Bonjour to a Minority Language in Hong Kong: French

This handsome young man before you is Ryan Lacarne who has spent all his formative years

and high school education in Hong Kong. Born in France, Ryan lived here with his parents

and older sister from 2006-2013 and is now doing his bachelor’s degree in Canada.

Having been here for so many years, Ryan’s language use has changed significantly. He has

accustomed to using English as his major language, and estimates that roughly 70% of

communication is done in English, while only 30% is in French with his parents. He thinks

that living in Hong Kong has prompted him to speak less French than he would back in

France, commenting that he “often find myself speaking in English with my sister even though

we have both grown up speaking French our whole lives, it (English) is now the language

that we speak every day with our peers so it has become the language that we use to

communicate with each other”.

Ryan continues that Hong Kong has been very welcoming of him and despite having a minor language barrier, Hong Kong was easy to adapt to and speaking in a “simplified English would help locals understand you better”- so there’s a little tip for anyone who’s thinking of moving to Hong Kong soon! The “willingness and curiosity of locals towards French culture” was also a major factor in his smooth transition between Hong Kong and France, having faced no bias or discrimination throughout all these years. Ryan thinks this is a result of Hong Kong locals being used to “ Caucasians being around due to the British presence emanating long ago”, he explains.

As for the status of the French language in Hong Kong, Ryan offers a view similar to many, stating that  the “fascination and curiosity for French culture” has become a driving force for schools and institutions to push the learning of French. He also points out that because French is one of the most widely used languages in the world on top of being one of the official languages of the UN, French is a popular language to learn not only because of its practicality but of the attractiveness it is to the foreign ear.

Despite being born in France, he feels that he does not belong to either community completely but at the same time belonging to both. Growing up in a foreign country has created a massive impact on Ryan in him becoming the person he is today and he absolutely love the multi-cultural atmosphere Hong Kong has to offer.