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Showing posts from March 29, 2009

Learning English … in Hong Kong

There’s no end to learning any language, and often the bits and pieces are picked up in the least expected way. Hong Kong may not stand out as the prime place for English learning, but in my two weeks in Hong Kong I was struck by the number of unfamiliar words and expressions I came across! A poster from the local Department of Health urging people to quit smoking came with a ‘Smoking Cessation Hotline’ phone number. Of course the meaning is immediately obvious, but it was the first time I see the phrase in use in a context for the general public. It does sound formal, and indeed it’s the correct medical term so it can’t be faulted after all. A warning on ‘dog fouling’ caught my eye, for no other reason than that it was the first time I saw this term. Maybe this term is also in use in Australia but I’ve never noticed it – or the Australian public no longer needs to be reminded to do the right thing! Now here’s a term that I’ve never seen anywhere in Australia, and I certainly hope the