How many languages do you speak at home besides Hakka?

[Sally]

Hi to all

I am doing some research into the different types of languages spoken by a Hakka person. I want to determine if the Hakka language is only restricted to the older generation, for example I only speak Hakka to my parents, but with my brothers and sisters I speak English and then with my nephew I speak cantonese, are there other Hakka people out there who speak other languages with the family?

I am first generation born Hakka in England, determined to make sure that my children (when I have them) will be fluent in Hakka too.

Can anyone help with my research, it would be really helpful. Details regarding age, country of birth, which generation etc would be really helpful.

Thanks

Sally

[%sig%]

[Ho Cim-Hi]

Hi Sally,

Like you, I communicate with my parents solely in Hakka.

With my brothers and sisters, we tend to speak to each other in English. I guess the main reason for this has to do with our limited Hakka vocab.

I also speak in English with my nieces and nephews. What they speak (other than English) depends on their parents. It saddens me to say that if their parents do choose to teach them a 2nd language, they choose a Cantonese because they feel the it is more widely used.

I'm also determined to speak and teach my daughter as much Hakka as I can.

I was born in Vietnam, so my kids are 1st generation Australian born.

Hope that helps.

Cim-Hi

[Alejandro Bell]

I am not chinese but I have chinese friends. . . And I am inlove with everything that has to do with it, their english isnt good so they might not get in this website... they speak spanish. I have two friends (one girl, the other boy) they both only speak in hakka to their parents. the boy, victor fu speaks to his brother sometimes in cantonese and other times in hakka. I think those who speak hakka know more than those who just learn cantonese (don't ask me why). the ones I know who speak cantonese.. only know cantonese, but the ones i know who speak hakka also knows a bit of mandarin and speak cantonese as well. I think it is because of the grammar of hakka. I have friends who even coming from hakka speaking families, they speak in cantonese between them because everyone is able to understand it. And they say it is the chinese dialect in vogue. I have a taiwanese friend who understand cantonese but doesnt want to speak it (he is shy). the girl who knows hakka from family, maria ho. says in her house she speaks hakka and a litle mandarin with his mom.

[KaZ]

Hey Sally

I speak Hakka to my family, but to my bro's i sorta speak english but mum makes us speak hakka. My cousins speak hakka too but one of them speak cantonese and... my other aunty is not at all chinese but she speaks her own language. haha
It's weird coz i dont know anyone who speaks hakka or heard of anyone who speaks hakka apart from my "generation".

K Cya

[samual]

Hello kejiaren!There was a neigbbor next my door,which is kejiaren.I heard his saying have a long time,And I know what they means.But I can't express,haha!Might any one teach me hakka?

[Lilian]

Hi Sally,

At home I communicate with my mum in the Hakka language. My dad had a Hakka background. My mum can speak and understand Hakka and Cantonese.
I speak Dutch with my brothers. In fact Dutch is my native language although I am a Chinese. This because I went to a Dutch school and never to a Chinese school.

By the way, when I was in Hong Kong at a cultural museaum. They had translate Hakka as a 'guest worker' . Is this true ??????????

Best regards,

Lilian

[Thomas Chin]

Hi,

Hakka literally means 'guest people'. Historically, Hakka people moved into the Sourthern region a bit later than the Cantonese people (Punti = native)., hence the term 'guests'.

Greetings from the Netherlands

Thomas Chin

[Natalie]

Hello Sally,

Hard to say whether Hakka is restricted to the 'older' people. It depends on what dialect/language you started communicating with the child and then whether the child will pick up another language while in school.

I am Hakka (both parents are Hakka). I married a Teochew. I talked to my three children in English as I wanted them to understand the language so that they will be able to view English programmes on the TV as 90% of the TV contents are in English 26 years ago. I also wanted them to be able to enjoy all those English written books. As English is taught as a second language I knew that they will not be exposed to the language as much as I would love them to be. I cannot stress enough on the importance of English as it's an international language so that's why I started them off in English.

At home, I speak to my eldest son, Alvin, in English, my second son, Nicholas, and only daughter, Angela, in English or Hakka. However they can all speak Mandarin which they picked up from their friends. Nick and Angie picked up Hakka too but Alvin was too shy to give it a try so although he understand the dialect he seldom speaks it. Due to the popularity of Cantonese soap operas on TV we all understand Cantonese and at times do try to speak it but ended up laughing as it sounded real funny.

Regards,
Natalie from Sabah, Malaysia

[coldstone]

Hi!
I like to learn diffrent languages. Except Hakka, I speak English, French, Italian, Russian and Belarussian. In future I gonna learn Japan. I am so curious and excited about learning languages.This is so interesting, isn't it? Hope you will share my interest:)