SCOLAR Putonghua Festival presents free computerised testing and seminars
The Putonghua Festival 2004 organised by the Standing Committee on Language Education and Research (SCOLAR) will stage a series of activities between September and November to promote Putonghua, including a roving Putonghua test to be conducted by the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) for the public in all the 18 districts of Hong Kong.
Introducing the assessment test today (17 September), a spokesperson for SCOLAR said, "Developed by CUHK, the computer software used in the test assesses participants' ability in areas including translation between Cantonese and Putonghua and spelling of tongue-twisters in Putonghua."
The activity, called the Putonghua Challenge Platform, will be stationed in various shopping malls every Saturday and Sunday from 18 September to 21 November.
Apart from this, CUHK will also organise four seminars during the Putonghua Festival 2004 on four Saturdays on 25 September, 2, 9 and 23 October at Room B6, '-2'/F Ho Tim Building at CUHK. Professors and teachers from the University's Centre for Putonghua Education and Research will speak on issues faced by Hong Kong people in learning Putonghua, the latest developments on the Putonghua Proficiency Test, and tricks to improve one's command of Putonghua. These seminars will be held from 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. and admission is free. As seats are limited, pre-registration has to be made by calling the hotline at 2609 6984.
The Putonghua Festival 2004 is jointly organised by SCOLAR and the Hong Kong Putonghua League. Funded by Language Fund, the festival will present 16 community and school-based activities until 28 November to raise public awareness of the importance of Putonghua and to provide more opportunities for the public to learn and use Putonghua.
SCOLAR was established in 1996. It advises the Government on language education issues in general and on the use of the Language Fund.