The second National Languages Development Convention wrapped up Oct. 27 in southern Taiwan’s Pingtung County, highlighting government effort to revitalize the country’s diverse languages and to promote its people’s cultural identity.
 
Organized by the Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of Education, the Council of Indigenous Peoples and the Hakka Affairs Council, the two-day event was attended by academics, experts, officials and professionals in the field. The organizers also held 11 seminars around Taiwan over the past four months to survey public opinion on the use of languages including Holo, Hakka, Indigenous languages, Matsu and Kinmen dialects, and sign languages.
 
MOC Deputy Minister Lee Ching-hwi kicked off the convention with a report on Taiwan’s language policies. The event included a keynote speech on the design and implementation of language policies worldwide by Joseph Lo Bianco of University of Melbourne, along with a session on recommendations for national written languages, and discussions on issues surrounding education, among others.
 
Minister of Culture Li Yuan pledged during his first day remarks that the ministry will treat every language equally and develop the beauty and culture of each to their utmost. CIP Minister Ljaucu Zingrur expounded on the council’s ongoing work to advance Indigenous language learning in schools, set up language promotion organizations in communities and provide funding for related development.
 
Li concluded the convention the next day by affirming the ministry’s commitment to working with ministries and agencies to draft policies based on the event’s conclusions. According to the MOC, the convention was first held in 2021 in accordance with Article 5 of the Development of National Languages Act. 


Source:  Taiwan Today (https://taiwantoday.tw/index.php)