The Ministry of Education on Friday gave awards to eight people and two groups for their contributions to promoting local languages.
Lee Hsiu-chien (李修鑑) — the 72-year-old son of Taiwanese lyricist Lee Lin-chiu (李臨秋) — was recognized for promoting Hoklo (also known as Taiwanese).
While receiving his award Lee Hsiu-chien said that to him, speaking Hoklo felt “like singing — it sounds nice and it moves people emotionally.”
Photo: Lin Hsiao-yun, Taipei Times
YouTuber Tsai A-ga (蔡阿嘎), 36, was also recognized for promoting Hoklo, becoming the first person to receive the award for language contributions made through social media.
“I have spoken Hoklo as a habit since I was little. I hope many more people, young and old, can enjoy this language and share my passion for it,” he said.
Deputy Minister of Education Lin Teng-chiao (林騰蛟) said that Friday was significant, as it was International Mother Language Day, and the one-year anniversary of the National Languages Development Act (國家語言發展法).
The ministry has conferred language-contribution awards since 2008, and to date has given awards to 148 people and 35 groups, Lin said.
The ministry commended Tsai — whose real name is Tsai Wei-chia (蔡緯嘉) — for successfully fostering interest in Hoklo among young people.
Tsai, who makes videos on the everyday happenings of his life, has a unique talent through which he has aroused an interest among people in their mother language, it said.
“When I started making videos, I noticed that more and more young Taiwanese were strangers to Hoklo. Starting in 2011, I have made daily videos to teach Hoklo expressions,” Tsai said.
Tsai’s videos have been viewed more than 19 million times.
Lee Lin-chiu — who is best known for his lyrics to the song Longing for the Spring Breeze (望春風) — was heavily influenced by his own father’s passion for Hoklo and Taiwanese culture in general, Lee Hsiu-chien said.
Lee Lin-chiu helped bring back Taiwanese folk songs that had been popular during the 1930s, the ministry said.
The ministry this year also recognized children’s storybook writer Chang Chieh-ming (張捷明).
Chang, who has been called the “Hans Christian Andersen of Hakka children’s stories,” has had a significant effect on children’s education in Taiwan, the ministry said.
Hakka magazine manager and chief editor Chang Yi-pin (張義品) was also recognized, the ministry said, adding that Chang Yi-pin’s Hakka camps have helped a revival of the language in the past few decades.
Chien Shih-lang’s (簡史朗) research on the Thao language and culture was recognized as being crucial in the face of a dwindling Thao population, the ministry said.
It also recognized Sediq community school principal Chan Su-e (詹素娥) for her work in preserving and promoting the Sediq language, and for her work on a “Taiwanese Aboriginal Languages Wiki.”
Group awards were conferred on the Rotary Club of Taipei Metro East and Taipei Municipal Dali Elementary School, the ministry said.
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