Banking giant Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited (HSBC) will be taking on a new role from Feb. 21 when some of its most senior “tellers” become storytellers for Hong Kong youngsters.

Staged in collaboration with Hong Kong's bilingual children's magazine Typhoon Club, HSBC will be inviting students to visit one of its branches on Saturday afternoons to listen to a specially commissioned Hong Kong tale read in English.

The first raconteur in the Reading & Me with HSBC project will be HSBC Chairman David Eldon. Perhaps better known for his eloquent speeches relating to world business and finance, he will be setting the benchmark for other HSBC senior executives who will follow in his footsteps over the following five months.

David Eldon said Sunday that "HSBC has been a key supporter of English language learning in Hong Kong for many years. We believe that inviting children into the bank to listen to a fun story, set in Hong Kong, is a great way to encourage children to develop their English skills."

A qualified English teacher will introduce each event to 80 children who will be able to attend. Reading & Me with HSBC events will take place in HSBC branches throughout Hong Kong with each venue being transformed into an informal setting.

"Reading and listening to stories is one of the best ways to develop vocabulary and fluency skills, said Typhoon Club publisher, Mark Cowley. "All of us at Typhoon Club are thrilled that Hong Kong's largest bank is taking such an active role in the reading sessions," he said.

(Xinhua News Agency February 15, 2004)