On the evening of September 12, 2025, the “Cantonese Fun Talk” workshop was successfully held at Classroom W12-G024 of the University of Macau’s Choi Kai Yau College (CKYC). This activity is open to all CKYC members, and attracted 24 students from diverse backgrounds. With a lively atmosphere and active interaction, participants enjoyed learning Cantonese and experiencing the unique charm of Cantonese culture in a relaxed setting.

This workshop aimed to create a learning platform for students interested in learning Cantonese. As a Chinese dialect spoken by over 80 million people worldwide, Cantonese is not only a practical communication tool but also a precious cultural heritage of Cantonese-speaking communities. Through a combination of “knowledge explanation, interactive practice, and cultural experience,” the workshop helped students quickly learn some basic Cantonese expressions and deepen their understanding of the culture of Cantonese-speaking regions.

The workshop kicked off at 7:00 PM. At the beginning, Karina introduced the cultural background of Cantonese with vivid examples, covering its historical origins, geographical distribution, and daily usage scenarios, providing participants with a comprehensive overview of the dialect. In the practical teaching session that followed, the speakers focused on core scenarios such as “daily greetings,” “dining and shopping,” and “transportation,” teaching easy-to-remember Cantonese vocabulary and phrases. Through interactive activities such as “one-on-one pronunciation correction” and group games of passing the tongue, students were encouraged to speak freely. Students enthusiastically participated, with some raising their hands to demonstrate pronunciation and others playing Cantonese tongue group games with their peers, generating laughter and applause.

In the cultural experience segment, we played some clips of classic Cantonese TV shows, featuring Cantonese daily life and folk culture. This allowed students to intuitively observe Cantonese in real-life contexts and understand the regional cultural characteristics behind it. Many students commented, “Through this activity, we not only learned Cantonese expressions but also gained insights into Cantonese culture, such as morning tea customs and festivals—It was a rewarding experience.” The event concluded at 8:30 PM with a group photo of all participants. Students expressed their eagerness for more Cantonese learning and cultural experience activities in the future.

As a key part of CKYC’s student activities, this workshop closely aligns with the college’s core goal of cultivating “cultural engagement” and “knowledge integration” of seven core competencies, encouraging students to proactively explore the unique characteristics and integration of different cultures. The event not only provides students with language learning opportunities but also fosters interaction and exchange among students from diverse cultural backgrounds, further enriching the college’s campus cultural life.

Written by: CHE IAN TONG