“EdUHK-Tencent JoyLearning PTH Journey” —Mobile Application to Foster Putonghua Learning Proficiency
The Education University of Hong Kong (EdUHK) and Tencent, today (10 July) jointly announced the successful achievement of their charitable initiative – ‘EdUHK-Tencent JoyLearning PTH Journey’ on EdUHK’s Tai Po Campus. The newly unveiled language learning app aims to revoluntionise Putonghua learning by integrating education and entertainment to kindle the students’ interest and passion for language learning.
The event was attended by Professor Sun Dong, Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry; Dr He Jinhui, Level II Bureau Rank Official of Liaison, and Dr Xu Jian, Division Director of the Central People’s Government in the HKSAR; Dr Anissa Chan Wong Lai-kuen, Chair of the Standing Committee on Language Education and Research; as well as Professor John Lee Chi-Kin, President of EdUHK; Mr James Li Tsz Shu, Vice President of Public Affairs at Tencent and Chief Executive of the Tencent Foundation; Ms. Jiang Qu, the Partnership Development Director of Tencent IEG Social Value Exploration Center; Dr Jin Jing, Executive Co-Director of Centre for Chinese and Multilingual Education Development, EdUHK.
Professor Sun emphasized that bolstering students' proficiency in Putonghua enhances Hong Kong's unique advantage as a “biliterate and trilingual” society, foster cross-cultural communication skills, and lay a robust linguistic foundation for seamless integration into the country's development in the future. “EdUHK-Tencent Joyful Mandarin Adventures” leverages educational and AI technologies to transcend conventional teaching methods. The collaboration exemplifies the synergy between EdUHK and Tencent, demonstrating the cross-sectoral cooperation between education and technology, and between academia and industry. Prof. Sun looks forward to continued partnerships between academic institutions and corporates in the future to promote technological innovation and educational development.
Professor Lee stated that, since its establishment, EdUHK had focused on educational research, development and innovation. This project showcased the active integration of knowledge and technology in contributing to the community.
Mr. James Li highlighted that technology is a tool, but the use of technology for good is a conscious choice. The joint initiative of Tencent and EdUHK, “JoyLearning PTH Journey”, aims to ignite a passion of language learning through an interactive and educational online platform. This collaboration is not only an innovative attempt to integrate technology and professional education, but also fostering the practice of “Tech for Good”.
Supported by the Education Bureau (EDB) of the HKSAR Government, the collaborative effort between EdUHK and Tencent, leverages respective expertise and partnerships with Hong Kong Educational Libraries, Tencent Youth Development Committee and Tencent Interactive Social Value Discovery Center to launch the interactive language learning platform.
Since its launch in December 2023, various activities have been organized to promote Putonghua learning, such as the ‘Pilot Schools Putonghua Parade’, the ‘Fun Learning Putonghua Learning Week Online Competition’, and the ‘2024 Hong Kong Inter-Primary School Putonghua Competition’, engaging nearly 500 local students from more than 60 local elementary schools.
Dr Jin Jing, Executive Co-Director of the Centre for Chinese and Multilingual Education Development at EdUHK, explained that one of the main aims of the project is to provide customised content on a mobile application named “趣學普通話” for local students to cater to the Putonghua learning proficiency and needs of local users.
The platform adopts AI speech assessment technology to enable pronunciation evaluation features and integrates tailored local Hong Kong contexts in learning materials and after-school exercises. The app additionally embraces edutainment, gamifying the learning process and creating an interactive, engaging, and entertaining experience for primary school students. Teachers can monitor student progress through the platform’s class management function, allowing them to utilizes technology for offering improved and more focused teaching support.
Ms. Liu Qing, Chief Curator of the Learning Platform, said, "We will continue to customize learning content and features for Putonghua learners in Hong Kong, cooperate with more schools, and make Putonghua learning more accessible and engaging by organizing fun online competitions, educational tour group, and other activities.”
As a collaborative partner of Tencent, EdUHK has leveraged its strength in academia and research to coordinate and execute this project. Through professional academic guidance, to promote teaching and learning innovation in Putonghua, inspiring the learning interest of local students and enhancing their learning effectiveness.
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