Foreword
Taiwan has now accepted its status as a multiethnic, multicultural, and multilingual society. All teachers at all levels of Taiwan’s schools, I believe, should be prepared to teach in a multiethnic classroom environment, and be able to help students to cope with multiethnic situations in positive and fruitful ways. Citizens of Taiwan should also learn to respect and understand the ethnic communities of which they are not members.
Dr. Tung-chiou Huang has made the above the center of his academic research. The present volume includes his studies of “Translingualsim” and education in Taiwan and studies of different aboriginal orthography, consisting of three chapters. The first chapter sets the scene for the present book by introducing Goals and Focuses of the Book, Languages and Cultures of Taiwan, Methodology, Terminology, and the Scope and Organization of the book. Chapter 2 reviews the literature of Orthography, Multiculturalism, Multilingualism, and Translingualism. The review of the relevant literature therefore laid the foundations for decisions about the most appropriate orthography. Chapter 3 focuses on applications: Multilingual classrooms and Learning the Mother Tongue By Means of Singing, supportive of professional and personal growth, encouraging practitioners to adopt an enhanced critical perspective on aspects of their work and work environment. I am happy to know that Dr. Huang is preparing another volume on his special area of expertise. Moreover, We need to prevent the extinction of Taiwan’s aboriginal people and languages.
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Jerold Edmondson
