This article compares recent multilingual (auto)ethnobotanical books from Tanzania, Thailand, and Taiwan in terms of the role that the "insider translator" might play in linguistic, cultural, or environmental conservation or development. The books were motivated by similar concerns, but differed in the backgrounds of the authors,…

To date, little attention has been paid to the impact of immersion programs on learning interests in a second language (L2). The main purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of two types of Hakka-Chinese bilingual programs (immersion vs. non-immersion) on L2 learning interests. Four kindergarten teachers (two in each program)…

Indigenous languages in Taiwan are experiencing various degrees of language endangerment. Reversing language shift, however, faces difficulties due to the minority status of the languages. This study identifies two Indigenous singer-songwriters who released popular music sung in their endangered Indigenous languages as micro-level language…

Objective: Taiwan recently published new language education policy documents and Indigenous language textbooks to support the emerging Indigenous language revitalization initiative. Thus, this study investigates how these current Indigenous policy documents and textbooks portray Indigenous agency and also examine how their contents construct…

Indigenous peoples of Taiwan, the most disadvantaged of the minority groups, account for only about 2.4% of the total population. Within the Minnan dominant society of Taiwan, the Indigenous minority groups are confronted by critical language loss often attributed to cultural and structural assimilation factors. This study aims to investigate…

This article explores a collaboration designed to support two Indigenous Taiwanese communities to combat language loss and promote Indigenous language literacy. Rather than relying on expert knowledge of literacy and language scholars, we have intentionally sought local knowledge to design and create books that introduce young children to simple…

This study adopted both indirect and direct methods to probe into Taiwanese people's attitudes towards Taigi. The indirect method involved a verbal guise experiment with four Taigi speakers--Old-H (higher competence), Old-L (lower competence), Young- H, and Young-L. Participants, including old and young, must complete a questionnaire indirectly…

This study dissects a cross-border linguistic dilemma and critiques the missed opportunities for linguistic diversity in Taiwan. Past studies have shown that immigrant mothers from Southeast Asia are discouraged from transmitting the cultures and languages of their home countries to their children, yet few voices have been heard from the mothers…

The Hakka people, the largest ethno-linguistic minority group in Taiwan, have found their ethnic language retention diminishing. Using the data collected by the Taiwan Education Panel Survey and Beyond in 2010, we are the first to study its reason for decrease. Results indicate that out-marriage amongst Hakka people and losing ethnic concentration…

This study focuses on one Truku (Indigenous) village in eastern Taiwan and aims to understand the processes and possibilities of bottom-up language policy formation and implementation. In 2012, the first author assisted the villagers to start a community-driven language revitalization initiative. Drawing on scholarship guided by critical…

This study covers two issues: (1) the language shift process relating to two highly endangered aboriginal languages of Taiwan and (2) the correlations between some variables and their language shift. Both Kanakanavu and Saaroa peoples underwent two waves of migration: (1) a massive in-migration of another Formosan ethnic group (Bunun people) in…

This study examines localisation endeavours in contemporary Taiwan to explore the history of the Taiwanese localisation movement as a way of reimagining meanings of "Taiwaneseness" constructed under different historical circumstances. It focuses on the "xiangtu" (nativist) literature movement in colonial Taiwan in the early…

Within the last two decades, there has been increased interest in how technology supports Indigenous language revitalization and reclamation efforts. This paper considers the effect technology has on Indigenous language learning and teaching, while conceptualizing how language educators, speakers, learners, and technology users holistically…

After nearly half a century of authoritarianism characterized by Chinese nationalism and Mandarin promotion, democratization in 1990s Taiwan was accompanied by a Taiwanization movement featuring calls for the revitalization of local languages and the promotion of linguistic equality. To that end, the government began planning for local language…

This paper looks into failed attempts by the Democratic Progressive Party's (DPP) minority government (2000-2008) to alter Taiwan's Mandarin-dominated language regime by drafting law proposals recognizing the languages of all Taiwanese ethnic groups as equal national languages. This paper argues that the failure to enact language regime change in…