People and Language
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| Taiwan has a vibrant and dynamic population that has successfully blended traditional culture with social modernization. |
Taiwan's Population Distribution
In December 2002, Taiwan's population density was 622 persons per square kilometer, making it the second highest in the world after Bangladesh. Kaohsiung City 高雄市, which covers 154 sq. km, was Taiwan's most crowded urban area with 9,827 persons per square kilometer. Taipei City 臺北市 (272 sq. km) was next, with 9,720 persons per square kilometer; and Taichung City 臺中市 (163 sq. km), the third most populated area, had 6,099 persons per square kilometer.
Heavily populated urban areas have grown outside the official limits of major cities, forming large metropolitan areas, which are now home to 68.75 percent of Taiwan's total population. In recent years, however, the establishment of satellite towns and stronger basic infrastructure nationwide has slowed the population influx to urban areas. Among Taiwan's metropolitan areas, the Jhongli-Taoyuan 中壢-桃園 Greater Metropolitan Area grew the fastest in 2001, with a population increase of 1.77 percent. The Taichung-Changhua 臺中-彰化 Greater Metropolitan Area was second with a 1.24 percent growth rate. The metropolitan area with the highest population remained the Taipei-Keelung 臺北-基隆 Greater Metropolitan Area, with 6.55 million residents and 42.50 percent of Taiwan's urban population. The Kaohsiung Greater Metropolitan Area was second with 2.73 million residents, and the Taichung-Changhua Greater Metropolitan Area was third, with 2.12 million people.
The earliest census taken in Taiwan recorded the population at 3.12 million in 1905. After 40 years, the figure nearly doubled to 6.02 million. In 1964, the government began encouraging family planning, easing the pressure on population growth. The natural population growth rate fell from 3.158 percent in 1961 to 0.68 percent in 1998. Although the figure rose to 0.81 percent in 2000, it declined to 0.59 percent in 2001 due to a decrease in the birth rate, which dropped from 1.38 percent to 1.17 percent during the same time period. Meanwhile, the death rate rose slightly from 0.568 percent in 2000 to 0.571 percent in 2001.
Clearly, Taiwan's population structure has undergone great changes over the last few decades. As those born during the baby boom have grown up, the economically productive 15-64 age group increased to 70.38 percent of the total population in 2001. Meanwhile, the proportion of dependents dropped from 64 percent in 1975 to 42 percent in 2001.
Longer education, delayed marriages, and comparatively fewer potential mothers
between the ages of 20 and 34 have reduced the birth rate. Since 1984, the
population replacement rate has remained below 1 percent, dropping to 0.7
percent in 2001. 
Population Policy
The average age in Taiwan is rising. Statistics from the Ministry of the Interior 內政部 (MOI) showed that the average life expectancy in 2000 was 75.30 years, with men living an average of 72.67 years, and women, 78.44 years. In 2001, 8.81 percent of the population was over 65 years of age, up from 8.62 percent in 2000. This puts Taiwan midway between "older" countries like Great Britain (16 percent), France (16 percent), Japan (17 percent), and the United States (13 percent) and "younger" neighbors like China and South Korea (7 percent each), Thailand (4 percent), and the Philippines (4 percent). The Taiwan index of aging, calculated by dividing the number of people over 65 years of age by the number under the age of 15, is 42.33 percent.
In 1992, a new population policy was approved that encouraged a moderate increase in the birth rate to counter an aging society and potential labor shortage. This new family program promotes the concept that "two are just right" 兩個恰恰好 to reduce the number of single-child families. In addition, measures have been taken to strengthen welfare and medical care for senior citizens, and to encourage them to participate in community service.
Although the government maintains a strict policy on foreign citizens wanting to reside in Taiwan due to its high population density, counseling and language training are available for foreign women married to Taiwanese. However, it adopts a lax policy for emigrants and provides guidance to ensure their safe settlement and successful careers in host countries. Group emigration is facilitated through international investment and technical cooperation programs.
Taiwan's Ethnic Composition
Archaeologists have found evidence of prehistoric human habitation in Taiwan that dates back 12,000 to 15,000 years, indicating that Taiwan's earliest inhabitants came from at least two places: southern China and Austronesia. In general, early settlers from southern China settled in northern and central Taiwan, while Australoid settlements were mainly in southern Taiwan and along the eastern coast. These early settlers, which now compose Taiwan's indigenous peoples, make up less than 2 percent of Taiwan's population.
