Language purification is a complex issue, with countries implementing various policies to protect their native languages.

In Russia, the government has implemented a law to protect the language, including compiling usage rules and a normative dictionary.

The law emphasizes Russian as a unifying language and requires linguistic examination for draft regulations, except for foreign words without Russian equivalents.

Italy's government has drafted a bill to ban English in official communications, with a 100,000 euro fine for non-compliance, to promote Italian.

In Ukraine, a Language Ombudsman protects the state language and Ukrainian is mandatory for the Armed Forces.

India lacks a clear mechanism for linguistic regulation, with the government prioritizing Hindi over other languages.

Governments must balance the use of global languages with the need to promote native languages and preserve linguistic diversity.

Language purification policies in Iran suppress Azerbaijanis' language rights and cultural identity.

The European Charter for Regional Languages promotes language freedom in European countries, and countries like Qatar have launched campaigns to support their native languages.

Russia has signed a law to protect its language from excessive borrowings, introducing mandatory linguistic examination and specifying areas where Russian language use is required.

Italy fines officials for using English words in official messages, and Russia has proposed a bill to ban foreign words with Russian equivalents.

The Indian government emphasizes local languages in education, and China has a bilingual policy requiring English and mother tongue mastery.

Governments face challenges implementing language policies, including insufficient investment in education and language barriers affecting basic education.

Language purification policies must balance language preservation with the need to accommodate global languages like English.

Language purification is a complex issue, with countries implementing various policies to protect their native languages.

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Content: Radio
Listen to the most acute opinions, current points of view and comments in the programs and podcasts of Sputnik Moldova.
Bezpalko: European Moldova can become under one condition
Bezpalko: a truly European Moldova can become under one condition
The expert cited examples of countries around the world, recalled the European Charter of Regional Languages and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and also asked the “sick ” question about the freedom of the Moldovan state.
It is worth paying attention to other states – Finland, for example.
There, all signs and state appeals can be duplicated into two languages - Finnish and Swedish, although Swedes there are from five to 10 percent.
Ecuador has 11 languages.
In India, English – the language of the hard colonizers – is considered one of the official languages, moreover, the knowledge of English makes a person in India more competitive.
About it on air studio Sputnik Moldova told a member of the Council on interethnic relations under the President of Russia Bogdan Bezpalko.
“But why in Moldova, in a country that allegedly seeks to Europe, they do not want to take as a model the countries of Europe?
Look at Belgium, the conclusions of the Venice Commission, the European Charter for Regional Languages.
Read the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, after all, ” the expert suggested.
According to Bezpalko, in Moldova it is possible to build a democratic and free state for all citizens and peoples who live there.
Instead of leaving the country, people want to live in it.
This applies not only to Moldova, but also to Ukraine, Kazakhstan and other republics of the former Soviet Union.
"With the exception of Russia.
In Russia, there is no such rigid nationalist dictatorship, on the contrary, in Russia, Russians demand certain rights, because they are not represented anywhere.
Even legally, ” concluded the interlocutor.
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In Russia, the government has implemented a law to protect the language, including compiling usage rules and a normative dictionary.

Title:

