Functional Value of Language Varieties

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CHAPTER FOUR

VALUE ASSESSMENT ON LANGUAGE VARIETIES

Different language varieties contain different degrees of economic value. Those language varieties with higher economic value undoubtedly contain higher competitiveness, and thus their chances of survival are higher. Moreover, according to rational choice theory, individuals or institutions make choices or take actions that maximize their benefits; in other words, people tend to learn and use the language variety with high economic value.

As a consequence, to understand the transformation of language structure, we must find out what motivates people to use or abandon a certain language variety.

That is, we need to analyze the economic value of each language variety within a specific context so as to comprehend their sustainability and competitiveness.

4.1 Value Assessment on Language Varieties

This section takes advantage of Baudrillard’s value system (functional, exchange, symbolic, and sign values) to assess the economic value of the language varieties in Taiwan during martial law period.

4.1.1 Functional Value of Language Varieties

In the past sixty years, the industrial structure of Taiwan has experienced dramatic transformation. Such a significant advancement from primary industry to secondary and eventually to tertiary industry in Taiwan would have encountered a great obstacle if western growth model, which had helped industrialize many economic powers of today, were not adopted. Judging from the result, Taiwan has successfully, though not without difficulties, applied the characteristic features of the

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western model to its own development. In other words, industrialization of Taiwan during martial law period was somewhat similar to westernization.

However, the emulation of the western model would turn out to be a failure if there is no language capable of absorbing, digesting, and conveying western knowledge. Most of the languages of the developing countries, including Hoklo, Hakka, and aboriginal language varieties of Taiwan during martial law period, did not possess much economic value from this perspective since they were unable to produce western or scientific terms. The falling behind of economy of the Third World countries could be partly attributed to the underdevelopment of their languages that are not only unable to enhance national cohesion but also incompetent to demonstrate necessary variations of modern society. These underdeveloped languages pale in comparison to western common languages in terms of modernization. As a result, linguistic westernization would become an indispensable precondition for economic development.

To achieve linguistic westernization, at least three conditions should be fulfilled:

(1) the existence of writing system, which transmits knowledge more effectively and efficiently through writing materials; (2) strict standardization, which establishes a cross-border and cross-ethnic norm that transcends social variations; (3) interchangeability with western advanced concept so as to explicitly introduce technical and scientific skills needed for industrial upgrade.

Table 4-1 is a general assessment on Mandarin and local languages of Taiwan based on the above-mentioned criteria.

Table 4-1: Assessment on Mandarin and Local Language Varieties during Martial Law Period

Mandarin Local Language Varieties Writing System A long tradition of writing Not widely accepted

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system Romanization

Standardization Highly standardized Formal codification

Not standardized Lack of established

spelling rules Interchangeability Adapted to western

scientific concepts since Qing dynasty

Relatively closed language systems

Judging from Table 4-1, Mandarin was more eligible and prepared for westernization; therefore, it was more conducive to the process of industrialization than all the other local language varieties of Taiwan. The functional value of Mandarin for economic purposes was thus higher.

Figure 4-1: Relationship between Linguistic Westernization and Economic Development

Figure 4-1 demonstrates the relationship between linguistic westernization and economic development. The role that language plays in enhancing economy lies within its cultivation of human capital through education, which needs an appropriate means of conveying knowledge. To this end, Mandarin served the function of

Human Capital

Economic Development Education

Linguistic Westernization

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introducing western knowledge quite well because it had been developed for such purpose since late Qing dynasty. On the other hand, Hoklo, Hakka, and aboriginal languages remained underdeveloped until recently.

As far as Hoklo is concerned, it had been seriously undermined since Japanese period; thereafter Hoklo had solely functioned as a colloquial language variety that dealt with daily affairs, and, to make matters worse, Hoklo vocabulary about everyday life decreased and portions of it had been replaced by Mandarin and Japanese. The phenomenon of code-mixing was not uncommon, particularly when new western concepts were discussed. In other words, the more new ideas and things were dealt with, the more Mandarin was used. Hence, Hoklo, not to mention Hakka and aboriginal languages, was dwarfed by Mandarin in public spheres and traces of Mandarin influence were also conspicuous in private domains.⁸²

Thus, the functional value of Mandarin was seemingly higher at least during martial law period. Nevertheless, the aforementioned analysis alone could not sufficiently explain the functional value of the different language varieties in Taiwan.

Table 4-2: Assessment on Mandarin, Hoklo, and Hakka in the 1950s

Mandarin Hoklo Hakka

Number of Speakers Quite Limited Most Fewer

Communicative Usefulness Quite Limited Best Better

Easiness of Acquisition Difficult Easiest Easier

Table 4-2 shows another functional value assessment on Mandarin, Hoklo, and Hakka based on different criteria. In terms of communicative usefulness, Mandarin was by no means advantageous during the initial years when the ROC government arrived in Taiwan. Hoklo, followed by Hakka, was by far the most prevalent spoken

82 Hsiau, A-chin. 2000. Contemporary Taiwanese Cultural Nationalism. London: Routledge, p. 131.

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language variety in Taiwan at that time. In terms of easiness of acquisition, Hoklo was supposed to be the easiest language variety to acquire since the majority of the Taiwanese population spoke Hoklo so that a Hoklo-friendly environment was provided. In other words, Hoklo might not be inferior to Mandarin purely based on functional value. The ROC government could have chosen Hoklo, or even Hakka that also possessed more speakers than Mandarin did, as the medium for instrumental purpose, and created a Hoklo writing system, standardized as well as adapted it for westernization since it would be easier and more cost-effective to do the linguistic adaptation than to force the people to learn a completely unknown language variety.

As a consequence, more assessments should be taken into account in order to figure out the true value of each language variety of Taiwan.