Mandarin-Only to Mandarin-Plus: Taiwan

Abstract

This article focuses on language-in-education policies and planning in relation to the three Sinitic languages taught in formal education in Taiwan today: Mandarin - the usual medium of instruction, and Holo Taiwanese and Hakka - the home and/or ancestral languages of the majority of the population (We use the term Sinitic language to avoid using 'Chinese dialect' with its implications of lower status and links with the national and cultural entity of China). These policies will be analyzed in the context of Taiwan's social and political history, current debates about identity, language rights and resources, and concerns about Taiwan's status in the international community. Taiwan's unique situation illustrates the complex relationship between language, ethnicity, national identification, and economic and global concerns. The Taiwan case also demonstrates the power, as well as the limitations, of government sponsored language planning. Show more