Political Conspiracy or Decoy Marketing? Experienced Chinese Teachers’ Perceptions of Using Putonghua as a Medium of Instruction in Hong Kong

In this chapter, we attempt to capture experienced Chinese language teachers’ voices on the medium of instruction (MOI) issue as Putonghua is being promoted as an MOI for teaching Chinese in Hong Kong schools. The interpretative inquiry involved the collection of eight experienced Chinese teachers’ professional experiences with a focus on their attitudes concerning the potential shift towards the use of Putonghua as an MOI in Chinese classes. Through a collaborative interpretative process, the study revealed a wide spectrum of attitudes including reservations and enthusiasm for the possible switch to Putonghua as an MOI. We interpreted the participants’ attitudes with reference to shifting political, demographical conditions, the participants’ experiences of curriculum reforms and their concerns with pedagogical conditions.