In the 16th century, Han 漢 people from China's coastal provinces of Fujian 福建 and Guangdong 廣東 began immigrating to Taiwan in large numbers to build a new homeland away from war and famine. This group of early Han immigrants consisted mainly of Southern Fujianese and Hakka. Today, these two groups constitute about 85 percent of the population, with the Fujianese outnumbering the Hakka by a ratio of approximately three to one. When the Kuomintang 中國國民黨 (KMT) government relocated to Taipei in 1949, it brought a new influx of Han immigrants to Taiwan. The Han form the largest ethnic group in Taiwan, making up roughly 98 percent of the population; 15 percent of this group came to Taiwan after 1945. Taiwan's population also consists of almost 60 other non-Han minorities.
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| Although the younger generations of indigenous peoples are not as fluent in their ancestral language as the older generations, they have managed to preserve many of their traditional rituals and festivities. (Courtesy of Liao Tai-chi) |
Taiwan's Indigenous Peoples
An excellent place to get a comprehensive introduction to Taiwan's indigenous peoples is the Aboriginal Culture Park 原住民文化園區 in Pingtung County 屏東縣, where common traditional dwellings, utensils, clothing, activities, and customs are displayed and explained. Performances of tribal music and dance are held daily.
There are currently 11 major indigenous peoples in Taiwan: the Ami 阿美族, Atayal 泰雅族, Bunun 布農族, Kavalan 噶瑪蘭族, Paiwan 排灣族, Puyuma 卑南族, Rukai 魯凱族, Saisiyat 賽夏族, Tao 達悟族, Thao 邵族, and Tsou 鄒族. As of 2002, the total number of indigenous people in Taiwan was 433,689. The Ami account for over one third of the indigenous population, followed by the Atayal and Paiwan. The Tao, also known as the Yami 雅美, is the smallest group. Many indigenous people live in mountainous reservations, which cannot be sold to non-aborigines.
Cultural characteristics formerly common to all or most of Taiwan's indigenous groups include animism; lack of shrines or sanctuaries within tribal settlements; lack of a written language; horizontal back-strap loom weaving and in-woven designs; bark cloth-making tapa; ironsmithing to make knives, spearpoints, and other implements; slash-and-burn cultivation; cultivation of millet and tuber crops, such as sweet potatoes and taro; production of fermented-grain wine (except among the Tao); treatment of disease by female shamans; the hunting of deer, wild boar, and other animals with bow and arrow, harpoon-like spears, snares, and traps; and head-hunting (except among the Tao). Below are some of the distinctive historical traits of the 11 main indigenous peoples in Taiwan.
Ami
The Ami, Taiwan's largest indigenous group, live in the valleys of the Hualien-Taitung area. The Ami began to use oxen to cultivate paddy fields relatively early. They continue to fish, but now hunt only for recreation. Ami houses are traditionally built flat on the ground, with wooden or bamboo beams and posts and plaited dwarf bamboo walls. Traditional Ami villages were relatively large, with populations between 200 and 1,000.
The Ami have preserved the art of pottery making in the form of food vessels, water ewers, rice pots, and earthenware steamers. All pottery was traditionally made by women. Sacrificial vessels in varying sizes were also made, and these were buried with their owners at death.
Ami society is matrilineal, with the oldest woman in the extended family being the head of the household. Men only exercise their authority during village council meetings, which are held among the leading men from each village ward. A rigid system of authority based on age is enforced. The Ami have elaborate cosmogonic myths, which may be recited only by trained male "lineage priests" and are subject to strict recitation-related taboos.
Atayal
The Atayal are distributed over the northern part of Taiwan's central mountain regions: northern Nantou 南投 and Hualien 花蓮, Ilan 宜蘭, and Taipei Counties. They can also be found in Taoyuan, Hsinchu 新竹, Miaoli 苗栗, and Taichung Counties. Their language is apparently not closely related to any of the other indigenous languages on Taiwan. In the past, their staple foods were corn, rice, sweet potatoes, and taro, and they lived in semi-subterranean houses built of stacked branches and cordwood with gable roofs. Clothing design was typified by rectilinear woven and beaded motifs. Facial tattooing was a special feature of this people. Their traditions of tattooing, head-hunting, and burial of the dead under dwelling structures ended more than a century ago.
