Mandarin is the language that was forced upon Taiwan by the KMT after their retreat from China, it erases Taiwan’s cultural heritage and reinforces the “One China” narrative that fools the world into thinking Taiwan is a part of China.
It’s time for Taiwan to scrap Mandarin entirely. Taiwan must adopt English as its official language for laws, trade, and diplomacy. English would align Taiwan with the democratic world, boost global competitiveness, and send a clear message of independence.
Taiwanese Hokkien should become the native language for daily life, government speeches, and cultural events—restoring Taiwan’s true identity. Mandarin serves only one purpose: to tie Taiwan to China. Keeping it is an act of submission. It only benefits business with China where Taiwan should be doing business with the world, not China.
Taiwan has a choice: remain in Beijing’s shadow or step into the light as a free, proud nation with its own voice. Which future should it choose?
What do you think? Could we start a push for this?
But honestly, is that fluently?
My guess would be single digits in the millions, like 5-6 mn.
The problem is education infrastructure.
Trying to do what you want to promote while Taiwan’s whole education system is flawed and undergoing strains due to population decline.
Nonetheless, it’d be nice (would suck for me), but in reality probably unachievable.
It was never going to be easy. But has to be done sooner or later.
No idea. But it’s a start and English can bridge that gap. Taiwan might even develop its own version of English like Singapore or the Philippines has where they say a sentence half in their native language and half in English and vice versa.
Nah I’m happy with Taiwanese mandarin. Its already gives Taiwan its own identity. There’s no benefit in Tai yu being spoken more besides a cultural one.
More English could be spoken sure but that’s happening as we speak, Taiwan bilingual 2030 baby just a few years until we become singapore or malaysia no.2
Aren’t basically all Hokkien speakers illiterate because they think roman letters are tools of the devil or w/e? IIRC the best they can do is mash their zhuyin IMEs on their phone to come up with nonsensical characters that sort of not really sound like it when read in mando.
Well whatever the reason, I hope they get over their aversion to Lo-Ma-Ji* and learn to write. Because a language no one even bothers to put to text has a dismal future in 2024.
I like the language, and Taiwan would be a duller place without it. I like to think there’s at least somewhere on the island children are speaking it to each other.
*painn-se if my spelling is crap, it’s been a while
That’s the same kind of talk you would hear from the likes of Communist China and Imperial Japan. I am not in favor of imposing one’s ideology on everyone else. And English? How is that better for the Taiwanese identity? It’s practical, sure. But so is Mandarin. Much more practical than Hokkien.
I’d guess the chance of that is only slightly better than ditching Mandarin
I love it too, my kids can speak it to each other! It’s good to try to promote it, but as is said, you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink.
I saw our member @greves on TV the other day belting it out, I’m sure his kids will be speaking one day
We had an advantage somewhat in that the grandparents did not speak Mandarin at all. Making it a bit tough to have any kind of communication in that language I doubt I could have learned even to the middling degree I have otherwise.
just a few years until we become singapore or malaysia no.2
It’s good to try to promote it, but as is said, you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink.