Manchu language revitalisation programs
Introduction to Manchu Language:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manchu_language
Manchu, one of the official languages of the Qing dynasty (1636–1912) of China spoken by Manchus is a critically endangered East Asian Tungusic language native to the historical region of Manchuria in Northeast China. Although today the vast majority of Manchus speak only Mandarin Chinese, several thousand can speak Manchu as a second language through governmental primary education or free classes for adults in classrooms or online.
Manchu Language Revitalisation Goals:
- to price ethnic integrity
- to enhance culture identity
- enthusiastic about Manchu culture
Concrete Manchu Language Revitalisation Programs:
- Leaders:
Liu and Sure, who are two leaders in leading grassroots schools respectively in Northern China and central Beijing.
- Target People and Method Adopted:
In terms of organisation, more than 15 grassroots schools have been founded with main leaders and regular volunteering teachers. All courses are open to the public, regardless of ethnicity, race, religion, gender, and age. It has spread across China from the largest Manchu community in North-Eastern province of Liaoning to the southern province of Guangdong.
- Influence
- their visibility reached social media on internet
Their visibility reached social media on Internet, including Youtube (which is blocked in China). Posters, banners and stickers for course information and revitalisation slogans like “Manchus speak Manchu language” are widely displayed in public places and on the Internet. Numerous cultural events have been generated in support of the movement including two very influential activities: celebrating traditional Manchu ethnic Banjin festival, and making a pilgrimage to worship Changbai Mountain, composing and singing Manchu songs based on Shubu— old performance art of Manchus, and practicing archery.
2. encourages the community to be proud of of their identity.
The revitalisation movement also encourages the community to be proud of being one of the Manchus, and ultimately psychologically re-constructs the Manchu identity for the re-imagining (Anderson, 1991) of the ethnic community in modern society.
3. arouses much interest and calls for self-sponsored supports from Manchu people
The revitalisation movement has aroused much interest and called for self-sponsored supports from Manchu people, particularly the establishments of many grassroots schools and online forums. Nevertheless, such grassroots movements, without a unified powerful executive community, have also been confronted by a number of challenges in revitalisation. In the first place, the revitalisation movement has not agreed on a standard Manchu language to be taught and learned, particularly on the colloquial form. Also, there are no general criteria for creating new Manchu words to be adapted to modern social contexts. These on-going challenges involving fierce debates are interesting topics which call for further academic research. It could also provide certain new comparative insights to the language revitalisation researches undertaken in Europe.
- Leaders:
central government
- Target people and Method adopted
- bilingua education
The central government has made efforts to protect ethnic minority languages in recent years, with an emphasis on the far western regions. The State Council has plans to roll out bilingual education from preschool to high school by 2020 in Xinjiang, Tibet, and the Tibetan areas of southwestern Sichuan province.
2. paying language gardians to teach and spread the language
In Sanjiazi, too, the local government has supported Manchu language preservation and education, but the attempts have been less systematic. In 2010, the local government selected 16 seniors with proven ability in the language to help transmit Manchu, and another three in 2012. Each language guardian is paid 2,400 yuan ($350) per year — about one-quarter of their annual income — to meet regularly with the others at the village’s language activity room, speak Manchu, and help interested villagers pick up the language.
3. elementary school teaching Manchu language
In response to the central government’s call to promote ethnic minority cultures, Sanjiazi Manchu Elementary School — the only school in the village — established the country’s first official Manchu course in 2006.
- Influence
1. prized ethnic integrity
Even the language guardians, who are all over 60, still meet mostly in the off-season, when the land is less demanding. “It’s true that ethnic integrity should be prized, but our primary job is to farm and work to support our families,” says Tao.
2. enhanced culture identity
“Language is the key to a nation,” he would tell skeptical villagers. “If I don’t do something, it’ll be gone before we know it.”
