Speak Cantonese? What’s the Point?!

There's a fun new way to learn Cantonese in Hong Kong!

14 Nov 2019 — By The HK HUB / Education / Essential HK / HK Living

Cantolingo - multicolored skyline of Hong Kong

Introducing Hong Kong’s Best Online Cantonese Learning Solution

Most people think that learning Mandarin/Putonghua is easier and more useful.

But in Hong Kong, knowing Cantonese trumps Mandarin every time – and it’s easier to learn with the right help!

If you’re living in Hong Kong, or have friends and family who are Hong Kong born or based, or are just interested in learning one of the world’s most fun and free-wheeling languages, then Cantonese MUST be the language you learn.

Let’s be honest … while English may get you around Hong Kong fairly well (or not!), speaking Cantonese means that life suddenly becomes SO much easier and much more enjoyable!

Plus …

Speaking Cantonese can open doors to more friends, more job opportunities, and more local experiences.

Sounds great! How do I make it happen?

Well … it used to be easy with a Cantonese language school on every corner and lots of resources to support your goal.

But now, in 2019 …

There are fewer and fewer Cantonese language-learning books being published
Apps are cheap, but most are listen-and-repeat with no context or feeling
Private tutors are pricey and good ones are hard to come by
Proper classes are few and far between and require a significant time commitment

But wait!

For the first time, there is now a better option: CantoLingo – a new online Cantonese language school created by Sue Marguerite, native English speaker and popular Cantonese language YouTuber.

What?! A native English speaker teaching Cantonese??

Yes!

Sue is a native English speaker who has learned Cantonese to an advanced degree (speaking, reading and writing) and who knows how to explain it so that YOU can actually learn to speak it.

Sue began her Cantonese learning journey as an adult soon after arriving here in 1988. “I came to Hong Kong with friends I had met in university,” she said. “At its core, Hong Kong is one of the world’s most energetic, hard-working and unique cities, and I knew I wanted to stay. But even if I stayed for only a few years, I had to learn the language – it drove me crazy not being able to understand what people were saying. I imagined, of course, that everyone was talking about me behind my back – or right in front of me, as how would I know?!”

Soon, friends began to ask Sue to help them out in sticky situations:

in taxis when the driver didn’t know where they wanted to go
in shopping when the shopkeeper didn’t understand what they were looking for
in restaurants when the wait staff couldn’t understand their allergy issues

Sound familiar?

From YouTube to CantoLingo.com

Now let’s fast-forward to the summer of 2017, when Sue was asked by a colleague to actually TEACH her Cantonese.

Shocked, she replied: “But I’m not a native speaker! Why would you want to learn from me?”

“Because you’ve done it, and I’m beyond frustrated because I don’t understand my tutor when she tries to explain things!”

As Sue and her colleague both had busy work schedules, they decided it would be easiest for Sue to put her lessons on YouTube.

After a few months of posting videos, Sue’s following had grown organically from her one friend to a few hundred and then a few thousand subscribers. Now, after a little more than two years, she has an active and supportive community of nearly 5,000.

Encouraged by the positive feedback and the requests for private lessons, Sue began to explore the viability of providing more formal language courses. In September 2019, CantoLingo.com became a reality with the launch of its first online course.

What sets CantoLingo apart?

Besides the obvious difference of Sue being a non-native speaker, what really sets CantoLingo apart is Sue’s innate understanding of both languages and her talent in being able to explain the Cantonese language to English speakers in a way that makes sense and results in real learning.

Plus …

CantoLingo courses are 100% online giving you complete flexibility and control of your study schedule
Lifetime access to the courses means you can revisit lessons at any time
In addition to online lessons, Sue and her native-speaking team are available to connect with you via video calls and email

OK … Let’s do it! (and there’s a discount, too!)

Learning any language – especially one known to be among the world’s most difficult – takes time and effort, and can be frustrating.

Sue knows this frustration; she’s overcome the obstacles; and through CantoLingo, she is able to help you do the same.

So whether you’re looking to achieve fluency or just need a few phrases to get you through a company dinner or make it home in a taxi, CantoLingo gives you the tools and support to make your Cantonese language goals a reality.

To celebrate the launch of CantoLingo, HKHUB readers can enjoy a special 25% discount on any course booked (using code HKHUB25 during checkout) from now until 31 December 2019.

Visit the Cantolingo website and start your Cantonese learning journey today!