The Atayal kinship system is ambilineal, with a tendency for nuclear families preferring patrilocal residence. Several leaders from community ritual groups, or gaga, usually controlled the political authority and economy. Atayal society was relatively closed. The Atayal believe in spirits and unnamed supernatural powers.
Bunun
The Bunun live in mountainous regions of central Taiwan, including Hualien, Taitung 臺東, and parts of Nantou and Kaohsiung Counties. They alternately cultivated corn and beans using the slash-and-burn technique. They also made liquor from corn. Hunting was a key occupation, and it figures importantly in the Bunun oral literary tradition. Traditional houses were made by digging into a hillside and constructing an earth and stone terrace in front to provide a level or split-level foundation.
The Bunun are patrilineal, with extended family households grouped in small villages. Patriarchal rule is absolute regarding familial division of labor, but every member has fair access to the settlement's resources. Close family ties give Bunun communities great cohesion. They have also incorporated cultural traits, such as clothing styles and facial tattooing, from other peoples into their own culture. The Bunun used to extract certain teeth as a sign of social identity and adulthood.
Bunun pottery features impressed geometric designs. The Bunun have a strong musical tradition. Early Bunun religious beliefs included periodic offerings to the moon. The Bunun also believe in the existence of a guardian spirit that determines the innate abilities of a person. In the past, Bunun male and female shamans were equally responsible for treating illnesses through sorcery.
Kavalan
On December 25, 2002, the Executive Yuan formally designated the Kavalan as Taiwan's 11th indigenous people. The 1,200 members of the Kavalan group live in Hualien and Taitung Counties. They have preserved their traditional music, which sounds melancholic compared to the lively music of the Ami people.
Traditional Kavalan ceremonies are related to farming and fishing activities, with the most important being the Palilin ritual of paying respects to one's ancestors held before the Lunar New Year. The evening session of this ritual is open to the public, but the morning session is a strictly private family affair, for the Kavalan believe that the presence of outsiders at the morning portion of this ceremony would bring misfortunes to the family. Special healing rituals for women are conducted by a female priest during new moons, and ancestor worship rites are also held at this time of the month in late summer or early fall.
Paiwan and Rukai
The Paiwan are concentrated in Pingtung County while the Rukai mostly live on the eastern and western sides of the Central Mountain Range in southern Taiwan. The two groups are closely related in material culture. In the past, they mainly engaged in agriculture and lived in traditional houses similar to those of the Bunun. However, the southern and eastern Paiwan frequently constructed houses at ground level. The Paiwan and Rukai are noted for their outstanding wood and stone sculptures. Ancestral figures were often carved in shallow relief into house posts, slate, or plank panels.
Paiwan kinship was originally matrilineal but is now ambilineal. The custom is, however, not consistent among all branches. Most marriages are matrilocal. The hereditary chieftainship plays an important role in their oral literature. Past Paiwan and Rukai communities were composed of noble families, the commoners, and tenant farmers, but inter-class marriages were allowed.
Puyuma
Traditionally, the Puyuma depended on growing millet, taro, sweet potatoes, and beans on hillside plots cleared by burning. They supplemented farming with fishing and hunting. The Puyuma live in Taitung County and have been greatly influenced by Paiwan and Rukai culture. The Puyuma have a multilineal kinship system with ritual groups. The extended family inheritance goes to the eldest daughter, but the kinship system is ambilineal, and the positions of chieftains and shamans are patrilineal. The Puyuma society is stratified into noble families and commoners, but inter-class marriage is not prohibited.
The Puyuma clergy come from the leading clans' ancestral worship groups. Since 1964, there have been only three groups, which are responsible for performing ceremonies during harvests twice a year. The largest basic unit of a Puyuma settlement is called a samawan, which has a center for ancestor worship and a men's meeting house.
Saisiyat
The Saisiyat are the second smallest indigenous group in Taiwan. The northern Saisiyat live in the mountainous region of Hsinchu County, while most members of the southern branch live in Miaoli's highlands. The Saisiyat culture is strongly influenced by the Atayal. The early Saisiyat practiced crop rotation, slash-and-burn mountain cultivation, hunting, and river fishing. Later, they turned to settled agriculture and forestry.
