Related News
Preserving the local language
By Guan Wenfei and Han Jing |
April 25, 2011, Monday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
STORY-TELLERS and Huju Opera performers are joining hands with local authorities to teach local and out-of-town young people how to speak the native Shanghai dialect, part of a trial to better preserve the fading Shanghai tongue.
Jiading District played a key role in a project to complete a Shanghai dialect vocal database and all residents who can speak the local vernacular were welcomed. However, during the recruitment, local authorities and city experts only found 21 candidates capable of the correct pronunciation.
The mother tongue is disappearing and the situation is particularly severe among local youngsters. "My 10-year-old son only speaks yangjingbang (awkward) Shanghai dialect," said Gong Dongfeng, resident of Malu Town in Jiading District.
Huang Zhenliang, "the story-telling king of Jiading," set up a Shanghai dialect story-telling course which has gradually attracted more than 200 elementary and middle school students.
"At first, only six of the 30 students could speak native Shanghai dialect," Huang said. "I feel that the dialect has been frozen out."
According to Huang, the Shanghai dialect is still welcomed, but such a teaching course is rare to be found in schools or social training organizations. "To preserve a dialect you can not just rely on a database, but must form a language environment to enable young people to use the language in daily life," said Huang.
Qingshui Road Elementary School in Jiading Town started a Huju Opera course in 2004. The school invited famous performers of Shanghai Huju Opera Theater to teach dialogues and songs in Shanghai dialect. All the students and teachers can speak standard Shanghai dialect now.
Jiading District Health Bureau has conducted a campaign to teach non-Shanghainese young doctors daily conversations in Shanghai dialect since 2007. Xu Qinfang from the community health service center in Xuhang Town is one of the beneficiaries of the campaign. Now Xu is able to communicate with her local patients in fluent Shanghai dialect.
Jiading Library also plans to launch free Shanghai dialect courses at weekends later this year.
Jiading District played a key role in a project to complete a Shanghai dialect vocal database and all residents who can speak the local vernacular were welcomed. However, during the recruitment, local authorities and city experts only found 21 candidates capable of the correct pronunciation.
The mother tongue is disappearing and the situation is particularly severe among local youngsters. "My 10-year-old son only speaks yangjingbang (awkward) Shanghai dialect," said Gong Dongfeng, resident of Malu Town in Jiading District.
Huang Zhenliang, "the story-telling king of Jiading," set up a Shanghai dialect story-telling course which has gradually attracted more than 200 elementary and middle school students.
"At first, only six of the 30 students could speak native Shanghai dialect," Huang said. "I feel that the dialect has been frozen out."
According to Huang, the Shanghai dialect is still welcomed, but such a teaching course is rare to be found in schools or social training organizations. "To preserve a dialect you can not just rely on a database, but must form a language environment to enable young people to use the language in daily life," said Huang.
Qingshui Road Elementary School in Jiading Town started a Huju Opera course in 2004. The school invited famous performers of Shanghai Huju Opera Theater to teach dialogues and songs in Shanghai dialect. All the students and teachers can speak standard Shanghai dialect now.
Jiading District Health Bureau has conducted a campaign to teach non-Shanghainese young doctors daily conversations in Shanghai dialect since 2007. Xu Qinfang from the community health service center in Xuhang Town is one of the beneficiaries of the campaign. Now Xu is able to communicate with her local patients in fluent Shanghai dialect.
Jiading Library also plans to launch free Shanghai dialect courses at weekends later this year.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