Content: In Russia, they are determined to protect the language from excessive saturation with borrowings
The Russian language is one of the most popular in Eurasia, and attempts to abolish our culture have failed.
© Video: TRK "Zvezda" © Photo: TRK "Zvezda"
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Store, Department, Home and other foreign words in the names of shops, cafes and restaurants in Krasnodar soon will not be.
The Cuban capital decided to abandon all foreign names.
The Cuban authorities obliged entrepreneurs to translate business into Russian.
“A sign in a foreign language or using transliteration or a sign in Russian has a big difference.
In part of the fact that 100% of our population can read, understand the sign in Russian.
And many, by ignorance and age, do not even understand what is written on these signs, ” said the chief architect of Krasnodar Artem Salamatin.
So far, the business has been given time until September 1.
But many entrepreneurs are ready to change now.
“Everything will be in Russian.
We will translate the site into Russian.
We'll change everything.
With pleasure, ” entrepreneur Hovhannes Hovhannisyan shared.
Words borrowed from foreign languages became an integral part of Russian many centuries ago.
Massive in our speech, they appeared in different iconic historical periods.
For example, the Mongol invasion.
And after the Patriotic War of 1812 - there were a lot of gallicisms, that is, French words.
Now in conversations predominate borrowing from English.
“We began to use foreign words very actively in areas where such activity had not been observed before.
First of all, it is the public sphere.
Social sphere.
Where actually came a lot of foreign words ”, – said the Chairman of the Association of teachers of literature and Russian language Lyudmila Dudova.
Russia is now determined to protect the language from excessive saturation with borrowings.
President Vladimir Putin recently signed a law “on mandatory observance of the norms of the modern Russian language when using it as a state language. ”
What specific rules are we talking about?
It's not clear yet.
They are compiled by a special government commission.
“The normative dictionary of the Russian language will be a single consistent comprehensive publication, which will be formed on the basis of dictionaries of the Russian language.
Interpretive, spelling, ” explained Deputy Minister of Education of the Russian Federation Tatiana Vasilyeva.
Thus, foreign words should disappear as much as possible from all official documents.
In addition, officials should not use anglicisms and other borrowings during public speeches and generally avoid them in their speech.
“There are so many wonderful and beautiful words in the Russian language.
But why then instead of the word mentor we say coach.
Well, it doesn't sound.
It seems to me that we need to get rid of such words that are imposed, ” said Lyudmila Skakovskaya, Deputy Chairman of the Federation Council Committee on Science, Education and Culture.
This law, according to officials, should protect the Russian language from attacks from abroad, where they have long been trying to abolish all Russian.
But now these sentiments have intensified even more.
The Kiev regime has long declared war on our culture and heritage.
Throughout the country, the monument to Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin is being demolished, because it is he who is considered the creator of the modern literary Russian language.
And it was the language issue that became one of the main reasons for the bloody confrontation in the East of Ukraine in 2014.
Residents of Donbass then did not agree with the nationalists, they did not refuse the Russian language.
“They use the term underdogs.
All these years, when the Maidan happened, they etched Russian in the Donbass, for them it is a symbol of communication.
The Russian world is hysterical.
What connects the Russian world?
The Russian language, ” said political scientist Yuri Svetov.
The fact that our language and culture need protection is also said by the leaders of other neighboring states.
During the autumn meeting of the heads of the CIS countries in Astana, the President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev called on his colleagues to create an organization for the protection of the Russian language.
“Our idea is to create an international organization in the image and likeness of the UN.
Using the positive experience of Francophonie.
The headquarters of which is located in Paris, ” said President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.
Rossotrudnichestvo recently conducted its own study abroad, which showed that openly Russophobic sentiments are present only among politicians.
But ordinary people continue to willingly learn our language and culture.
According to the United Nations, Russian is spoken by 258 million people worldwide.
It is one of the most popular in Eurasia, and attempts to abolish our culture have failed.
Abroad, Dostoevsky, Pushkin and other Russian classics are also read.
Expert opinion and analytics
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The law emphasizes Russian as a unifying language and requires linguistic examination for draft regulations, except for foreign words without Russian equivalents.

Title:

Content: news _ header _ top _ 970 _ 100
news _ header _ bot _ 970 _ 100
The State Duma adopted a law on the protection of the Russian language from the excessive use of foreign words
news _ top _ 970 _ 100
The state Duma in the final reading adopted a bill that should protect the Russian language from excessive foreign borrowing.
The document was submitted at the end of October last year.
It is noted that the project “emphasizes the unifying role of the Russian language as the state language of the Russian Federation in a single multinational state, expands and specifies the areas in which the use of the state language of the Russian Federation is mandatory. ”
The law introduces such concepts as normative dictionaries, grammars and reference books that fix the norms of the modern Russian literary language when it is used as a state language.
Exceptions will be only those foreign words that do not have common analogues in the Russian language and the list of which is contained in the normative dictionaries.
Also, now there will be a mandatory linguistic examination of draft regulations for their compliance with the norms and rules of the Russian language.
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Italy's government has drafted a bill to ban English in official communications, with a 100,000 euro fine for non-compliance, to promote Italian.

Title:

Content: Italian govt drafts bill that seeks to ban English language

RomeEdited By: C KrishnasaiUpdated: Apr 01, 2023, 03:15 PM IST

Calling for the Italian language to be protected and nurtured, the draft bill claims that English “demeans and mortifies” Italians, and called on all public and private bodies to use the “language of Dante” to promote their goods and services, reports Reuters news agency. Photograph:(Reuters)

Story highlights

The bill, which has been drafted by lawmakers of the nationalist Brothers of Italy party, aims to promote Italian language and imposes a fine of up to 100,000 euros ($108,750) if found violating the rule

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s party has proposed legislation that seeks to prohibit public and private bodies in the country from using foreign terms, especially English, in official communications.

The bill, which has been drafted by lawmakers of the nationalist Brothers of Italy party, aims to promote Italian language and imposes a fine of up to 100,000 euros ($108,750) if found violating the rule.

In order to become a law, the bill has to be approved by both houses of parliament. But there was no indication of when this might happen.

“It is not just a matter of fashion, as fashions pass, but Anglomania (has) repercussions for society as a whole,” said the text of the draft bill.

Calling for the Italian language to be protected and nurtured, the draft bill claims that English “demeans and mortifies” Italians, and called on all public and private bodies to use the “language of Dante” to promote their goods and services, reports Reuters news agency.

