“Non-standard” writings in Hong Kong : A mini-ethnographic multiple-case study of Hongkongers

Wong, Nick and Gillen, Julia and Sebba, Mark (2023) “Non-standard” writings in Hong Kong : A mini-ethnographic multiple-case study of Hongkongers. PhD thesis, Lancaster University.

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Abstract

Despite the promotion of biliterate and trilingual language education policy in Hong Kong since the 1997 Handover, Hongkongers have developed their own unique ways of writing to suit their communicative needs. This study examines these “non-standard” writing practices, focusing on both linguistic patterns and the process of translanguaging. The primary research method used is a mini-ethnographic case study, utilizing Androutsopoulos' Discourse-Centred Online Ethnography and Herring's Computer-mediated discourse analysis. The study aims to understand the implications of these practices, including the positive and negative affordances, and to gain insight into the nature of translanguaging space and practices by studying five distinctive cases of writing practices used in Hong Kong. The findings contribute to the field of sociolinguistics of orthographic variations and Applied Linguistics on translanguaging, and provide insight into named languaging practices, such as Kongish and Kong-girl Language in Hong Kong.