During the course of the project, I reflected on my own experience as a third generation from my family to be in Hong Kong. My generation faces similar issues, regardless of which dialect - we are losing touch with our local dialects.
For our subject family, the third generation can still understand and speak for daily conversations. In my case, the dialect which I’m losing is Hokkien, which is spoken by my maternal grandmother and this is the only language that she speaks; despite the close ties I am still unable to understand nor speak the dialect.
Me and my family :)
As if given a fresh pair of lens, the project has allowed me to take on a more objective role to research into language and identities. I feel more aware of the responsibility that I have to take on, recognising myself as a member of the Hokkien ethnic group, in actively perpetuating the course of language maintenance starting from myself. More so, with the research data from the project, I am more convinced that the essence of language preservation, maintenance and such processes is best nurtured within the home environment, such that there is more motivation to learn it as well as more chances to speak it as well.
To sum up, the research process and interview has given me a channel to reflect on my own experience towards my dialect, inspired me to take on a more active role to learn the language, as a form of identity building and reaffirmed my stance that dialect preservation are best done within the home environment.