The draft also specifies that all job related applications, including names and acronyms, should be spelt out in Italian, with foreign words allowed only if they are impossible to translate.

The bill said the widespread use of English in Europe was “even more negative and paradoxical” given that Britain had quit the European Union.

The draft bill comes at a time when the incumbent far-right government takes measures to what it calls preserving the local culture.

Recently, it banned the use of laboratory-produced food to safeguard the country’s agri-food heritage.

When the Brothers of Italy party took office last October, it added the English term “Made in Italy” to the name of the industry minister, while Meloni occasionally drops foreign words into her speeches.

(With inputs from agencies)

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In Ukraine, a Language Ombudsman protects the state language and Ukrainian is mandatory for the Armed Forces.

Title:

Content: Politics 2023-11-23T17:00:03+02:00
Ukrainian news
Language Obmudsman Kremin says that concept of "russian-speaking" does not exist

Language Obmudsman Kremin says that concept of "russian-speaking" does not exist

HELP UKRAINIAN NEWS

The Commissioner for the Protection of the State Language, Taras Kremin, states that there is no such thing as "russian-speaking".

He said this on Radio Svoboda, Ukrainian News Agency reports.

"There is no such thing as "russian-speaking". And we are citizens of Ukraine," he said.

Kremin noted that this marker "russian-speaking" was introduced by russian ideology.

"If it is necessary to create something better, then I, as an authorized person, of course stand on this side. We should have a state program to promote the mastery of the Ukrainian language as the state language," he added.

The Ombudsman noted that Ukrainian is mandatory for the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and regardless of whether they are national communities or foreigners, everyone must speak Ukrainian on the territory of the Ukrainian state.

"Because it is the language of the educational process, the educational trajectory, of course, the future of life, and it is a conscious choice of the language of an indomitable nation," Kremin emphasized.

As Ukrainian News Agency earlier reported, linguist Iryna Farion called russian-speaking Ukrainians who defend Ukraine "mad".

The writer and singer Serhii Zhadan suggested that Ukrainians should no longer be called "russian-speaking".

The Minister of Education and Science, Oksen Lisovyi, requires teachers to communicate with students and colleagues only in Ukrainian during working hours.

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India lacks a clear mechanism for linguistic regulation, with the government prioritizing Hindi over other languages.

Title:

Content: 'What if Sundar Pichai was forced to write his exams in Hindi?' Kerala MP sparks language debate in Rajya Sabha

CPM's John Brittas went ahead to say that thousands of students from various Hindi-speaking states arrive in south Indian states for education. But the southern languages are not imposed on them. Many will be forced to go back if that was the case, he told the Upper House.

Updated Dec 25, 2022 | 07:19 PM IST

New Delhi: CPIM-backed MP from Kerala John Brittas reignited the "Hindi imposition" debate in Rajya Sabha by condemning the “pernicious and sinister design” to impose the language in the country.
A well-known Malayalam journalist, John Brittas criticised the Committee of Parliament on Official Language’s recommendation to President Droupadi Murmu in October, asking Hindi to be made a medium of instruction in IITs, IIMs and central universities in Hindi-speaking states.
“There is a pernicious and sinister design, and there are overt and covert attempts, perhaps stronger than ever, for elevating Hindi as the sole national language of this country,” the Left MP said in the Upper House on Friday.
Presenting his case against the Committee of Parliament on Official Language’s recommendation, John Brittas asked the House if Sundar Pichai, the Chief Executive Officer of Google, would have reached the position if he was forced to take lessons in Hindi.
"It recommends the use of Hindi as a medium of instruction in central universities and institutions of national importance like IITs and IIMs in the Hindi-speaking states. If Sundar Pichai had been forced to write his exams in Hindi, would he have reached the top at Google as we all Indians are proud of?" he asked.

John Brittas went ahead to add that thousands of students from various Hindi-speaking states arrive in south Indian states for education. But the southern languages are not imposed on them. "Do you expect these students from north India to learn their syllabus in Tamil, Malayalam and Kannada? If it is forced, most of your students will have to come back," he said.
John Brittas shared a clipping of his speech on Twitter on Sunday with a write-up in Tamil. "Your nefarious design of imposing Hindi will ruin this country. Could Sundar Pichai have been at the helm of Google if IIT had to take the exam in Hindi?," he asked by tagging prominent Tamil Nadu leaders including chief minister MK Stalin, MP Kanimozhi and MNM Kamal Haasan among others.

The video, which immediately went viral, was retweeted by Kamal Haasan who earlier expressed similar sentiments at the national capital while joining Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Yatra.

End of Article

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Governments must balance the use of global languages with the need to promote native languages and preserve linguistic diversity.

Title:

Content: Stationmaster's words
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Both language and culture need to be exposed, applied and accumulated over a long period of time to make a difference in everyone.
Especially in a multi-ethnic, multi-cultural society, language plays a major role in communication, and culture is a force to unite ethnic groups.
Since the founding of the People's Republic of China (PRC) Premier Lee Kuan Yew, China has implemented a "bilingual policy" that requires students to master English and their mother tongue at the same time.
The former is the common language of administration and work, facilitating communication between different ethnic groups, and the key skills to connect and expand international markets.
The latter is the basic condition for strengthening ethnic identity and the bridge for understanding and understanding ethnic culture.
We should do our best to master bilingualism, strengthen communication advantages and knowledge exploration, and enhance our own connotation and cultural cultivation foundation.
Living in a harmonious society that understands mutual respect and tolerance among ethnic groups brings us many opportunities for cross-development.
Perhaps you have not noticed that the reason why we have been able to connect with the major economies of the world and to establish mutually beneficial strategic cooperation with Southeast Asian countries is because of our multilingual environment.
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Language purification policies in Iran suppress Azerbaijanis' language rights and cultural identity.

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Content: ...

Azerbaijanis in Iran deprived of rights to speak their own language - The Geopolitics

Politics Materials 22 February 2023 11:27 (UTC +04:00)
Maryana Akhmedova
Read more

BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 22. The rights of Azerbaijanis in Iran to use their mother tongue are infringed by the Iranian authorities, limiting their cultural expression, the article in The Geopolitics magazine said, Trend reports.

According to the author, although South Azerbaijani activists and organizations have long advocated for the expansion of linguistic and cultural rights, the Iranian government has responded with further repression by cracking down on dissidents.

The Iranian Government has banned the use of the Azerbaijani language in the media, literature, and the arts, as well, which has resulted in a suppression of cultural identity and a lack of representation for South Azerbaijanis in Iranian society, the article said.

Moreover, as the author noted, this policy has resulted in a high rate of students dropping out of schools early in Iran’s marginalized non-Persian regions, due to the challenges of learning the Persian language.

As the author rightly pointed out, the efforts to promote and provide education in the Azerbaijani language can positively impact Azerbaijani students’ psychological well-being and academic achievement in Iran.

"Providing instruction in one’s mother tongue can help students feel a greater sense of belonging, cultural identity, and pride in their heritage. It can also help them better understand and engage with the material being taught, leading to improved academic achievement and a greater likelihood of completing their education," the article said.

"The Iranian regime refuses to give up its forcibly acquired acquisitions and will seek to preserve them by oppression and extremism. What no one in positions of power in Iran appears capable of understanding is that the Persian language will not actually be jeopardized if the non-Persian peoples gain the right to receive education in their own languages; indeed, people are less likely to resent it if they also have the chance of proper education in their mother tongue," the article concluded.

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The European Charter for Regional Languages promotes language freedom in European countries, and countries like Qatar have launched campaigns to support their native languages.

Russia has signed a law to protect its language from excessive borrowings, introducing mandatory linguistic examination and specifying areas where Russian language use is required.

Italy fines officials for using English words in official messages, and Russia has proposed a bill to ban foreign words with Russian equivalents.

The Indian government emphasizes local languages in education, and China has a bilingual policy requiring English and mother tongue mastery.

Governments face challenges implementing language policies, including insufficient investment in education and language barriers affecting basic education.

Language purification policies must balance language preservation with the need to accommodate global languages like English.

Title:

