Languages on Taiwan.

[Hans van den Boogert <hansfong@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

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This is not really DX news, but it gives a nice insight into the languages of Taiwan. Hope you find it useful.

Hans

Hans van den Boogert - Taiwan
hansfong@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Rx: Panasonic RF-B65B + 12 meter wire + ATU
Danish Short Wave Clubs member 3029

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Taiwan Overview: Language

The official language of Taiwan is Mandarin Chinese which is taught in schools. Most people however
speak Taiwanese at home while reserving Chinese for outsiders. Mandarin Chinese spoken in Taiwan is
virtually identical to the mainland. However, 50 years of separation have resulted in some slight
differences, the most noticeable being the use of 'si' instead of 'shi' in Taiwan. Taiwanese similar to the
Fujian dialect spoken on the mainland. It has no written script. 

Both Mandarin and Taiwanese are tonal languages. Words with the same spelling and pronuniciation can
have different meanings depending on the tone. Mandarin has four tones. Therefore, it is easier to learn
Mandarin than other Chinese dialects which may have as many as nine different tones. Learning to speak
is easier than learning to write since there is no alphabet in Chinese. Instead there are characters.
Currently, there are 5,000 Chinese characters in use of which a minimum of 2000 characters is required
for reading a newspaper.

English is becoming increasingly important and widespread. An English-speaking foreigner will have no
problem finding English teaching jobs or finding English-Chinese language exchange partners. Students
formally start to learn English in junior high school. The government is presently considering making
English a required subject in elementary school. Many parents send their kids, some as young as six, to
English bushibans where they get a head start. 

As a result of the 50-year Japanese occupation of Taiwan, most of the older generation can speak some
Japanese. Some youngsters are capable of a limited number of phrases, such as 'bakayaroo' or 'arigatoo
gozaimas' due to the wide availability of Japanese cartoons and TV programs. 

Other languages spoken on the island are Hakka and the 10 tribal languages. Their use is on the decline,
however.