Taiwanese Opera Goes International

 From the Taiwan News:

Taiwanese elementary artist performs traditional gezaixi opera abroad

Taiwanese little artist received applause for performing gezaixi opera

By Alicia Nguyen,Taiwan News, Staff Writer

2018/01/23 

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – A group of students from Taiwan performed a traditional gezaixi opera in the U.S. and received a big applause from audiences despite the language and culture differences, the Chinese-language newspaper Apple Daily reported.

Gezaixi or Ke-Tse opera (歌仔戲), which literally means song-drama, is a local form of folk opera performed in the Taiwanese language to be close to the lives and speech of the local people.

Bringing to the stage one of the most classic folktales called Madame White Snake, the young students from New Taipei Municipal Xiulang Elementary School amazed overseas Taiwanese and foreign audiences by their performance skills, stage confidence and fluent in Taiwanese. 

The leading actress, who is a student of grade sixth and has learned Taiwanese opera for two years, Hung Yu-ting (洪于庭), said language is not a big problem for her as she has spoken Taiwanese with her grandmother since childhood. With her family's support, Hung really enjoyed practicing and performing Taiwanese opera.

continue reading...

Learning to preserve Taiwan's non-Mandarin languages: the example of Welsh

Welsh is considered a model for language revitalization, but its fate is still uncertain June 24, 2015 Article

Taiwanese (Hoklo) Language Books by date of publication

1566, 1589, 1600  Hokkien Language Works from the Manila, Philippines reprinted with English Commentary in The Classic Theatre and Art Songs of South Fukien -- by Piet Van Der Loon 1992

1913   The Dictionary of the Amoy Vernacular: Spoken thoughout the Prefectures of Chin-chiu, Chiang-chiu and Formosa (Taiwan) -- Kam Uî-lîm (Rev. William  Campbell)
1916 (NT), 1932 (OT)    Sin-Kū-Iok ê Sèng-keng -- Translation Edited by Thomas Barclay (Pa-khek-lé )
1924    Sun-tāi ê Lâi-le̍k kap I ê Su-siúⁿ -- Kim-chíⁿ Ûi-i-lông (tù), Gô• Khó-chiok (hoan-e̍k)
1925    Cha̍p-hāng Koán-kiàn -- Chhòa Pôe-hóe (tù)
1927    Thian-lō• Chí-bêng -- Iûⁿ Kek-hui (Dr. Griffith John) (tù)
1937    Tī Chú ê Kha-thâu-u ē -- Sat-hu Sun-tāi (tù), Chiu Bûn-tia̍t (e̍k) [translation of At the Master's Feet - by Sadhu Sundar Singh]
1949    Pôe-chhan-chía Kàu-pán -- Gô• Chheng-ek

1950   Siōng-tè Siáⁿ-sū Ēng Bú-tì (biographical sketch of D.L. Moody) -- Iûⁿ Chiau-gī 

1951    Sìn-gióng Seng-oa̍h ê Pêng-iú: Pe̍h-oē-jī Tho̍k-pún, Hàn-bûn Chū-si̍p-su -- Lîm Chài-thiam
1951    Ji̍t-siông ê Seng-oa̍h --  Sèng-keng Ìn-chēng-hōe
1951    Saⁿ-kap bat Jī bat Tō-lí -- Ruth Nowack
1952    Thoân Chóng Pò•-tō-chi̍p -- Tâi-oân Thoân-kàu-su Chóng-hōe
1953    Sió Pêng-iú Koa Chi̍p -- 白勵志

1954  Âng Lô-pek - Tâi-oân Kàu-hōe Kong-pò-siā

1954    Chhì-á-lāi ê Pek-ha̍p-hoe -- Lōa Jîn-seng 

1954    Pi̍t Siâ Kui Chèng -- Hô Hi-jîn
1955    Ki-tok-tô•  kap Tâi-oân Koàn-sio̍k -- Tâi-oân Kàu-hōe Kong-pò Siā
1955    Hoâi-tek-hui ê Toān-kì -- Lōa Jîn-seng

