With a record number of people — Hakka and non-Hakka alike — taking and passing the beginner’s level Hakka proficiency test, Council for Hakka Affairs Minister Huang Yu-chen (黃玉振) yesterday said the results showed that the Hakka language is gradually being revived.
“This is the sixth time the council has held beginner’s level Hakka proficiency tests and we’ve got some very exciting numbers this time that I’d like to share with you,” Huang told a press conference in Taipei.
“First of all, a total of 15,646 people signed up for the test, which is 135 percent higher than last year’s 6,662, and the highest number of test takers ever,” he said. “Among the 8,564 people who passed the test, 4,801 are in elementary school or high school. The large number at such a young age shows that the Hakka language is gradually being revived.”
In the past, many linguists and Hakka activists worried about the future of the Hakka language, since, according to some estimates, as many as 60 percent of Hakkas under the age of 30 are not fluent in the language.
Besides an increased number of youngs students, Huang also said that many people who are not Hakka, including some foreign residents, took the test.
Chiu Kun-yu (邱坤玉), one of the administrators of the test, said more than 1,300 Hoklo speakers took the test and 41 percent passed.
“In addition, nine foreign residents took the test, with five of them passing,” Chiu said.
He said that since the council had introduced a NT$1,000 cash award for each person under the age of 18 who passes the test, many more students were signing up.
“Since many students are learning to speak Hakka to take the test, their teachers are also taking time to learn the language and sign up for the test. As their children are learning the language, many non-Hakka parents have also signed up,” Chiu said. “So this year, we have had a lot of teachers and families signing up together to take the test.”
EVA Airways today confirmed the death of a flight attendant on Saturday upon their return to Taiwan and said an internal investigation has been launched, as criticism mounted over a social media post accusing the airline of failing to offer sufficient employee protections. According to the post, the flight attendant complained of feeling sick on board a flight, but was unable to take sick leave or access medical care. The crew member allegedly did not receive assistance from the chief purser, who failed to heed their requests for medical attention or call an ambulance once the flight landed, the post said. As sick
A drunk woman was sexually assaulted inside a crowded concourse of Taipei Railway Station on Thursday last week before a foreign tourist notified police, leading to calls for better education on bystander intervention and review of security infrastructure. The man, surnamed Chiu (邱), was taken into custody on charges of sexual assault, taking advantage of the woman’s condition and public indecency. Police discovered that Chiu was a fugitive with prior convictions for vehicle theft. He has been taken into custody and is to complete his unserved six-month sentence, police said. On Thursday last week, Chiu was seen wearing a white
EVA Airways, one of the leading international carriers in Taiwan, yesterday said that it was investigating reports that a cabin crew manager had ignored the condition of a sick flight attendant, who died on Saturday. The airline made the statement in response to a post circulating on social media that said that the flight attendant on an outbound flight was feeling sick and notified the cabin crew manager. Although the flight attendant grew increasingly ill on the return flight, the manager did not contact Medlink — a system that connects the aircraft to doctors on the ground for treatment advice during medical
The Taichung District Court yesterday confirmed its final ruling that the marriage between teenage heir Lai (賴) and a man surnamed Hsia (夏) was legally invalid, preventing Hsia from inheriting Lai’s NT$500 million (US$16.37 million) estate. The court confirmed that Hsia chose not to appeal the civil judgement after the court handed down its ruling in June, making the decision final. In the June ruling, the court said that Lai, 18, and Hsia, 26, showed “no mutual admiration before the marriage” and that their interactions were “distant and unfamiliar.” The judge concluded that the couple lacked the “true intention of
RSS