Content: Free Speech Award for Native Language Teaching to Create Education and Longshu Bonus
◎ Liu Chengxian
Many international linguistics studies have shown that the ability to use more than one language regularly and fluently in daily life can lead to faster and better development of conflict resolution and management skills in children, and can delay the onset of dementia and Alzheimer's disease in old age by an average of 3.5 to 5 years.
Kaohsiung City will set up the first Taiwanese language experimental elementary school in Taiwan. (Photo)
In Taiwan's environment, apart from Chinese, the second language that can be used frequently and fluently by the vast majority of the population is definitely a local language that can be integrated into the community and family, rather than English.
The key to the inheritance of the local language lies in the “multi-use ”. The use of the local language in schools for teaching various subjects is an important way for children who spend most of their time in the school to acquire the local language.
At present, in addition to the Hakka Committee's continuous subsidy classes and schools to teach in the Hakka language as the medium of instruction, news reports have previously reported that Kaohsiung will also set up the first Taiwanese experimental primary school, but with the current policy, there is still a lot of room for advancement.
Actively invest several times the resources used to suppress native languages to achieve language transformation justice
After all, the Government has used huge administrative resources to suppress local languages, and in response to the revival of local languages, the Government should not just "be optimistic about their success", but should "actively invest several times the resources used to suppress local languages" in accordance with the National Language Development Law, in order to realize the right of language transformation, and grasp the education and long-term profit brought by local languages.
The government should not only allow classes and schools to be taught in the local language, but should actively give such classes or schools substantial grants, including free tuition and book fees, as well as grants and scholarships, and teachers should have additional language grants and additional incentives for performance. Only by attaching such a high degree of attention to the public and the teaching staff can the wishes of the general public and the education professionals be changed, and can the government demonstrate its determination to attach great importance to the revival of native languages.
In the current environment, it is impossible to have any children who are not fluent in Chinese, but children who do not have any native language are becoming normal.
Let children at least be fluent in any native language, this not only has a cultural meaning, but also a policy of benefiting the country and the people, the government should pay more attention to the lost sheep and make up for it, it is not too late.
(The author is an associate professor of the Department of Taiwanese Literature at Taiwan Normal University)
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Content: Bauhinia Party _ Embracing Language Pluralism
Author: 01 Forum
Published: Updated:
Author: Wu Junfei
Last month, an old video recorded by Phoenix TV anchor Tian Tong was censored for discussion, which once again caused controversy in Hong Kong society over the use of simplified and traditional characters.
This incident shows that in the situation of the growing population of Putonghua and Simplified Chinese, the "biliteracy and trilingualism" policy has not been implemented in Hong Kong, not only has it not been enforced by the SAR Government, but also has not reached a social consensus.
In the new era of governance and prosperity, as Hong Kong is further integrated into the overall situation of national development, the central government hopes that Hong Kong will undertake a greater historical mission.
The future of Hong Kong lies in reform. The focus of reform is internationalization, and the key element of internationalization is linguistic pluralism, which is the way to deal with related issues.
A truly international city should have international influence on the outside and international elements on the inside.
The most cosmopolitan cities can be called “global cities ”, typical of London in the United Kingdom and New York in the United States. They not only have global political, economic, and cultural influence, but they also host immigrants from all over the world, and dozens of languages are widely used by local residents, demonstrating a spirit of tolerance and mutual understanding of the different cultures of the world.
The metropolises with the next degree of internationalization have some international functions but mainly play a regional impact, such as Paris, Geneva, Zurich, Singapore, Dubai, etc. They also have the characteristics of internationalization such as linguistic and cultural diversity of residents.
After the establishment of the HKSAR Government in 1997, the policy of "biliteracy and trilingualism" was implemented. "biliteracy" is Chinese and English. "trilingualism" refers to Putonghua, Cantonese and English. Putonghua is written in simplified Chinese, and Cantonese is mainly in traditional Chinese.
Many Hong Kong people can only speak simple Putonghua, which is relatively unfamiliar with simplified characters, and some people never speak Putonghua.
In most schools in Hong Kong, Cantonese is used to teach Chinese, but Putonghua is also provided for students to have the opportunity to learn Putonghua.
These are not problems. The problem is that Hong Kong ’ s language policy is not inclusive enough, which runs counter to the SAR ’ s goal of promoting internationalization.
At present, Hong Kong society needs to clarify the status of the official languages of English, Putonghua (Simplified Chinese) and Cantonese (Traditional Chinese), especially the status of Putonghua and Simplified Chinese in law, and encourage and even require primary and secondary students to master a foreign language.
The specific approach is not to force every Hong Kong resident to be proficient in English, Putonghua (Simplified Chinese), Cantonese (Traditional Chinese) and a foreign language, but to legislate that "biliteracy and trilingualism" are compatible in society at the same time, that is, to accept the legitimacy of Putonghua (Simplified Chinese) and increase its use.
For example, in the early stage, traffic road signs, government building signs, school signs, company signs, scenic area signs, etc., in addition to the existing English and traditional Chinese, the addition of simplified Chinese.
The acceptance of Putonghua (Simplified Chinese) is not only in line with the Basic Law of Hong Kong, but also an expression of Hong Kong ’ s obedience to and respect for the authority of the Central Authorities, and the need for the further internationalization of Hong Kong society.
China ’ s vast territory, large population and multi-ethnic, multi-lingual, multi-dialect, only the use of the country ’ s standardized language and script, in order to reduce communication costs, ensure smooth communication, unimpeded dissemination of government decrees, and promote the development of economic, political, cultural and other undertakings.
Putonghua and simplified characters began to be promoted in 1956, reflecting the new civilization since the establishment of the People's Republic in 1949, and are indispensable communication tools and information carriers among people.
Mandarin and Simplified Chinese are international languages in themselves.
As of April 2023, more than 180 countries and regions around the world have conducted Putonghua Chinese education, and 82 countries have incorporated it into the national education system. More than 30 million foreigners are learning Putonghua Chinese, and the cumulative number of people learning and using Putonghua Chinese is close to 200 million.
Therefore, we can say that as part of China, if Hong Kong does not accept Putonghua (Simplified Chinese), then many of the benefits of internationalization will be lost.
