Full Description
The cultural diversity of the Asia-Pacific region is reflected in a multitude of linguistic ecologies of languages of lesser power, i.e., of indigenous and immigrant languages whose speakers lack collective linguistic power, especially in education. This volume looks at a representative sampling of such communities. Some receive strong government support, while others receive none. For some indigenous languages, the same government schools that once tried to stamp out indigenous languages are now the vehicles of language revival. As the various chapters in this book show, some parents strongly support the use of languages other than the national language in education, while others are actively against it, and perhaps a majority have ambivalent feelings. The overall meta-theme that emerges from the collection is the need to view the teaching and learning of these languages in relation to the different needs of the speakers within a sociolinguistics of mobility.
Contents
1. Dedication; 2. Preface; 3. Foreword (by Ostler, Nicholas); 4. Introduction; 5. The diversity of Asia-Pacific language ecologies (by Volker, Craig Alan); 6. Education, power and sociolinguistic mobility (by Anderson, Fred E.); 7. East Asia; 8. A Yami language teacher's journey in Taiwan (by Rau, D. Victoria); 9. Power and other issues in minority language education in China: The case of Bai in Northwestern Yunnan (by Ding, Picus Sizhi); 10. Forming a Korean identity in Japan: The role of a North Korea-affiliated school in the identity formation of three members of one family (by Noguchi, Mary Goebel); 11. Southeast Asia; 12. Patani Malay in Thai education (by Premsrirat, Suwilai); 13. Language in schooling in Timor-Leste (by Quinn, Marie); 14. Bidayuh as a subject at pre-school and primary levels: Moves towards a greater role for a Borneo indigenous language in the Malaysian education system (by McLellan, James); 15. Sustaining and maintaining a minority language: A case study of the place and use of Tamil in Singapore (by Shegar, Chitra); 16. Oceania; 17. UNESCO's action in culture and the importance of language maintenance in the Pacific (by Takahashi, Akatsuki); 18. State versus community approaches to language revival: The case of Wirangu at the Scotdesco community (South Australia) (by Monaghan, Paul); 19. Vernacular education in Papua New Guinea: Reform or deform? (by Volker, Craig Alan); 20. From despised jargon to language of education: Recent developments in the teaching of Norf'k (Norfolk Island, South Pacific) (by Muhlhausler, Peter); 21. Te Reo Maori - He Reo Kura? (Maori Language - A School Language?) (by Hohepa, Margie Kahukura); 22. A study of bilingual education using Samoan language in New Zealand (by Amituanai-Toloa, Meaola); 23. Index; 24. Authors