The Saisiyat were among the first to be acculturated by the Han people and adopted Chinese surnames that were transliterations of such Saisiyat totemic surnames as bee, spider, and crab. The basic structural unit of Saisiyat society is the totemic clan linked by geographical and family ties. The Saisiyat habit of tattooing disappeared long ago. However, the Saisiyat in Miaoli County still observe the ancient Ceremony of the Dwarfs, or Pastaai, once every two years in November.
Tao
The Tao live almost exclusively on Orchid Island (Lanyu 蘭嶼), and thus, fishing is central to their economy. Their basic cooperative units are fishing groups, and ceremonies related to fishing are a large part of their culture. Aside from fishing, the Tao also grow taro extensively, as well as sweet potatoes, yams, and millet. Men are responsible for laying out fields, building boats, fishing, constructing homes, and making baskets, pottery, and metalwork. Women tend the fields, gather taro, cook, and weave cloth. Tao dwellings are similar to those of the Paiwan, Rukai, and Bunun. The Tao live in nuclear families and tend towards patrilocality. Inheritance is patrilineal.
The Tao are known for their unique dugout canoes, which can carry eight to ten people. They are Taiwan's only indigenous group known to practice silversmithing and to have never practiced headhunting or made alcohol. One of the more notable of the many colorful Tao celebrations still held today is the launching of a newly completed boat.
Tsou and Thao
The Tsou depend mainly on mountain agriculture for their livelihood, but supplement it by hunting, fishing, and animal husbandry. Traditional Tsou houses had rounded corners and dome-shaped roofs of thatch, which extended nearly to the ground-level packed-mud floor. The men's meeting hut served as a religious and political center, with several small tribes or clans forming a political unit.
The Tsou are patrilineal, and have several high positions, such as chiefs, war leaders, and elders. The former prominence of hunting among the Tsou is demonstrated by the extensive use of leather in their clothing. Their pottery, like that of the Bunun, is adorned with impressed geometric designs.
The Tsou language is very different from Taiwan's other indigenous languages. Tsou people are found in Chia-I 嘉義 (Mt. Ali 阿里山), Nantou (Sun Moon Lake 日月潭), and Kaohsiung Counties.
In August 2001, the Executive Yuan formally approved the Thao as the tenth indigenous tribe in Taiwan. The Thao live in the Sun Moon Lake area of Nantou County and are the smallest indigenous group with a population between 355 and 450. They were previously categorized as members of the Tsou due to geographical factors, but the two groups differ greatly in language, lifestyle, and customs.
The Life of Taiwan's Indigenous Peoples Today
Many changes are taking place in indigenous culture and lifestyle, as the descendants of Taiwan's earliest inhabitants adjust to rapid modernization. Young people are leaving traditional occupations to work in urban areas.
A comprehensive history of Taiwan's indigenous peoples has been compiled. Some native traditions, such as periodic festivals that celebrate a rich harvest with singing and dancing, are still maintained. However, for the most part, the majority of Taiwan's indigenous peoples have switched to Western attire. Animistic and shamanistic beliefs have largely given way to Christianity, due to intensive missionary efforts.
Education is increasingly providing a way for the young to improve their lives. In 2001, the number of indigenous students totaled about 94,000, with 5,800 in college, 3,500 in university, and 125 in graduate school. Special government scholarships are available for indigenous students interested in studying overseas.
Members of Taiwan's indigenous peoples are becoming increasingly active in local and national politics. As of December 2002, ten held seats in the Legislative Yuan, one in the Control Yuan, and 58 in municipal and county councils; and 55 served as magistrates of rural townships with predominantly indigenous constituents.
The Council of Indigenous Peoples of the Executive Yuan 行政院原住民族委員會 is the agency responsible for indigenous affairs at the central government level. Corresponding organizations at the local government level are the Taipei City Government's Indigenous Peoples Commission 臺北市政府原住民事務委員會 and the Kaohsiung City Government's Commission of Indigenous Affairs 高雄市政府原住民事務委員會. In addition to government agencies, over 40 private organizations are devoted to the welfare of Taiwan's indigenous peoples, including World Vision of Taiwan 臺灣世界展望會.
To enhance the welfare of the indigenous peoples, efforts are being made under the Challenge 2008 National Development Plan 挑戰二○○八國家發展重點計畫 to promote their economic self-dependence and encourage them to seek employment in local communities. Also under this plan, national museums dedicated to Taiwan's indigenous peoples are being established, tourism facilities expanded, and traditional accommodations made available to tourists. The indigenous peoples are receiving guidance in the formation of reading clubs, subsidies to establish community broadband Internet connections, and increased media coverage.