At present, Putonghua (Simplified Chinese) is still despised and even rejected in Hong Kong ’ s education, executive, legislative and judicial systems, which is undoubtedly not in line with the trend of Hong Kong ’ s internationalization.
For the SAR Government, Putonghua (Simplified Chinese) is the language tool used by local governments in Hong Kong to understand and appreciate the documents and instructions issued by the Central Government.
If Hong Kong government officials are not proficient in Putonghua (simplified Chinese), it is difficult for them to understand the political, economic and social systems and civilizations of the national entity, and to accurately grasp the direction, principles and policies of the central government in governing Hong Kong.
An international Hong Kong must continue to raise the standard of English in the community.
For historical reasons, English is one of the most widely used languages in the world, occupying the dominant position of the Internet, and is recognized by the international academic, legal and business communities as the language of communication, has become a bridge to connect people around the world, playing a vital role in the development of human civilization.
English is the carrier of many research and innovation achievements in the fields of science and technology, culture and arts, and social science. English books, papers and reports contain the latest human knowledge and information, which helps people broaden their horizons and improve their ability to innovate.
As the most commonly used communication tool in common law countries, English has become a fundamental element in international financial and trade transactions.
Many multinational companies, international organizations, and non-governmental organizations use English as a universal language, and familiarity with English is an essential skill for people working in these institutions.
English is the official language of Hong Kong, which is one of Hong Kong ’ s international competitive advantages.
Maintaining and improving English is of utmost importance to the people of Hong Kong, whether it is for internationalization or for the development of science and technology.
As the inheritor of traditional Chinese culture, it is necessary for Hong Kong to continue to use and protect Cantonese.
Cantonese is spoken by more than 100 million people around the world and is the mother tongue of many overseas Chinese. Cantonese retains the distinctive features of the Chinese language of the Qin and Tang dynasties, maintaining the nine tones and most of the written pronunciation of the ancient Chinese language, and carrying the traditional Chinese culture that shines unique throughout the world. The Cantonese community generally uses the Cantonese pronunciation of the Old Liwan District of Guangzhou in the late Qing Dynasty and early Qing Dynasty as standard Cantonese. Cantonese has a lot of advantages over Putonghua, such as richer tone, and more rhythmic beauty when reciting ancient poetry; the pronunciation of near-Italian words is the same, but different, so that the pronunciation of near-Italian words is similar but different, easier to express; There is a curl, that is, there is no problem that "z, c, s" and "zh, ch, sh" are easily confused in Mandarin.
As the traditional carrier of Cantonese, traditional characters are undoubtedly the treasures of Chinese traditional culture, which can spread the beauty of Chinese writing and facilitate future generations to read the classical literature left by Chinese ancestors.
In addition to Chinese and English, the number of Hong Kong people who speak other languages is negligible, which is a shortcoming that Hong Kong society needs to make up for.
Under the international development strategy of Hong Kong, the community needs a large number of foreign language talents who can meet the development needs of major strategic areas and key areas.
After the baptism of globalization, coupled with the emergence of artificial intelligence, the core task of foreign language ability has been to play the role of language interaction, knowledge tools, to pay more attention to the cultural connotations, ideological connotations and value connotations behind different languages, so the instrumental, humanistic and ideological aspects of foreign languages are equally important.
Faced with no major changes in the world in a hundred years, Hong Kong calls on a large number of professionals with a global perspective, proficient in the use of foreign languages, familiar with international rules, and proficient in international negotiations to participate in global governance, actively disseminate China's ideas, publicize China's development achievements, and tell the story of China in the new era.
Therefore, in order to form a foreign language education structure, subject professional structure and talent training structure to meet the needs of higher level internationalization in Hong Kong, it is even necessary to establish a special foreign language college and international relations college.
In implementing the policy of linguistic diversity, Hong Kong can learn from Switzerland.
There are four official languages in Switzerland, including German, French, Italian and Romansh, and they are written into law, while the actual languages in society are more numerous and English is more mastered by most Swiss people.
All official languages of the Swiss Confederation (government documents, legal texts, official websites, major building signs) must be written in German, French and Italian.
Official documents issued by the federal government, such as ID cards, passports, or banknotes, are written in four official languages, with English on the passport.
At Swiss supermarkets, products are marked in three main languages, namely French, German and Italian.
In order to ensure that all linguistic communities are adequately respected, the Swiss Language Act specifies the multilingualism of the country, and the Federal Office for Culture promotes these languages and the culture associated with them.
Not every Swiss speaks all four official languages, and most people communicate in their own languages within their own language communities, but they never exclude the right of other language communities to use other official languages.
Language diversity is an essential element of a cosmopolitan city and an important driver of social progress. Only through continuous dialogue and exchange among residents of different historical and cultural backgrounds can we integrate and create a great city of ideas and creativity.
Both now and in the future, Hong Kong must embrace the values of globalization. Although globalization has suffered a temporary setback, the in-depth development of globalization is the future direction of the world. Respect for linguistic and cultural diversity can restart the process of globalization and ensure that globalization is not hijacked and ended by hegemonic cultures.
Chinese pioneers follow the spirit of "harmony but difference", which means respecting cultural differences and diversity, and achieving harmony through mutual communication and exchange.
While maintaining the cultural identity of the local Cantonese language in Hong Kong, we should pay attention to absorbing the language and culture of the Mainland, actively learn and draw on the excellent cultural achievements of foreign languages, dialogue without confrontation, communication without closure, compatibility without exclusion, learning from strengths and weaknesses, free absorption, harmonious coexistence, and common progress.
Chapter 66 of the Dao Sutra says, “The reason why Jiang Hai can be King of the Hundred Grain, and he can be King of the Hundred Grain with his good deeds ”, which is a truth that deserves to be remembered by every Hong Kong people on the issue of linguistic diversity.
Ng Chun-fei is the director of the Bauhinia Party Policy Research Institute.
The article is only the opinion of the author and does not represent the position of Hong Kong 01.
Please email us at 01view @ hk01.com.
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Content: Chen Po-wei insisted on using the "mother tongue" in the Legislative Yuan to question Minister of Defense Qiu Kuo-cheng, who believed that language is a tool of communication, and that communication is more efficient if the Mandarin language is used during questioning.
