Hong Kong

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Hong Kong is a very modern city-state that is always active, exciting and noisy and is also one of the largest economic and financial centres in Asia; its port is one of the busiest in the world. Here the predominantly Chinese population mingles with the thousands of foreign visitors.

Following a century and a half of British administration, Hong Kong became part of China on 1 July 1997, although it retains considerable political and administrative autonomy from Beijing. The country comprises the Kowloon Peninsula, Hong Kong Island, and other smaller, mountainous islands. Cantonese is the official language, but English is widely spoken throughout the city.

 

Family

Host families with AFS are voluntarily hosting, come from all kinds of socio-economic backgrounds and can be very different from each other.

The family plays a vital role in Hong Kong society. Often, both parents work late, so grandparents take care of the children, or the children themselves are required to be responsible and autonomous in managing their own commitments. 

Sunday is usually the day when the family gets together, shares meals and does activities together. Parents tend to be very protective and strict with their children, demanding good school performance and compliance with house rules.

Hong Kong is an overcrowded city with a shortage of space, which is why apartments are usually small. AFS students usually share a room with their host siblings and sleep in bunk beds. 

School

Hong Kong’s school system is renowned for being very demanding and attracts highly motivated students who are committed to language learning and their school placement.

 Students are indeed expected to perform at a very high level, which is why a letter of recommendation from an Icelandic educational institution is sometimes required. The importance placed on education is reflected in the strictness of the teachers, who demand respect and constant commitment from students during lessons, which are usually held in Cantonese, although some schools may offer the opportunity to take some courses in English.

Schools offer a wide range of extracurricular activities, including athletics, badminton, football, squash, swimming, drama, dance and music clubs.

School uniform, the cost of which is not included in the participation fee, is mandatory.

Culture

The official language is Standard Cantonese, but English is also widely spoken and considered a fully-fledged second language. Road signs, telephone directories and government documents are written in both languages. Cantonese is the most widely spoken dialect. 

Skoða skiptinám í Hong Kong