The Aboriginal Language Development Act (原住民族語言發展法) yesterday passed its third reading at the Legislative Yuan, granting official status to Aboriginal languages.
Local governments, Aboriginal regions and non-Aboriginal areas with more than 1,500 Aborigines should establish an office tasked with the promotion of local languages, the regulations say.
The act stipulates that the central government should help establish organizations to promote Aboriginal languages, as well as chair meetings with each of the recognized communities to ascertain what new words should be incorporated, assist in compiling Aboriginal dictionaries and establish online linguistic archives.
Photo: Chen Chih-chu, Taipei Times
The primary goal of the policy is to encourage the learning of languages that are nearly extinct, regularly hold polls to gauge language learning, hold free exams and award Aboriginal language certificates, lawmakers said.
Within three years of the act’s promulgation, Aborigines taking civil servants’ special exams and those studying abroad on public funds would be expected to have an Aboriginal language certificate, the act says.
When hiring staff in accordance with the Indigenous Peoples Employment Rights Protection Act (原住民族工作權保障法), the government and public schools should prioritize people who speak Aboriginal languages, it says.
Government institutions, public schools and corporate entities in Aboriginal areas would be required to prepare official documents in commonly used languages of the area, while all public transportation in Aboriginal areas would be required to use the languages in announcements, the act says.
When conducting official business, standing trial in court or during any other judicial procedure, Aborigines would be allowed to use their own language to express themselves, and in such cases the government would have to hire an interpreter, it says.
All schools should follow the curriculum as set out according to the 12-year national basic education and provide Aboriginal language courses, it says, adding that such courses should be taught in Aboriginal languages.
Local education bureaus and departments should launch programs to train full-time Aboriginal-language teachers.
The government should set aside funds to promote Aboriginal-language publications, while state-run media should produce programs and language courses, the proposed rules say.
Air time for Aboriginal-language content in government-owned or government-invested media should not be less than 50 percent, it says.
The government officially recognizes 16 Aboriginal groups: Amis, Tao, Paiwan, Bunun, Puyuma, Thao, Atayal, Saisiyat, Tsou, Rukai, Kavalan, Sakizaya, Sediq, Hla’alua, Kanakanavu and Truku.
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