Ex-teacher hopes to save language with new bookBy Lo Hsin-chen / Staff reporterA retired teacher in Pingtung County has published teaching material for the Rukai Aboriginal language, hoping to save her community’s language, which is spoken by only about 500 people. Tu Fu-chu (杜富菊), a former elementary-school teacher based in Wutai Township’s (霧台) Dawu Community (大武部落), said the book is aimed at preschoolers, regular students and adult beginners. Seeing the language spoken by ever fewer people as many community elders pass away, Tu on Saturday said that she hoped to preserve the language by turning her decade-long research on the language into teaching material. The book is a rich compilation of language and cultural knowledge, Aboriginal Language Research and Development Foundation executive director Lowking Nowbucyang said. Tu Fu-chu also expressed the hope that her book would encourage more community members to create similar language teaching materials.

Source: Taipei Times June 01, 2020 15:56 UTC