Using Yugur in Local Schools: Reflections on China’s Policies for Minority Language and Education

Abstract

This is an account of two unsuccessful attempts to introduce a minority language, Western Yugur, into schools in Yugur communities in Gansu Province. As I review these two cases, my purpose is not to assess the value of teaching minority languages in public schools, but rather to analyze why these two attempts failed and what we might learn from them. I discuss in some detail the linguistic and cultural environments of Yugur communities and their impact on the trial use of Western Yugur in schools. But I also examine the interaction among national language policy, national laws, their administration, and the local communities, and conclude that lack of coherence among these four dimensions was the most important factor in the failure of the language programs. My analysis is directly relevant to a critical issue for minorities in the People’s Republic of China (PRC): how to maintain minority languages in public schools where Putonghua (Mandarin) is often the main medium of instruction. The Yugur case may also provide insights into bilingual programs and policies in other multiethnic nations.