Abstract

Research across Myanmar’s ethnic states has shown that large and well organised non-dominant ethnic groups such as the Mon, Karen, Shan and Kachin would prefer Myanmar’s education system to offer MTB-MLE so that their children are able to start education in the mother tongue. This article engages with some of the overlooked voices of minorities within non-dominant ethnic groups relating their views on language, education, and Language of Instruction (LoI) and how this shapes their relationship both with other more dominant ethnic and linguistic groups as well as the ruling Burman majority. Using the Language Vitality Framework (Giles, Bourhis, and Taylor 1977), the article argues that while the minorities within non-dominant ethnic groups consulted work hard to preserve their language, they want Burmese to remain the LoI in order for their children to be able to get jobs and lift their families and communities out of poverty. Although much still needs to be done beyond language, the groups consulted believed that Burmese provides communities in multi-ethnic, multi-lingual settings with a level playing field they feel is fairer, than if Burman linguistic domination was replaced with another non-dominant language. These communities want multi-lingual local teachers who can explain the Burmese textbooks to their children.

摘要

缅甸各族裔国家的研究表明，大型且组织良好的非主要族裔，例如孟，卡伦，Shan邦和克钦邦，更喜欢缅甸的教育系统提供MTB-MLE，以便他们的孩子能够开始使用母语进行教育。本文讨论了非主导种族群体中少数群体被忽视的声音，涉及他们对语言，教育和教学语言（LoI）的看法，以及这如何影响他们与其他更占优势的种族和语言群体以及他们之间的关系。统治缅甸的多数党。利用语言活力框架（Giles，Bourhis和Taylor 1977），文章认为，尽管非主要种族群体中的少数族裔进行了协商，但他们仍在努力维护他们的语言，他们希望缅甸继续保留意向书，以使他们的孩子能够找到工作并使他们的家庭和社区摆脱贫困。尽管仍然需要做很多工作，而语言以外的工作仍然需要做，但与会的团体认为，与用另一种非主流语言代替缅甸语言统治相比，缅甸语为社区提供了一个更加公平的公平竞争环境，为他们提供了一个公平的竞争环境。 。这些社区需要能说多种语言的本地老师，他们可以向孩子们讲缅甸语教科书。比起用另一种非主流语言代替布尔曼语言统治。这些社区需要能说多种语言的本地老师，他们可以向孩子们讲缅甸语教科书。比起用另一种非主流语言代替布尔曼语言统治。这些社区需要能说多种语言的本地老师，他们可以向孩子们讲缅甸语教科书。