describe the language situation in a Shenzhen factory by a Reading

Instruction:

Based on what you’ve learned in assigned readings and class lectures, describe the language situation in either Hong Kong or Shenzhen (but not both).

For Shenzhen, you should consult Ngai. Your paper topic can be limited to the language situation within the kind of factory that Ngai describes, rather than for Shenzhen as a whole.

Please begin the writing after reading the Ngai!

Your paper should summarize which languages and dialects are spoken; by whom; and in what contexts. You should also indicate the relative prestige associated with the various languages, dialects, and accents. If you are discussing Hong Kong, you will have to say something about changes in the language situation over time.

If you have any personal experiences or knowledge that are relevant to the situations you describe, feel free to discuss them.

Your grade will be based on accuracy, comprehensiveness, and clarity.

Note: The paper should be written in your own words. (See the syllabus for information on plagiarism and how to avoid it.) Please provide a full bibliographic citation for any works that you reference. (You can consult the course bibliography handout for references to readings that have been assigned in class.) In addition to the bibliography, always make clear which works you are referencing in your essay (for example “According to Lau …”), and provide page numbers as appropriate (e.g. “(Ngai p. 129)”). If you use any other sources of information beyond the assigned readings, you should provide full citations for them.

If you have questions about the form of the paper and proper citation style, please ask!

Note of reading:

Shenzhen Factory:

Top management– Hong Kong Managers(use HK Cantonese)

Middle management– They from cities in Guandong Province: Guangzhou, Zhongshan, Shunde,etc. (Use Cantonese)

Line Leaders– (They use cantonese when they talk to management; using mandarin to line worker.)

Line Works– From all over China (use Mandarin as lingua franca[means common dialect])

Engineers–From North of China (use standard Mandarin). They communicate with the top management very few through writing sometimes because their talking is mutual unintelligent.