Passing on the mother tongue: implementation of the Hokkien curriculum for elementary schools in Taiwan

Abstract

Tracing first the evolution of the island’s multilingual language education policy, this paper examines the implementation and implications of the Hokkien curriculum for elementary schools in Taiwan. Drawing upon qualitative data from currently available library materials and a recent ethnographic study, the paper surveys the strengths and challenges of the aforementioned curriculum in terms of rationale, design, actual implementation at school level and regional variation, while further exploring the development of school-based Hokkien curriculum in Taiwan’s elementary schools in relation to the contesting discourses of language endangerment and revitalization. The author argues that ethnic politics has continued to play a key role in curriculum decision-making in the second decade of Hokkien education, particularly in face of fierce competition with other local languages in the formal education system.