Mongolian and Tibetan Affairs
The Mongolian and Tibetan Affairs Commission 蒙藏委員會 (MTAC) provides services for Mongolians and Tibetans worldwide. The commission has organizations in many foreign countries, including the United States, Canada, Germany, Switzerland, India, and Nepal, to serve local Mongolian and Tibetan communities. The MTAC's goals are to build and maintain a worldwide liaison network for Mongolians and Tibetans, offering programs to improve their living conditions and raise their level of education. The commission also offers a scholarship program for outstanding overseas Tibetan students to complete their education.
Currently, there are nearly 400 Mongolians and 400 Tibetans living in Taiwan. Most of them are Buddhists, though a few are Muslims. To help them better adapt to Taiwan society, the MTAC promotes cultural activities and offers language classes at its Mongolian and Tibetan Cultural Center in Taipei.
Languages
The languages and dialects spoken in Taiwan have their origins in the Austronesian and Han lingual systems. The Austronesian languages are spoken by the indigenous peoples, but are slowly disappearing with cultural assimilation among the inhabitants of Taiwan. Common Han dialects include Taiwanese and Hakka, spoken mainly by those whose ancestors immigrated from China's Fujian and Guangdong Provinces four centuries ago. In 1949, after the KMT government set up its capital in Taiwan, Mandarin became the common language for communication and was promoted through the educational system. However, following the lifting of martial law in 1987, social pluralization has been accompanied by a growing emphasis on native languages. A movement was initiated to teach students their mother tongue and to preserve the languages and dialects of smaller ethnic groups. This ongoing movement is expected to have an extensive influence on the languages spoken in Taiwan. The Ministry of Education 教育部 (MOE) is currently drafting a language equality law aimed at preserving the 14 major languages and dialects spoken in Taiwan: Mandarin, Taiwanese, Hakka, and 11 indigenous languages. The draft law encourages both the government and private sectors to provide multilingual services, while calling for language research and development as well as the establishment of related databases.
Mandarin
The concept of a national language coalesced around 1910. In 1913, the MOE convened a Commission on the Unification of Pronunciation 讀音統一會 to establish a standard national tongue. Delegates from different linguistic backgrounds, headed by Wu Jing-heng 吳敬恆 (also known as Wu Jhih-huei 吳稚暉), a philosopher and one of the founders of the ROC, successfully created a national language that transcended locality and dialect, and which is today known to English speakers as Mandarin.
Phonetic Symbols
The sounds of Mandarin were notated with a set of phonetic symbols, which eventually developed into the Mandarin Phonetic Symbols 注音符號 (MPS) that are still in use today. This collection of 39 symbols (later 40), plus four tone marks and a voicing symbol, was designed by Jhang Bing-lin 章炳麟 (also known as Jhang Tai-yan 章太炎).
Once the phonetic alphabet was promulgated in November 1918, primary school textbooks were required to use it alongside each written character. In April 1919, the MOE established the Preparatory Committee for the Unification of the National Language 國語統一籌備委員會, making Mandarin the required language of instruction in elementary and middle schools. Gramophone records produced by Wang Pu 王璞 and Jhao Yuan-ren 趙元任 in 1920 and 1921, respectively, were used as a standard reference for correct pronunciation. In 1932, a new system was devised for indicating the tone of a word and three initials were dropped, bringing the total number of MPS to today's 37.
Romanization
In 1928, the MOE promulgated a system of romanization for Mandarin called Gwoyeu Romatzyh 國語羅馬字, or the National Phonetic Symbols II 國音字母第二式. In spite of the system's official status, it was never widely used because of its complexity and the dominance of the Wade-Giles romanization system, which predated it. In 1984, the MOE adopted a modified form of Gwoyeu Romatzyh, in which tone spellings were replaced by tone marks. This, however, did not change the public's preference for Wade-Giles and occasional use of other romanization standards.