Chen Po-wei countered with "Duck Ba".
On the whole, however, Chen ’ s performance seems to have hit the nail mark this time, partly because the issue he is asking is not related to the local language, but rather the issue of defense diplomacy, which is not easy to express in the mother tongue.
In addition, at a time when the removal of Q is boiling over, Chen Po-wei chose to make a big move to ask questions in Hokkien before he was removed, which inevitably makes people feel that he is holding up the basic routine by playing a calculated role in intensifying the antagonism between the linguistic groups.
Even though it has been nearly two weeks since the end of the incident, the discussion is mostly about the pros and cons of the pan-political saliva attack and defense, the issue of Taiwan's language ecology is rarely addressed.
There is a historical background to the sensitivity of language in Taiwan. In 1937, during the Japanese occupation period, Japan promoted the Imperial Nationalization Movement and implemented the "National Language Movement" (in this case, the national language refers to Japanese), which prohibited the use of Taiwanese mother tongue and Chinese.
In order to eliminate Japan's influence in Taiwan, the Nationalist government began to vigorously promote the "Mandarin Movement" (Peking dialect) around 1956, and it was not abolished until 1987 after the lifting of martial law.
More than 30 years of language policy, resulting in language inequality and language loss.
To date, at least 10 of the 26 indigenous languages have died and four are in danger. In addition, according to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) assessment, Taiwanese Hokkien is a “definitely endangered ” language, while Hakka has entered the stage of“ seriously endangered ”.
If Mandarin had not been established as an official language at that time, would Taiwan ’ s diverse dialects have developed in a balanced way?
The answer is “not necessarily. ”
Language is not only a tool of communication, it is also a carrier of culture, representing the culture, historical memory and ethnic identity of the people who use the language.
Therefore, even if there is no language policy involved, when two or more languages meet, it is inevitable that political power will be strong.
Power competition between ethnic groups grows, which in turn affects the language and natural ecology.
For example, the so-called national melting pot, respect for multicultural America, although there is no political force to set the official language, but as everyone knows, English is the high-level powerful language of the United States.
In fact, in the United States, the phenomenon of "double language" (Diglossia) is obvious, black English (AAVE), Hispanic English (Chicano English), etc., is generally regarded as a low-level language, representing low education, informal language, or low social class language.
According to various studies, in the United States, those who speak a recognized ethnic or regional dialect of English have lower wages and employment rates than those who speak mainstream English.
So, if you set multiple languages as official languages, can you solve the problem of double language inequality? The answer is still “not necessarily ”.
In order to escape the influence of Spanish colonization, the Bolivian Constitution stipulates that the languages of all ethnic groups are official languages, and a total of 36 official languages are recognized, making it the country with the largest number of official languages in the world.
Under the country ’ s 1994 education reform program, schools were required to teach these 36 official languages.
However, the reality is difficult to do, Spanish is still the most powerful language in Bolivia, and many ethnic groups are still regarded as poor, low education, and low social class identity.
Being able to speak high-level Spanish is a lifeline for the underprivileged, who often disguise their ethnic identity to work in cities, so that even though many ethnic groups have been promoted to official languages, the problem of extinction has not been improved.
If setting the official language and language bullying are not necessarily directly related, how can the phenomenon of high-level and low-level double language in Taiwan be improved? Some reflections are as follows:
1. Language policy must be multilingual.
Any language policy needs to learn from history through careful planning and matching of experts and scholars to avoid repeating the mistakes of the past.
Because resources and human learning power are limited, when one language is blessed, it means that other languages may be crowded out.
Although the government is actively promoting the bilingual policy by 2030, it is fully committed to promoting English. Although it is well-intentioned, many linguists have solemnly warned about the dangers of promoting English.
For example, Anne Pakir refers to English as the “killer language ”, while John M. Swales compares it to Tyrannosaurus because it is too powerful to destroy any weak language that coexists with it.
Once the government smashes into a large amount of resources, if there are no good supporting measures, I am afraid it will become the current disaster of Taiwan's language ecology.
2. Strengthen the "language attitude" cultivation.
At present, the government's bilingual policy is extremely narrow, and almost all of them are aimed at strengthening English skills and improving English proficiency.
Very little is known about the "language attitude".
However, the attitude of the language user determines the vitality of the language.
In Hebrew, for example, its revival illustrates the importance of language attitudes.
The revival of the Hebrew language in just 25 years, more than two thousand years after its death, created an unprecedented miracle in the history of the language ’ s revival, and this dramatic miracle was the result of the Jewish nation ’ s strong nation-building, which led to an attitude of allegiance and glory to the Hebrew language that succeeded in bringing it back to life.
In other words, the attitude of the language user is the key factor in determining the vitality of the language.
Taiwanese people generally have a foreign mentality, value English, ignore the mother tongue, such a sense of linguistic inferiority, it is easy to speed up the loss of minority mother tongue after the promotion of bilingual policy.
In addition, if the status of the local language between the declining attitude, with the political parties in turn to promote localization, the Fukien language has become a label of love for Taiwan, the sword of transformation and justice, and the soft spot of political enemies, the Fukien language has become a tool of political struggle.
Perhaps because of this, Chen Po-wei will choose to deliberately use the Minnan language to single out the foreign provincial defense minister before the removal case, and play this big show of love for his mother tongue and Taiwan.
The author believes that positive "language attitude" education, in addition to strengthening the ethnic group's sense of pride and centripetal force for their mother tongue, also includes the inclusiveness of other languages.
If we oppose the practice of the Chinese language to suppress the native language, then we should not now politically manipulate the native language and maliciously create language conflicts and ethnic conflicts.
The means of retribution for language hegemony will not only not promote ethnic integration, but will only deepen ethnic hatred and division.
If Taiwan wants to start from the wrong language policy of the past, it should understand the past language history, reflect on learning from history, and not blindly promote language policy, but also pay attention to the next generation of language attitude education, families and schools to help children understand the value of mother tongue, respect different mother tongue use groups, in order to really promote a pluralistic and multilingual society.
(The author is an associate professor of English at National Chengchi University)
※ The above statements do not represent the position of Wangzhong Media Group ※
# Language # Native # English # Official Language # Attitude

