Lastly, elderly speakers for whom dialects were their first or only language, have become disconnected from the wider, largely English-dominant society. This includes the sad fact that many grandparents were unable to communicate with their grandchildren who are only fluent in English and Mandarin.
My research interviewing prominent members of the Chinese community found that many continue to view the Speak Mandarin Campaign as too extreme. Giving up dialects was a sacrifice they made in the name of nation building. This small step to allow dialects to be used more freely in public media will go a long way to healing these wounds and allow our elderly to reconnect with a language they once enjoyed freely.
AS FOREIGN AS KOREAN
The opinions I express here should not be seen as lobbying the state to promote Chinese dialects with public funding. It is not a call for revitalisation or introduction in the public education system.
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