2009–2010

Li Yuming, Li Wei, Li Yuming, Li Wei

• Publisher: De Gruyter Mouton
• Year: 2015
• Print ISBN: 9781501511103
• eBook ISBN: 9781501502989
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Languages & Linguistics
• Subtopic: Languages
• Index: Languages & Linguistics

China, with the world's largest population, numerous ethnic groups and vast geographical space, is also rich in languages. Since 2006, China's State Language Commission has been publishing annual reports on what is called "language life" in China. These reports cover language policy and planning invitatives at the national, provincial and local levels, new trends in language use in a variety of social domains, and major events concerning languages in mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan. Now for the first time, these reports are available in English for anyone interested in Chinese languge and linguistics, China's languge, education and social policies, as well as everyday language use among the ordinary people in China. The invaluable data contained in these reports provide an essential reference to researchers, professionals, policy makers, and China watchers.

I Language Work

Cai Changhong

Hao Aqing

Li Xulian

Pei Yajun

, Rong Hong

, Wang Qi

Wei Dan

Yuan Wei

,Yin Jing

, Zhang Yan

Zhang Yingchuan

and Zhou Daojuan

1 An update on the use and management of standard spoken and written Chinese

Keywords: Putonghua Proficiency Test, State Administration of Industry and Commerce (SAIC), print media, minority language, mainland China, Taiwan, standardization, State Language Commission, Chinese characters.

Between 2009 and 2010, China’s language authorities have achieved a lot in the area of language management. The National Medium and Long-Term Language Work Reform and Development Plan Outline (2010–2020) was drafted. Several projects were consequently implemented, including the Urban Language Assessment, the Putonghua Proficiency Test, a Survey on Foreign Language Use in Cities, and the Supervision of Language Use in Advertisements. New regulations were issued on the usage of foreign language words in Chinese. A joint program of dictionary making, in collaboration with Taiwanese scholars, was initiated. The National Research Center for Sign Language and Braille was founded, and the standardization work of language use on radio, television and in publications was strengthened. Ethnic minority language publication projects were funded as well.

1 The National Medium and Long-Term Language Work Reform and Development Plan Outline (2010–2020)

In October 2008, The National Medium and Long-Term Language Work Reform and Development Plan Outline (2010–2020) was drafted. Since then, fifteen tasks concerning language management have been conducted. Thirty eight national symposia and one special workshop were organized while institutions of higher learning and government departments in different provinces and cities held alsoother meetings. The State Language Commission (hereinafter referred to as the Commission) plenary meeting and other conferences of language study solicited comments and suggestions extensively. A written survey was sent to 139 national and local language commissions, as well as to colleges and universities for comment and suggestions. Accordingly, The National Medium- and Long Term Language Work Reform and Development Plan Outline (2010–2020) draft (hereafter referred to as the Outline) has been revised over fifty times before it was finalized.

The Outline was developed around the theme of “building a harmonious language life,” and it established the following principles: Speed up the spread of Putonghua, enhance language ability, promote Chinese culture, and serve the nation harmoniously. Moreover, it proposed the work agenda, national language reform and tasks for language development for a number of decades to come.

The Outline takes the Commission’s responsibilities as its basis and prioritizes the listing of many tasks including some work with ethnic minority languages, standardizing written and spoken Chinese in international Chinese education, particularly the Chinese language education in Southeast Asia. Special languages, such as the Chinese sign language and Braille, were added to the Outline. Above all, it advocates the statements “emphasizing dialectical unity of diversity” and “building a harmonious language life” as the guideline and principles for the language work.

2 The assessment of urban language

2.1 Urban language work in 2009

In 2009, the assessment of urban language continued and proceeded in a steady and orderly manner. By the end of 2009, 32 first tier cities, 191 second tier cities and 240 third tier cities in China had formulated a set of standards, accounting for approximately 89%, 57% and 11% of each tier’s total. The urban language assessment promoted the language work further. As a result, eight urban language organizations were established and eight new administrative positions created. 1.49 million RMB were invested or added to the existing funding and the budget for the assessment was increased by 13.11 million RMB. 173 cities have made the Putonghua Proficiency Test available for their civil servants to take. In 176 cities, 219,607 people from different walks of life took the Putonghua Proficiency Test.

2.2 Urban language work in 2010

The year 2010 saw remarkable achievements in the assessment of urban language, with the first tier cities, Xining City, Qinghai Province, 35 second tier cities and 119 third tier cities reaching the set standard. Tianjin City and Jiangsu Province completed the assessment in all its districts and cities and the results showed that all the assessed districts and cities passed the standard. By the end of 2010, 33 first tier cities, 226 second tier cities and 359 third tier cities in China had reached the set standard, approximately accounting for 92%, 68% and 17% of the total in each tier.

The assessment further promoted the language work as a profession. Twenty three urban language organizations were established, and twenty three administrative posts and five public service positions were created. 2.72 million RMB was invested or added to the existing funding and the budget for the special assessment was increased by 4.22 million RMB. In more than 160 cities, 391,500 civil servants took the Putonghua Proficiency Test, while another 192,000 people took tests for specific occupations.

3 New regulations for the usage of foreign language words

In order to standardize Chinese character use in official documents of state administrative organizations and to conduct the censorship of the usage of foreign language words, the Secretariat of the General Office of the State Council (SGOSC) issued the Notification of Strengthening the Work of Examining and Verifying the Use of Foreign Language Words in Official Documents of State Administrative Organizations (hereafter referred to as File No. 14 [2010]) on April 16, and later the General Office of the Ministry of Education (GOMOE) issued a notification (hereafter referred to as File No. 2 [2010]) from the Ministry of Education’s Languages Application Administration, to forward the Notification to the relevant departments and organizations in the nation.

