An overview of language revitalization efforts in Tibet's linguistic ecology.

1. Linguistic Diversity and
Language Revitalization in Tibet
Gerald Roche
ARC-DECRA Fellow
Asia Institute, University of Melbourne
g.roche@unimelb.edu.au
First International Conference on Revitalization
of Indigenous and Minoritized Languages
19-21 April, 2017
Barcelona & Vic

2. VS
The Imaginary
Sociolinguistics of Tibet

3. Tibet’s Linguistic Ecology
1.1 Putonghua
1.2 Spoken Chinese Varieties
2.1 Written Tibetan
2.2 Three Canonical Tibetan Varieties
2.3 Minor Tibetan Varieties
3.1 Recognized Minority Languages
3.2 Unrecognized Minority Languages
Chinese
Tibetan

5. Dominance & Assimilation
• Unsupportive legal framework
• Developmentalism and rejuvenation
• Aggressive promotion of Putonghua
• Cultural chauvinism
50% of China’s languages are endangered

6. Revitalization of ‘Tibetan’
• Widespread concern
• Public advocacy
• Protests (online and street)
• Purism campaign
• ‘White Wednesday’
• Tibetanization of education
- Tibetan’s status is increasing & its roles expanding
- 2/3 of Tibet’s minority languages are endangered
- All unrecognized languages are endangered

7. Revitalization as Devitalization
Case 1: Tibetan in Hualong County

8. Revitalization as Devitalization
Case 2: Manegacha

9. Revitalization of Minority
Languages
Case 1: Doxu

10. Revitalization of Minority
Languages
Case 2: Minyag

11. Conclusions
• Dynamics of revitalization & devitalization in Tibet are
complex.
• Promotion of Putonghua devitalizes ‘Tibetan’ (and
Chinese varieties and Tibet’s minority languages)
• Revitalization of ‘Tibetan’ devitalizes Tibetan spoken
varieties and minority languages
• Unrecognized minority languages are most vulnerable
and least likely to be revitalized

12. Thank you! བཀའ་དྲིན་ཆེ།
• May issue of IJSL on Tibet
• Forthcoming publication on Tibet’s minority languages:
http://goo.gl/vynu3i
• Tibet’s minority languages on Facebook:
http://goo.gl/g1jm3T