groups based on 43 students recruited from four schools were conducted to generate qualitative data to evaluate the program. With specific focus on how the informants described the program, results showed that the descriptors used were mainly positive in nature. When the informants were invited to name three metaphors that could stand for the program, the related metaphors were basically positive in nature. Finally, the program participants perceived many beneficial effects of the program in different psychosocial domains. Intra- and inter-rater reliability analyses revealed that the coding of the positive or negative nature of the responses was reliable. The present study provides qualitative support for the effectiveness of the Tier 1 Program of the Project P.A.T.H.S. in promoting holistic development in Chinese adolescents in Hong Kong.

scholarly journals Qualitative Evaluation of the Project P.A.T.H.S.: An Integration of Findings Based on Program Implementers

2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel T. L. Shek
Keyword(s):  
Hong Kong ◽  
Focus Groups ◽  
Interrater Reliability ◽  
Qualitative Data ◽  
Qualitative Evaluation ◽  
Data Analyses ◽  
Tier 1

An integration of the qualitative evaluation findings collected from program implementers conducting the Project P.A.T.H.S. (Positive Adolescent Training through Holistic Social Programmes) in different years (n=177participants in 36 focus groups) was carried out. General qualitative data analyses utilizing intra and interrater reliability techniques were performed. Results showed that the descriptors used to describe the program and the metaphors named by the informants that could stand for the program were generally positive in nature. Program participants also perceived the program to be beneficial to the development of the students in different psychosocial domains. The present study further supports the effectiveness of the Tier 1 Program of the Project P.A.T.H.S. in Hong Kong based on the perspective of the program implementers.

Heteronormativity and Developing Masculinities at a Primary School in South Africa

2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Luckmore Chimanzi
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Focus Groups ◽  
Primary School ◽  
Identity Formation ◽  
Qualitative Data ◽  
Social Bonds ◽  
Male Identity ◽  
Social Unit ◽  
Male And Female ◽  
Diary Research

This article explores the development of heteronormativity and the construction of masculinities at a township primary school in South Africa. In this study, boys and girls chastise homosexuality yet maintain their male-to-male and female-to-female social bonds. Homosocial or male-to-male social bonds have a bearing on the construction of male identity. It is argued that homosocial relationships serve as a means through which certain boys negotiate and exhibit their masculinity in a process of identity formation in which heterosexuality is a key component. Qualitative data from focus groups and diary research with Grade 7 students (male and female) in a primary school are used. Boys engage in a number of games and acquire resources for themselves; hence, as a social unit, they portray themselves as heteronormative. Their solidarity plays a role in maintaining their power in relationships even though privately some of them expressed preference for more flexible constructions of masculinity.

Police BWCs as ‘Neutral Observers’: Perceptions of public defenders

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janne E Gaub ◽  
Carolyn Naoroz ◽  
Aili Malm
Keyword(s):  
Criminal Justice ◽  
Focus Groups ◽  
Qualitative Data ◽  
Future Research ◽  
End User ◽  
Public Defenders

Abstract The research on police body-worn cameras (BWCs) has rapidly expanded to evaluate the technology’s impact on a range of police outcomes. Far fewer studies have addressed the various effects on downstream criminal justice actors, and those that do have focused almost entirely on prosecutors. Thus, public defenders have remained on the periphery of the police BWC discussion, despite playing an important role as an end-user of the technology. This study draws on qualitative data from focus groups with public defenders in the Commonwealth of Virginia to discuss the perception of BWCs as neutral observers in a police–citizen encounter. We then provide implications and recommend avenues for future research.

