ABSTRACT

A detailed and reflective review of the author’s own experience in learning Cantonese as a second language is presented in this chapter, the purpose of which is to enlighten current and future learners of Cantonese regarding the steps, milestones, learning tactics, environmental factors, and major challenges that need to be addressed in order to reach a reasonable level of spoken Cantonese. Different factors and experiences that have affected the outcome of the author’s experience in learning Cantonese are recounted, reflected upon, and reviewed in relation to their effectiveness towards the author’s overall struggle to improve his competence in spoken Cantonese. These factors and experiences include: details of Cantonese language learning courses taken, early workplace interactions, learning strategies, reflection on approaches to service encounters, and agreements made with friends and family to maintain a Cantonese environment (as opposed to switching to English). This chapter concludes by offering recommendations on how best to achieve the goal of becoming a fluent speaker of Cantonese.