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English
Cultural Background 
ESOL 
Guidance and Resources 
The two official languages in Hong Kong are English and Chinese. Unlike most of mainland China, Hongkongers speak Cantonese as opposed to Mandarin. The written characters also differ from those used in mainland China: in Hong Kong, people use traditional Chinese characters, rather than simplified Chinese characters.
The linguistic differences are summarised in the following table:
| Hong Kong | Mainland China |
| Spoken language: Cantonese | Spoken language: Mandarin |
| Written language: Traditional Chinese Characters | Written language: Simplified Chinese Characters |
Council officers should note these key differences, particularly when signposting Hongkongers to translated resources or when making ESOL referrals.