1950's  I Chhōa In Chhut -- Tâi-oân Kàu-hōe Kong-pò Siā

1957    Pù-lâng kap Lia̍p-sat-lō• -- N̂g Hoâi-un 

1957    Bê-lō• ê Lâng -- N̂g Hoâi-un 

1958    Múi-ji̍t ê Kî-tó -- Tâi-oân Kàu-hōe Kong-pò Siā

1959    Lêng-bi̍t -- Bo̍k An-sìn, Iûⁿ Se̍k-lîm
1960    Pe̍h-ōe-jī Sin Khò-pún -- Tân Kong-hui (tù)
1960    Tō-lí Kò•-su Chi̍p (Stories for Sermons and Catechetical Instructions) - Maryknoll Taichung Language School
1960    Khó-ài ê Siû-jîn -- Lōa Jîn-seng
1960    Jî-tông Kò•-sū Chi̍p -- Tân Kong-hui
1961    Oē-su-bín-su-tek Sió Kàu-lí Būn-tap (Westminster Shorter Catechism) -- translated by N̂g Chú-gī
1961    Kám-tōng ê Kò•-sū -- Tâi-oân Soan-tō-siā
1962    Ki-tok-kàu Iàu-lí Būn-tap (Heidelberg Catechism) -- translated by Tâi-oân Soan-tō-siā
1962    Chin-tō Būn-tap - Tâi-oân Kàu-hōe Kong-pò Siā
1963    Tâi-gí Kò•-sū Chi̍p -- Clarence Engler, Taichung Catholic Diocesan Centerhouse
1963    Lâm Tâi Kàu-hōe-sú -- Iûⁿ Sū-ióng
1963    An Introduction to Chinese Characters in Taiwanese  -- Tân Siā Lē-eng
1964    Sìn-gióng Uí-jîn Lia̍t-toān -- Tâi-oân Kàu-hōe Kong-pò Siā
1967    Kî-tó Chhiú-Chheh: Ūi-tio̍h Kàu-hōe kap Sè-kài -- Sin Sè-kī Soan-kàu Ūn-tōng Liân-lo̍k Tiong-sim
1968   Tòe Tsú ê Lâng ū Hēng-hok: Bông- jîn Kiàn-chèng-chi̍p -- Ko Tiong-hok
1992   Tâi-gí Sin Koa -- Elim Christian Bookstore
1994   Kàu-hōe ê Lé-pài kap Sèng Lé-tián -- Tâi-oân Ki-tok Tiúⁿ-ló Kàu-hōe Sìn-gióng kap Kàu-chè Uí-oân-hōe
1996   Lear Ông -- William Shakespeare (translated into Taiwanese by Tēⁿ Hūi-hun of  5% Tâi-e̍k Kè-oē)
1996   Mī-hún-chhiúⁿ ê Kúi-á -- Harriet Beecher Stowe (translated into Taiwanese by TaiBunun of 5% Tâi-e̍k Kè-oē)
1996   Opera Lāi ê Mô•-sîn-á (Phantom of the Opera) -- Jennifer Bassett (translated into Taiwanese by Loonng of 5% Tâi-e̍k Kè-oē)
1996   Pù-hō•-lâng ê Le̍k-sú -- Loā Hô (translated into Taiwanese by Chhoà Sêng-ûi of 5% Tâi-e̍k Kè-oē)
1997   Ióng-kám ê Aukele -- Vivian L. Thompson (translated into Taiwanese by TaiBunun of 5% Tâi-e̍k Kè-oē)
2000   Khòaⁿ Siáⁿ? -- Abon of 5% Tâi-e̍k Kè-oē
2005   A-hōng-î ê Gō• Tō• ê Khong-kan -- A-hōng (illustrated by Sherry Thompson)
2006   Hong-bô• Kam-chôaⁿ Streams in the Desert -- Mrs. Charles E. Cowman (translated into Taiwanese by Tân Chheng-chùn)
2007   Sè-kài Sin Sèng-si -- The Presbyterian Church in Taiwan
2007  Sin-iok Sèng-Keng: Hiān-tāi Tâi-gú -- The Bible Society of Taiwan
2010   Spoken Hokkien -- Meili Fang
2011   Jī-khòng-it-khòng Tâi-oân Ki-tok Tiúⁿ-ló Kàu-hōe Tâi-oân Kok-sī Hōe-gī Soan-giân The Declaration of the 2010 Conference on Taiwan's National Fate - The Presbyterian Church in Taiwan (Also includes translations in Hakka, Turuku, Amis, Paiwan, Tayal, Bunun, Drekay, Cou, Pinuyumayan, Kavalan, Sakizaya, Mandarin, Japanese, Korean, English, German, French, Portuguese, Spanish)
2013   Tâi-oân Sio̍k-gí Sin-gán-kong -- Tân Su-chiang
2013   Tâi-gú Pe̍h-ōe-jī Sin Kàu-kho-su -- Tīⁿ Jî-gio̍k

Date Unknown  -- Method of  Romanization -- Maryknoll Language Service Center

How to bring back a language

As you can see from this article, school is the key.

In Sweden, there was a language that was considered a dialect of Swedish but actually was not understandable to those who spoke Swedish. Finally, they decided to classify it as a language and seek to preserve it. Their solution: a preschool where the language is used. And for those who attend, the language will continue to be used as a medium of instruction until the end of high school.

Taiwan's Austronesian language must have the same treatment to survive -- the language itself must be used as a medium of instruction rather than just have a class using Mandarin to teach the language.

And many of Taiwan's Austronesian languages are in even more danger than this language in Sweden, Elfdalian, which is close to Old Norse.

The language was probably able to survive so long because of the isolation of the town that spoke it. In Taiwan, ever since the Japanese forced many of the Austronesian tribes down from the mountains, they have lost that preservation that isolation brings. Further, every day brings further encroachment from non-Austronesians on Taiwan's east coast where the majority of the Austronesian peoples that still remain distinct live. These languages will not be preserved through isolation. And since the government has forced Mandarin on these peoples, the children grow up hardly speaking their mother tongue at all.

Another factor that could help the language is to pass land covenant laws where in designated Austronesian areas, land ownership can only be held by those who speak the language of the particular Austronesian tribe.

In the realm of culture and music, a Taiwanese conductor shines on the international stage

Taiwanese conductor wins top prize. It is great that the media simply state that Tung-Chieh Chuang is "from Taiwan".

How to Avoid Brainwashing Yourself and Those Around You

Tim Maddog posted on his facebook page a valuable list of words that were inserted into the language usages in order to brainwash people.

Don't use words and phrases like these — they belittle Taiwan:

大陸 / the mainland

島嶼 / the island

兩岸 / the two sides

內地 / the interior

國語 / the national language (referring to Mandarin)

全省 / provincewide

外省／本省人 / people from outside/within the province

台灣省 / Taiwan Province

中華民國 / ROC

民國年 / ROC year

中國新年 / Chinese New Year

中華台北 / Chinese Taipei

台灣地區 / the Taiwan area

龍的傳人 / Descendants of the Dragon

炎黃子孫 / Descendants of the Yan and Huang Emperors

我們中國人 / we Chinese

我們都是一家人 / we are all one family

Here is an editorial on choice of words and their affect.

I am Taiwanese

Taiwanese Identify as Taiwanese, not as Chinese.