To help ward off the extinction of the languages of Taiwan’s tribes, the Council of Indigenous Peoples is establishing examinations in these languages. Those young people who pass will be given a 10 percent increase on their exam scores toward entry into high schools and universities. This would be on top of the 25 percent increase aboriginal students already receive automatically.
The first of the examinations will be held in March. Each test will have two parts: listening and speaking.
The council hopes this will encourage young people to retain the languages of their ancestors.
Students can prepare for the tests by studying books issued by the Ministry of Education. Although the ministry’s books have nine levels, tests will be based on only the first three levels.
sources:
- CIP working to retain mother languages via tests, CNA via the China Post, December 14, 2006
- Yuánzhùmín tōngguò zú yǔ rènzhèng: dàkǎo chéngjì jiāng zēngjiā 35% (原住民通過族語認證 大考成績將增加35%), Dōngsēn xīnwénbào, December 13, 2006