Tight budget constraints and the absence of strategic planning

Facilities ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 34 (7/8) ◽  
pp. 380-393 ◽  
Author(s):  
Huiying Hou ◽  
Daniel C.W. Ho ◽  
Jacky K.H. Chung ◽  
Kelwin K.W. Wong
Keyword(s):  
Hong Kong ◽  
Strategic Planning ◽  
Qualitative Data ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Facilities Management ◽  
Budget Constraints ◽  
Group Discussions ◽  
Service Outsourcing ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Coding Method

Purpose This paper aims to identify the factors that affect facilities management (FM) service outsourcing. Design/methodology/approach Five focus group discussions (FGDs) were conducted for this study. A total of 25 professional FM managers were invited to participate in the FGDs. The qualitative data collected from the FGDs were analysed with the coding method. Findings FM managers commonly regard that tight budget constraints and the absence of strategic planning are two important factors that affect FM service outsourcing. Tight budget constraints reflect that clients control their service providers by constraining budgets, which creates a series of inefficiencies in the outsourcing process and thus lead to adverse outsourcing relationships. A series of strategies are recommended to deal with the challenges posed by budget constraints and the lack strategic planning. Research limitations/implications Twenty-five Hong Kong-based FM managers were interviewed for this study. The empirical data collected mainly reflects FM service outsourcing in Hong Kong. It is important to test the findings with a bigger group of FM managers from other regions. Originality/value The managerial significance of FM service outsourcing has not yet been valued in practice. This study draws academic attention to FM service outsourcing practice and provides practical opinions from FM managers. Also, this study adopts the FGD method in data collection, which extracts to a maximum degree of authentic opinions from practitioners.

scholarly journals Strategi Kepala Sekolah Dalam Peningkatan Motivasi Dan Etos Kerja Guru Di Sekolah Menengah Atas Negeri Bareng Jombang

2019 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 167-182
Author(s):  
Noor Fatikah ◽  
Fildayanti
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Data ◽  
Work Ethic ◽  
Teacher Motivation ◽  
Self Esteem ◽  
Need For Achievement ◽  
Good Strategy ◽  
Master's Programs ◽  
Outstanding Teachers ◽  
Good Plan

As a motivator, headmasters should have a good strategy to motivate teachers in carrying out various tasks and functions. They have to have views and attitudes toward their employers. The headmaster of SMAN Bareng is one of the principals who always motivates his teacher. For examples, giving prizes in the form of awards and cash to outstanding teachers. This study is qualitative, data is collected through observation, documentation and interviews, and to analyze the researchers' data using triangulation of sources. The results of the research are: the teacher of SMAN Bareng have a very good motivation, in terms of self-esteem needs which include the need for achievement and the need for status, such as several teachers are taking master's programs. The work ethic possessed by SMAN Bareng teacher is very good, as that is they have the discipline of time and responsibility in carrying out the tasks given by the principal. The principal's strategy in increasing teacher motivation and work ethic is making a good plan and giving models to them.

scholarly journals UNCOVERING PRODUCTION FLOWS FROM SMALL FARMS: RESULTS FROM POLAND AND PORTUGAL CASE STUDIES

2019 ◽  
Vol XXI (3) ◽  
pp. 49-61
Author(s):  
Marta Czekaj ◽  
Paola Hernández ◽  
Ana Fonseca ◽  
Maria Rivera ◽  
Katarzyna Żmija ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Focus Groups ◽  
Qualitative Data ◽  
Food System ◽  
Food Product ◽  
Small Farmers ◽  
Small Farms ◽  
Regional Food ◽  
Product Maps ◽  
The Impact

This study is an attempt to assess the impact of small farms (SF) on the regional food product circulation of specific key products in selected, fragmented, agrarian regions in Poland and Portugal. The empirical study is based on the analysis of food product maps which were developed based on data from a survey conducted among owners of small farms and small food businesses at focus group meetings and workshops organized in 2017 and 2018 in the Nowotarski and Nowosądecki subregions in Poland and in the Alentejo Central and Oeste subregions in Portugal. Qualitative data analysis was conducted using uniform methodology. In each of the subregions, focus groups helped to confront the assumptions resulting from surveys and corroborate the flows and fluxes described in the developed food product maps. Data collected during focus groups were enriched by data gathered during regional workshops that focused on food system governance. It was concluded that food product maps indicate interesting relationship flows of small farmers’ products along the food system, highlighting the role of fluxes connecting small farmers with other actors regarding specific key products. Several similarities and disparities between regional KP production flows in the Portuguese and Polish subregions, based on the type of key product, the various distribution channels and farming capacities present in each subregion were observed.

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