The mother language teaching program addressing the language, culture, and identity rights of the Cham minority in Ninh Thuan Province, Vietnam
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2012-12
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[Honolulu] : [University of Hawaii at Manoa], [December 2012]
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Abstract
Recognizing that the Cham minority mother language is at high risk of loss in the Ninh Thuan province, Vietnam and that its heritage, identity, and culture are therefore also at risk of being lost, the Cham Mother Language Teaching Program (MLTP) was implemented as an effort to maintain the Cham language and improve the Cham's minority student education. During its practice and development, the official gubernatorial evaluation is that the program seems to have contributed to the maintenance of the Cham language and promotion of Cham education. However, the stakeholders' perspective and third party comments on the MLTP have mostly remained silent.
The purpose of this study is to understand the impact of the Cham MLTP on the education of minority students in elementary schools in the Ninh Thuan province, Vietnam in terms of improving academic achievement and revitalizing Cham mother language. The study addressed the following questions: (1) How is the MLTP program viewed by the Cham community in terms of supporting the Cham children daily usage of the Cham language and supporting the Cham children to succeed academically in their mainstream education, and; (2) Between the "traditional" and the standardized writing system in MLTP, which one is more appropriate for improving the student success in revitalizing the Cham language, and improving their academic performance in the mainstream classes? Interviews, surveys and observations of teachers, students, parents, and educational specialists were conducted with the collection of secondary data--annual school reports at school, district, and provincial level, yearly reports of the Cham Textbook Compiling Committee (CTCC), and 2004 and 2010 UNICEF reports on the status of the education of ethnic minorities. Qualitative analysis was coupled with a survey approach to make my research findings robust. The perceptions of stakeholders at all levels indicated that there is a positive influence of the Cham MLTP at the elementary level on student performance both in Cham language development and academic performance in subjects taught in Vietnamese. However this success is not continued into secondary school or higher levels. There is evidence from community members that in Ninh Thuan province there is strong support for the Cham MLTP. Community members believe that Cham MLTP has had an important role in the maintenance of Cham language and culture. The standardized script is evident in daily use and has become an important aspect of Cham literacy. More specifically, I provide information about the Cham MLTP conception and development, its current status as viewed by the stakeholders and to guide the development possible trajectories of MLTP in the future in terms of usage of specific writing systems, teacher training and assigning, MLTP structure and other institutional supports.
Description
Ph.D. University of Hawaii at Manoa 2012.
Includes bibliographical references.
Includes bibliographical references.
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Cham, Ninh Thuan, Vietnam, endangered languages, minority languages, Cham language, teaching mother language
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Theses for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (University of Hawaii at Manoa). Education.
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