Yanne Cby Yanne C
語言:
English /// 中文
Translator: Brian Hioe
Photo courtesy of Pasang Teru
The following interview was originally posted on Global Voices ahead of the panel, “Digital Initiatives for Indigenous Languages of Taiwan,” which was held on June 28, 2025 at DAYBREAK. This event is the first time Rising Voices, in collaboration with New Bloom and the Indigenous Youth Front, organized an event in Taiwan to bring together local Indigenous language digital activists to learn from and connect with each other. The idea was to facilitate the exchange of learned experiences and innovative ideas among these language activists, inspiring more possibilities for their language work.
In this interview, Pasang Teru, an Atayal speaker and a certified Indigenous instructor, shares about his work as a teacher and advocate for Indigenous languages through print media, online projects, and broadcasting.
Rising Voices (RV): Please tell us about yourself and your language-related work.
Pasang Teru (PT): lokah cimu qabax, lalu mu ga Pasang Teru. Hello everyone, I’m Pasang Teru of Tayal, currently pursuing graduate studies at the Institute of Taiwan Languages and Language Teaching at National Tsing Hua University, with a focus on Indigenous language education and promotion. Meanwhile, I am teaching [Atayal] as a certified instructor in New Taipei, Keelung, and Hsinchu, helping Indigenous students learn the language. I also participate in the compiling and translation of related educational materials—such as the Atayal Wikipedia, the grammar book for the Skikun Atayal dialect, and translation of Indigenous illustration books. Besides this, I host a cultural/educational program at Alian FM 96.3 (Taiwan’s Indigenous Radio Station), looking to bring Indigenous languages to more people by way of mass media.
After six years of editing, the Atayal Wikipedia was finally launched in 2021. Photo credit: Screenshot
RV: What is the current state of the Indigenous language(s) you are working with, online and offline?
PT: In the real world, I observe that the places in which Atayal is used have gradually decreased. Most elders are fluent in expression, but the majority of young people’s understanding of vocabulary is limited, and they don’t have many opportunities to use the language. In digital spaces, although there are videos teaching Indigenous languages, social media communities and online databases, this is far from enough — not to mention that most of the users are themselves language promoters. In other words, though there is much potential for Indigenous language education on the internet, at present, these languages are still marginalized in digital spaces. We need more content, platforms, and interactive mechanisms to support their visibility and vitality.
RV: What are your motivations for seeing these language(s) present in digital spaces?
PT: The reason why I decided to devote myself to digital initiatives is quite simple — I just didn’t want Indigenous languages to disappear. I have been immersed in Atayal myself since I was young, but I didn’t have many opportunities to use it. It was only until entering the field of linguistics and culture that I realized that these languages weren’t merely a tool of communication, but a vehicle of Indigenous history and values. I hope that through what I am good at, I can help raise the visibility and use of Indigenous languages on the Internet and media, particularly to make room for young people to encounter and learn the languages in environments they are familiar with.
RV: Could you share with us some of the challenges encountered and lessons learned in your digital work with these languages?
PT: The biggest challenge remains the lack of resources and users. The production of digital content requires time as well as linguistic expertise, but language workers often have more than one job, and it’s not sustainable that way. Besides this, little user feedback leads to a lack of encouragement, which often frustrates the creators. But, from this, I learned that small but consistent efforts can lead to change — each episode of a program, each update of an entry, could serve as the starting point for another user. It does take long-term commitment and mutual connections to keep a language alive.
RV: What concrete steps do you think can be taken to encourage younger people to use Indigenous languages in the digital space?
PT: I think we can start by linking Indigenous languages to what interests them — starting a YouTube channel centered around Indigenous languages, creating shortform videos on TikTok, or podcast programs… Connecting Indigenous language to music, games, food, or campus life can help reduce the barriers to learning and increase their willingness to engage. Likewise, language learning apps can be gamified, with features that promote daily use and levelling up with vocabulary goals, etc. What’s important is to make young people feel that using Indigenous language is a cool thing, rather than just another task to study. Only by making language a part of life can it truly last.