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Indigenous languages not enjoying parity at state departments

English still dominant at the expense of other tongues

David Mosoma chairperson of CRL Rights Commission.
Image: Antonio Muchave

The usage of indigenous languages, especially in government departments, is still not equitable after 27 years since SA declared them as official languages.

This was revealed by an investigation conducted by the Commission for the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Cultural, Religious and Linguistic Communities (CRL Rights Commission) on marginalised languages and the need to elevate them. It tabled its report yesterday at its offices in Braamfontein, Johannesburg.

The findings show that even though government departments have adopted two or three official languages as per Language Act, English was still predominantly used at the expense of other languages. The investigation further found that the obstacles for all official languages to enjoy parity of esteem were caused by lack of budget and lack of skilled personnel.

The investigation included 16 organs of state which were randomly picked and invited to share what they are doing regarding the promotion and equitable use of all official languages. Chairperson of the commission, Prof David Luka Mosoma, said the purpose of the investigation was to establish the extent of the equal use and status of the official languages by government departments.

“Since the constitution affirms that these languages should be given their due and constitutional status, we had to do this investigation to gauge how far we are. We wanted to assess the positive measures that departments are employing to elevate the status and advanced the use of these languages. These hearings had to investigate and ascertain the measures [if any] that are in place to advance the equal treatment of all the South African official languages.

“The investigation was to assess the current efforts and future plans being followed by departments to regulate, monitor and elevate the use of all the official languages among other things for teaching, research, science, technology, commerce as well as to be languages of record.”

In its recommendations, CLR Rights Commission stated that all government departments, enterprises and entities should establish functional language service centres. It further called on the department of higher education to identify a pool of teachers who will teach mathematics, science and technology in their mother tongues.

“We encourage the department of higher education and training to subsidise institutions of higher learning to elevate, prioritise and promote official languages to become languages of record, teaching, research, science and technology.”

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