Ordinary Gweilo

I had nothing better to do today than read this leader in the Sunday Morning Post.  One has to have tremendous admiration for anyone who can summon up such horrible prose when writing about language, of all things:

Beijing should make sure nation retains its voice

LEADER
Oct 11, 2009

A national language is necessary to ensure that a country’s people can communicate effectively with one another. In China’s case, politics is added to the reasoning: the central government sees speaking Putonghua as essential for a “unified country and harmonious society”. Official edicts and massive internal migration have diluted the prominence of dialects like Cantonese. Authorities would do well to remember, though, that the nation’s linguistic heritage is one of its priceless assets.

The 1982 constitution enshrined Putonghua as the official language. Beijing’s resolve to ensure all Chinese speak it has extended to bans on dialects being broadcast on many radio and television stations. China’s rising global power has meant a rush outside the mainland to learn it. A growing number of people believe that Putonghua may one day rival the global dominance of English.

Beijing’s policy has been successful; the only mainland Chinese who cannot speak Putonghua fluently are generally members of remote ethnic groups. But the practice of banning the broadcasting of dialects has been gradually drifting, particularly in Guangdong province. Culture, through the mediums of television, radio and music from Hong Kong, means that second-generation immigrants are even taking up the language. The central government should encourage, not scorn, the trend, as fears about the future of Cantonese remain, as we report on page 12 today.

Cantonese is rich with history. It is older than Putonghua and has its roots in ancient Chinese. As with Shanghainese, Fukienese and the thousands of other dialects across the nation, it also represents culture. Within its words, idioms and phrases are a deep understanding of heritage and background as well as a sense of identity and values.

A common language helps China’s people better understand one another. But being able to communicate does not mean the official language should negate the need for dialects. The government should do its utmost to preserve and promote regional variations. If it does otherwise, the nation will lose its voice.