Vanishing languages saved for posterity
<p><span word="Download">Download</span></p><p><span word="Education">Education</span> <span word="authorities">authorities</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="compiling">compiling</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="database">database</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="dialects">dialects</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="different">different</span> <span word="regions">regions</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="ethnic">ethnic</span> <span word="groups">groups</span> <span word="across">across</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="country">country</span>, <span word="to">to</span> <span word="preserve">preserve</span> <span word="those">those</span> <span word="languages">languages</span> <span word="before">before</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="disappear">disappear</span>, <span word="a">a</span> <span word="senior">senior</span> <span word="government">government</span> <span word="official">official</span> <span word="said">said</span>.</p><p><span word="Given">Given</span> <span word="China">China</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="rapid">rapid</span> <span word="economic">economic</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="social">social</span> <span word="development">development</span>, <span word="standard">standard</span> <span word="Mandarin">Mandarin</span>, <span word="or">or</span> <span word="Putonghua">Putonghua</span>, <span word="has">has</span> <span word="become">become</span> <span word="increasingly">increasingly</span> <span word="popular">popular</span> <span word="across">across</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="country">country</span>. <span word="It">It</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="even">even</span> <span word="replacing">replacing</span> <span word="some">some</span> <span word="local">local</span> <span word="dialects">dialects</span>, <span word="particularly">particularly</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="urban">urban</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="developed">developed</span> <span word="areas">areas</span>, <span word="said">said</span> <span word="Zhang">Zhang</span> <span word="Haoming">Haoming</span>, <span word="director">director</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="language">language</span> <span word="information">information</span> <span word="management">management</span> <span word="department">department</span> <span word="under">under</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Ministry">Ministry</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="Education">Education</span>.</p><p><span word="By">By</span> 2011, 70 <span word="percent">percent</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="people">people</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="China">China</span> <span word="could">could</span> <span word="speak">speak</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="read">read</span> <span word="standard">standard</span> <span word="Mandarin">Mandarin</span>, <span word="compared">compared</span> <span word="with">with</span> 51 <span word="percent">percent</span> <span word="in">in</span> 2000, <span word="according">according</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="government">government</span>.</p><p><span word="Zhang">Zhang</span> <span word="said">said</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="popularity">popularity</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="Putonghua">Putonghua</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="inevitable">inevitable</span> <span word="because">because</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="has">has</span> <span word="become">become</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="important">important</span> <span word="tool">tool</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="daily">daily</span> <span word="communication">communication</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="economic">economic</span> <span word="exchanges">exchanges</span> <span word="between">between</span> <span word="people">people</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="different">different</span> <span word="regions">regions</span>. "<span word="For">For</span> <span word="individuals">individuals</span>, <span word="they">they</span> <span word="may">may</span> <span word="feel">feel</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="personal">personal</span> <span word="development">development</span> <span word="restricted">restricted</span> <span word="if">if</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="don">don</span>'<span word="t">t</span> <span word="speak">speak</span> <span word="Putonghua">Putonghua</span>," <span word="he">he</span> <span word="said">said</span>.</p><p><span word="Zhang">Zhang</span> <span word="said">said</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="same">same</span> <span word="time">time</span>, <span word="some">some</span> <span word="dialects">dialects</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="had">had</span> <span word="existed">existed</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="certain">certain</span> <span word="regions">regions</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="long">long</span> <span word="time">time</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="carry">carry</span> <span word="historical">historical</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="cultural">cultural</span> <span word="significance">significance</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="disappearing">disappearing</span>.</p><p>"<span word="That">That</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="why">why</span> <span word="we">we</span> <span word="launched">launched</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="national">national</span> <span word="project">project</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="record">record</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="dialects">dialects</span> <span word="and">and</span>, <span word="ultimately">ultimately</span>, <span word="to">to</span> <span word="complete">complete</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="database">database</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="China">China</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="dialects">dialects</span>," <span word="Zhang">Zhang</span> <span word="said">said</span>.</p><p><span word="Important">Important</span> <span word="parts">parts</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="database">database</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="language">language</span> <span word="resources">resources</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="comprehensive">comprehensive</span> <span word="vocal">vocal</span> <span word="collection">collection</span>, <span word="which">which</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="initiated">initiated</span> <span word="in">in</span> 2008. <span word="So">So</span> <span word="far">far</span>, <span word="pilot">pilot</span> <span word="projects">projects</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="been">been</span> <span word="carried">carried</span> <span word="out">out</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="Jiangsu">Jiangsu</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="Liaoning">Liaoning</span> <span word="provinces">provinces</span>, <span word="Shanghai">Shanghai</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="Beijing">Beijing</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Guangxi">Guangxi</span> <span word="Zhuang">Zhuang</span> <span word="autonomous">autonomous</span> <span word="region">region</span>, <span word="according">according</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="ministry">ministry</span>.</p>
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