Using Taiwanese language for Astronomy Lecture an Outreach Education

Anli Tsai^1*

¹Taiwan Astronomical Research Alliance (TARA), Taiwan
²Institute of Astronomy, National Central University, Taoyuan, Taiwan
³Department of Earch Sciences, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan

* Presenter:Anli Tsai, email:altsai@astro.ncu.edu.tw

Taiwanese language (a.k.a. Taigi) was the major language in Taiwan before World War II. However, after World War II, Taigi was forbidden due to government policy. Instead, Mandarin Chinese became the official and teaching language. Since Taigi has not been encouraged for the past 7 decades, the younger generation has difficulty using this language. In fact, less than 10% of teenagers in Taiwan can use Taigi. This means that the younger generation may not be able to pass on the language to their own children, and Taigi may die out within 30 years if we do not take action.

One efficient way to extend the life of Taigi is not to simply teach people how to use it, but to use it as a medium to teach various subjects. To build a Taigi vocabulary for Astronomy terms, I have started a Taigi version of NASA's Astronomy Picture of the Day. After accumulating enough vocabulary, I have used Taigi as a teaching language for astronomy education, ranging from kindergarten kids to university students. I will share my experience of doing this and the feedback from students and the general public.

Keywords: Taiwanese, Outreach, Education, Astronomy