A Sociolinguistic Study on the Transition and Variation of Reading and Writing in Hong Kong.

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This study aims to clarify the Literacy, that is, 'reading ＆ writing' and social activities and phenomena concerned with them, about Hong Kong of post World War II. The main topics of discussion are focused on the relation between Literacy and transition of Hong Kong society around 1960-70's.The evidence proved that social transition in this period had forced the quality of Literacy such as ability of 'reading ＆ writing', subject and media for 'reading ＆ writing', identity or idea through 'reading ＆ writing', to change was true in this study. In the early 1960's, Secretariat for Chinese Affairs, a department of Hong Kong Government, began to use Chinese on letters for Chinese citizen. This service laid a foundation for 'Chinese official language movement' in the late 1960's. In 1970's, the consciousness of 'Hong Kong literature' was brought up with literary prize under the literary circle, but old type corporation and secondary school taught with Chinese (Cantonese) declined. Sift of the teaching language from Chinese (Cantonese) to English in schools caused the decline of old-fashioned idea; whereas, on the other hand, caused the consciousness of literature written in Chinese to rise.Addition to, the code of Cantonese braille was revised in the same period. This means that the Literacy tool for the blind person were confronted a change as same as the Literacy of sighted person.Oddly enough, 'this period is not only a reformation period of Literacy but also is the beginnings of sociolinguistics in Hong Kong. We guess that one of the reasons sociolinguistics began in this period was that language situation produced through the social transition was good material for sociolinguistics, especially in spoken language and synchronic study. We offered some new view points such as written language, historical study to sociolinguistics of Hong Kong successfully.