The culture ministry says it is planning to set up a center for the research and promotion of Taiwan’s languages.
Taiwan and its surrounding islands are home to several Chinese languages and a large number of indigenous Austronesian languages. However, Mandarin Chinese was long promoted at the expense of other languages. This plus factors like the movement of people away from traditional communities has left much of Taiwan’s linguistic diversity under threat.
The plan to set up a center for Taiwan’s languages is the latest government effort to reverse earlier policies and celebrate diversity. Though the center is still awaiting final Cabinet approval, the culture ministry has already spelled out the center’s goals.
In a press release Wednesday, the ministry said that the center will conduct research and surveys while working to preserve, promote, and revive the languages of Taiwan.