Interviewer

Interviewee (Sidi)

What Language do you speak?

Indonesian.

 

Do your parents also speak Indonesian?

At Hong Kong?

No at your home town.

Yes.

 

Do you prefer the interview conduct in Cantonese or English?

English.

 

At home you will use Indonesian, how about workplace?

When you are working, what do you use?

English to children.

 

What do you think about Indonesian? Do you like your native language? Do you like Indonesian?

Um.. I like.

 

Do you speak Cantonese, a little bit?

I can.

 

When you are in Indonesia when do you start learning English?

At primary school or Secondary school?

Primary?

After 12 years old?

Ya.

 

Do you learn Cantonese in Hong Kong or Indonesia?

In HK by agency company.

 

How long have you been learning Cantonese?
3 months only… started 2 months after you arrived to Hong Kong… 3 or 4 months.

 

Are you still learning it now or you give up learning?

Just talking with my children and granddad.

 

What do you think about Cantonese? Is that difficult or what?
Cantonese difficult.

 

Do you appreciate your native language? Do you like your native language?

Yes.

And so, do you think speaking English is very important in Hong Kong?

Ooo…no? some?

 

For example when you are finding job, people might require you learning English? Or any requirements?

You must know how to speak English.

You are required to know English before you apply the job, right?

Yes. You need for talking and …

 

So the people normally required you to present yourself both in English and Cantonese?

Yes.

 

So which languages, English or Cantonese are more important to know in Hong Kong?

Cantonese? Different employers have different focuses.

 

At home, you speak to the children from Hong Kong with Cantonese or English?

English because I need to educate her to speak English.

 

What languages will you teach your future child? If you have children?

Just Indonesian…. Like Java.

 

Would you think teaching them English will be more beneficial? Would you choose to teach them English? Or would you want to?

No..I don’t want to.

 

You think they just have to know a little bit English and that is sufficient?

Yeah.

 

Would you consider yourself as a part of Hong Kong people? Part of us? As a local?  After your contract ends, would you like to stay in Hong Kong for the rest of your life?

Yes.

 

Why you would like to live in Hong Kong?

I like Hong Kong. Here is sort of like Indonesia. You have the community here. Just good place.

 

When you are working, will you mix English and Cantonese in your spoken sentence?

Yes to employers.

 

But would your employer command in English/ Cantonese/ Both?

For my dad, he speaks English but for the teacher and children I speak Cantonese. I need to adjust.

 

Do you think speaking Indonesian is useful in Hong Kong?

No, not even find job.

 

Do your parents ever encourage you to learn a certain language?
No.

So they think speaking Indonesian alone is ok?

Yes. Before I worked in Singapore, I learnt English there. After came to Hong Kong, I learnt to speak a little Cantonese. And now I speak both languages.

 

How long have you been staying in Singapore?

2.5 years.

 

How different you experienced in Hong Kong compared to Singapore?

Yes…. Singapore cannot go out during weekends. No holidays in Singapore.

 

Do you allow to go out for taking rest?

No, without employers’ permission.

 

This is the end of our interview.

Thank you so much for your help. Have a nice day!