In 1996, the Educational Reform Council 教育改革委員會, led by Dr. Lee Yuan-tseh 李遠哲, recommended that the government adopt the Tongyong Pinyin 通用拼音 system, chiefly devised by Dr. B.C. Yu 余伯泉 of Academia Sinica 中央研究院. This system was officially adopted in August 2002, and efforts are now being made to promote its use throughout Taiwan. For a comparison of the various romanization systems, please refer to the following table:
| A Comparison of Various Romanization Systems | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MPS | Tongyong Pinyin | Wade-Giles | Hanyu Pinyin | MPS | Tongyong Pinyin | Wade-Giles | Hanyu Pinyin | |
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b- | p- | b- |  |
an | an | an | |
 |
p- | p'- | p- |  |
en | (e)n | (e)n | |
 |
m- | m- | m- |  |
ang | ang | ang | |
 |
f- | f- | f- |  |
-(e)ng | -(e)ng | -(e)ng | |
 |
d- | t- | d- |  |
er | (e)rh | (e)r | |
 |
t- | t'- | t- |  |
yi, -i |
i, (y)i |
yi, -i |
|
 |
n- | n- | n- |  |
w, -u |
wu, -u |
wu, -u |
|
 |
l- | l- | l- |  |
yu |
yu -u |
yu -u, -u* |
|
 |
g- | k- | g- |  |
ya, -ia |
ya, -ia |
ya, -ia |
|
 |
k- | k'- | k- |  |
ye, -ie |
yeh, -ieh |
ye, -ie |
|
 |
h- | h- | h- |  |
yai | yai | yai | |
 |
ji | ch- | j- |  |
yao, -iao |
yao, -iao |
yao, -iao |
|
 |
ci- | ch'- | q- |  |
you, -i(o)u |
yu, -iu |
you, -iu |
|
 |
si- | hs- | x- |  |
yan, -ian |
yen, -ien |
yan, -ian |
|
 |
jhih, jh- |
chih, ch- |
zhi, zh- |
 |
yin, -in |
yin, -in |
yin, -in |
|
 |
chih, ch- |
ch'ih, ch'- |
chi, ch- |
 |
yang, -iang |
yang, -iang |
yang, -iang |
|
 |
shih, sh- |
shih, sh- |
shi, sh- |
 |
ying -ing |
ying -ing |
ying -ing |
|
 |
rih, r- |
jih, j- |
ri, r- |
 |
wa, -ua |
wa, -ua |
wa, -ua |
|
 |
zih, z- |
tzu, ts- |
zi, z- |
 |
wo, -uo |
wo, -o, -uo** |
wo, -uo |
|
 |
cih, c- |
tz'u, ts' |
ci, c- |
 |
wai, -uai |
wai, -uai |
wai, -uai |
|
 |
sih, s- |
szu, ssu s- |
si s- |
 |
wei, -u(e)i |
wei, -ui, -uei*** |
wei, -ui |
|
 |
a | a | a |  |
wan, -uan |
wan, -uan |
wan, -uan |
|
 |
-o | -o | -o |  |
wun -un |
wen, -un |
wen, -un |
|
 |
-e | -o, -e | -e |  |
wang, -uang |
wang, -uang |
wang, -uang |
|
 |
-e | -(i)eh | -(i)e |  |
wong, -ong |
weng, -ung |
weng, -ong |
|
 |
ai | ai | ai |  |
yue, |
yueh -ueh |
yue, -ue -ue* |
|
 |
-ei | -ei | -ei |  |
yuan, | yuan -uan |
yuan, -uan |
|
 |
ao | ao | ao |  |
yun, | yun -un |
yun, -un |
|
 |
ou | ou | ou |  |
yong, | yung, -iung |
yong, -iong |
|
* Used after l- and n-The tone marks for the MPS system are: first tone, no mark; second tone, ˊ; third tone, ˇ; fourth tone, ˋ; and neutral tone, ˙. The Tongyong Pinyin and Hanyu Pinyin systems use the same tone marks, but add a first tone mark, -, and do not have a mark for the neutral tone. |
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Taiwanese
Taiwanese 臺語 is spoken by perhaps 70 percent of the people in Taiwan. It has its origins in the Han language system but was later influenced by non-Han dialects. However, it still contains many ancient Han linguistic features. Its writing system is based on existing Han characters, but has not been developed enough to represent all the distinctive sounds of Taiwanese. One of the reasons is that some sounds, though originating from the Han language, have changed so dramatically over time that their corresponding characters can no longer be traced or have a written form that has since become rare. Another reason is that some of the sounds might have been derived from non-Han languages that never had a written form to begin with.
