The Philippines moves to save dying languages
The Philippines has started a new programme to try to save its dying languages. The archipelago is home to more than 170 dialects, but some of them have only a few speakers left and there’s concern many of the indigenous languages could be lost forever. Al Jazeera’s Jamela Alindogan reports on what’s being done to keep them alive.
I wonder how those Tagalog language-centric “nationalists” will react to this. This is what happens when a government enforces a national tongue without regard for local or indigenous tongues in other parts of the country.
As a country, we had this coming. But I guess centuries of colonial acculturation and Manila-centric governance left a deep mark in our national psyche that languages, other than that of the Capital, are viewed as belonging to second class citizens.
Kim is a thirty-something writer who has mellowed down from the broadcast news industry. He also had a stint teaching high school kids history and economics. Using the skills acquired in journalism and social media, he gets involved once in a while with farmers, environmentalists, and human rights activists. He currently manages the multimedia section and social media network of a public higher education institution in Quezon City, Philippines. http://about.me/kimquilinguing
"To look into the eyes of a wolf is to see your own soul - hope you like what you see." - Aldo Leopold
