"I definitely fear Kristang could disappear," the 50-year-old teacher told AFP, as the youngsters dressed inPortuguese-style traditional costumes laughed and danced. As well as in Malaysia, it is spoken by tiny communities in Singapore and Australia due to migration. The language is not part of the school curriculum and the Eurasian communityhas been steadily assimilated into the broader Malay-speaking community. But he is all too aware of Kristang's vulnerability: "There is a danger that Papia Kristang will be spoken less and dieout." There is also great enthusiasm for the language among Santa Maria's students, which offers some hope for thefuture.

Source: The Nation Bangkok June 02, 2019 04:30 UTC