File No. 14 [2010] requires: (1) state administrative organizations should raise the awareness of using Standard Spoken and Written Chinese, and since they are serving as national models they should adopt standard Chinese characters when issuing official documents; (2) administrative authorities at various levels must strictly implement all relevant provisions and shall not use foreign language words in official documents; if foreign language words are really necessary, they must be used along with Chinese translations in brackets when they are first used in the text, and approval must be sought from a department under the supervision of the State Council or other relevant departments; (3) the department in charge of the usage of spoken and written languages under the State Council and other relevant departments must jointly make rules for foreign language word translation and spelling, provide a translation of emerging foreign language words in a timely manner, and their standard translations and Chinese abbreviations must be announced regularly to the public; (4) all relevant departments should strengthen the censorship of foreign language word usage in official documents. The inappropriate use of foreign language words should be corrected promptly.

File No. 2 [2010] issued by GOMOE requires: (1) File No. 14 [2010] issued by SGOSC must be forwarded to all relevant departments and offices that may take the opportunity to further promote the enforcement of language laws and regulations in China as well as raise the awareness of using the standard Chinese language in conformity with the legal provisions, and all relevant authorities and personnel should practice a cautious use of foreign language words; (2) each department and office should conduct self examination and self correction to establish regulations which standardize the use of foreign language words in official documents in order to meet the requirements of the document issued by SGOSC; (3) education offices and commissions at all levels should effectively fulfill their administrative responsibilities of language management when organizing any public events to strengthen the guidance, supervision and inspection of language use. Schools, the media and other public service agencies should do the same when organizing any public activities or campaigns to make sure of the appropriate use of foreign language words according to the instruction of File No. 14 [2010] issued by SGOSC.

4 Putonghua Proficiency Test

In January 2007, a computer based system was officially adopted for the Putong hua Proficiency Test. Since then, a pilot group of nineteen provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities has administered the test. These cities and provinces are Tianjin, Hebei, Shanxi, Liaoning, Jilin, Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Anhui, Jiangxi, Shandong, Hubei, Guangdong, Guangxi, Chongqing, Guizhou, Yunnan, Shaanxi and Gansu. In 2010, 1,637,000 people have taken the test by using the computer based test system.

In the same year, 4,179,800 people participated in the national Putonghua Proficiency Test, including 178,500 civil servants, 413,600 teachers, 3,355,000students, 4,400 staff members of radio and television stations, and 228,300 other testees.

By the end of 2010, 35,224,600 people had taken the test throughout the country in 1,462 testing centers, of which 419 were municipal testing centers, 997 college testing centers, and 46 testing centers were for various service trades. Currently, there are 1,283 test inspectors and 47,600 Putonghua Proficiency Testers, of whom 4,300 are national level testers.

5 Survey of foreign language use in cities

In recent years, complaints about the misuse of foreign languages in China have been filed continuously in the motions and bills by the National People’s Congress (NPC) and the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC). Meanwhile, people from different walks of life have called for the effective management of foreign language use. For a better understanding of foreign language use in our social life, a survey of foreign language usage was conducted between December 2008 and March 2009 by MOELAA.

The survey was conducted to investigate foreign language use in Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, Chongqing and sixteen other large and medium sized cities in ten provinces as well as autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the central government, such as Heilongjiang, Shandong, Gansu, Zhejiang, Guangdong, and Guangxi. The survey involved nine areas including the CCP and government offices, radio and television stations, newspapers and journals, schools, urban streets, brand names and product instruction manuals, scenic spots, hotels and restaurants, and public transport facilities. The 2,700 participants were from 1,240 departments, offices, and various employers. The survey covered the following aspects: the current situation of foreign language use, the effect on the learning and use of the speakers’ mother tongue, especially the impact on the future social life (after 2020), and what measures should be taken.

The results showed that: (1) by 2009, foreign languages were commonly used in various fields in Chinese social life and the average usage ratio had reached 31%; (2) factors affecting foreign language use in China vary and are complex because of its economic and social development, the society’s openness, official management of foreign language usage, social attitudes, opportunities created by urban development, and emotional ties with the Chinese language; (3) English has become the dominant foreign language and is only second to Chinese, accounting for 82.77% of all foreign language use; (4) foreign languages are mainly used along with the Chinese language in social communication; (5) without an explicit national policy of foreign language usage, many regulations made by different relevant state departments and regions diverge and even conflict with one another; (6) the national foreign language proficiency is not good enough. Therefore, an explicit state level macro policy should be devised while the management of foreign language use is emphasized in practice.

6 Joint efforts in compiling dictionaries in mainland China and Taiwan

In 2010, the State ...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title
• Copyright
• Contents
• Language issues in China’s urbanization process in the context of globalization Foreword to The Language Situation in China: Vol. 3
• Part I: Language Work
• Part II: Special Research
• Part III: Language Focuses
• 1 Newspapers in written Chinese minority languages
• 2 A record of major Chinese language events (2009)
• 3 A record of major Chinese language events (2010)
• Contents (Chinese version 2009)
• Contents (Chinese version 2011)
• Postscript
• Editorial Teams of the English Edition
• Index
• Endnotes