Finding their voice (fwd link)

[Phillip E Cash Cash]

Finding their voice

China Daily, June 29, 2010

Hulunbuir in Inner Mongolia autonomous region is a place of rich linguistic
resources. Located on the northeastern corner of China and neighboring
Russia and Mongolia, the area has a number of resident ethnic groups that
have their own cultures and languages.

However, modernization and urbanization mean that more people in the area
are adopting Putonghua, or Mandarin, as their main language and forsaking
their own.

"Many people of my parents' generation cannot speak Putonghua. People of my
age usually can speak both languages, but are better at Ewenki," says
Eerdemutu, a 38-year-old Ewenki man who lives in the Ewenki autonomous
banner of Hulunbuir.

Access full article below:
http://www.china.org.cn/arts/2010-06/29/content_20377444.htm
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