Taiwanese is increasingly being used to write poetry and songs. Its use in advertising and business--from TV commercials to restaurant names--is considered fashionable. Bookstores offer entire sections of literature written in a style reflecting spoken Taiwanese. Despite becoming the mainstream of popular culture, the absence of a mature writing system has forced the people to find various means to express sounds that have no corresponding written character. Synonymous Han characters, homonyms, and romanized spellings are often used, and new characters sometimes created, but none of these provide a perfect solution.
Studies are underway to develop a comprehensive writing system for Taiwanese. The MOE encourages research on Taiwanese by offering financial rewards to scholarly publications in this area. To meet the more pressing needs arising from the inclusion of Taiwanese in the nine-year compulsory education system, the Mandarin Promotion Council of the Ministry of Education 教育部國語推行委員會 conducted a special four-year research program beginning in 1995. Researchers compiled a dictionary of Taiwanese terms using the Taiwan Language Phonetic System 臺灣語言音標系統 promulgated by the MOE in 1998. Another program initiated in July 2001 to compile a 15,000-term dictionary for elementary and junior high school students is scheduled for completion in June 2004.
Hakka
The Hakka 客語 dialect developed later than Taiwanese but earlier than Mandarin. It has two main divisions: Sihsian 四縣, which is considered the standard Hakka dialect; and Hailu 海陸, which has been strongly influenced by the Taiwanese dialect.
There are about four million Hakka in Taiwan, but many young people can no longer speak their mother tongue well. Therefore, the Council for Hakka Affairs 客家委員會 (CHA) was established under the Executive Yuan in June 2001 to preserve the Hakka language and revitalize Hakka culture. That same month, the Research and Development Association on Formosan Language and Culture 福爾摩莎語言文化研究發展協會 became operational in Hsinchu County, which has a high concentration of ethnic Hakka. The association works on projects such as compiling Hakka language textbooks, training Hakka language teachers, operating Hakka broadcasting study centers, and hosting various Hakka arts and cultural events.
Inadequate research on the Hakka dialect has resulted in attempts to create new written characters for sounds that may already have corresponding Han characters. As in the case of Taiwanese, the MOE also sponsors research on Hakka, including a project initiated in July 2001 to compile a dictionary of 15,000 widely used terms by June 2004.
Indigenous Languages
Each indigenous group has its own language. These languages, which are together classified as "Formosan" to distinguish them from "Taiwanese," belong to the same Proto-Austronesian linguistic family as Malaysian and Hawaiian. The use of Formosan languages varies according to area. On Orchid Island, for example, Tao is still widely spoken; however, native speakers are dwindling in number, and the new generations who grew up in cities are usually not as fluent in their ancestral language as they are in Mandarin or Taiwanese.
To rectify this, the study of indigenous languages by its people has been included in Taiwan's compulsory education system. The Council of Indigenous Peoples of the Executive Yuan also offers lessons in major indigenous languages on its Internet website.
In June 2001, the Taipei City Government's Indigenous Peoples Commission cosponsored two radio programs to introduce indigenous languages, cultures, and activities to Taipei residents. It also implemented the Scheme of Aboriginal Language Networks 原住民語言巢方案 in July 2001 to facilitate the establishment of a network of tutors and parents, so that the best approaches and curricula for each particular group could be developed.
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| A native English speaker teaches Taiwanese children the ins and outs of colloquial language. The MOE has added English to the elementary school curriculum in order to meet the needs of globalization. |
Language Education
Taiwan society is a rich mixture of diverse cultures, and more people are becoming aware of the importance of preserving various languages and dialects. This awareness has been the propelling force behind government efforts to promote nativist education 鄉土教育. Starting in September 2001, primary school students throughout Taiwan have been required to take at least one local language course. For junior high school students, however, such language courses remain an elective. The government supports such courses with various levels of funding, which is used to compile teaching materials, publish teacher handbooks, hold teacher workshops, produce audio and video cassettes.
In order to promote internationalization, the MOE has extended the teaching of foreign languages to the primary-school level, focusing on English as its first target. The MOE also promotes a five-year program on second foreign language education in senior high schools (July 1999-December 2004), focusing primarily on Japanese, French, German, and Spanish, though other languages are not excluded. Under Taiwan's new multi-track admission policy (see Chapter 18, Education), students attending these classes will have an advantage in gaining admission to related language departments in universities.
Related Websites
- Ministry of the Interior
- Council of Indigenous Peoples
- Mongolian & Tibetan Affairs Commission
- Council for Hakka Affairs
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