Article published In: Language Problems and Language Planning
Vol. 42:1 (2018) ► pp.16–44
Articles / Articulos / Aufsätze / Artikoloj
Minority language education in Nepal
The view from a Himalayan village
Published online: 24 April 2018
https://doi.org/10.1075/lplp.00003.hil
https://doi.org/10.1075/lplp.00003.hil
Abstract
This article, a case study in one group of communities of Nepal, considers
minority language education in the face of increasing encroachment of the
dominant and national language Nepali. Our over-arching research question asks,
in the context of local education, what we can observe about the perceived
value, use of, and competition between two local languages (Gurung, Gyalsumdo)
and also between these languages and Nepali (the national language of Nepal) in
the Manang District. We find persistent divisions amongst residents and
educators about the current and future role of local languages.
तेरिज
नेपालको] मात्रे भाषा पडाड: गुरुङ र ग्यल्सुम्दो चमे गाउँ मा
यो लेख नेपालको एक सामुदायिक गाउँको मामला अध्ययन हो । यस लेखमा शिक्षा क्षेत्रमा नेपालको
राष्टिय« भाषा नेपालीको अरु अल्पसंख्यक भाषाहरुसंग तुलनात्मक तथ्याङ्क प्रस्तुत गरिएको छ । हाम्रो
प्राथमिक अनुसन्धानको लक्ष्य मनाङ्ग जिल्लामा यथावत कथित मल्ूय, प्रयोग र दुई स्थानिय भाषाहरु (
गुरुङ्ग र ग्यालसुम्दो को बीच प्रतिस्पर्धो साथै यी दुई भाषाहरु र नेपाली भाषा बीच प्रतिस्पर्धा को
निरिक्षण गर्ने रहेको थियो । हामीले स्थानिय बासिन्दा र शिक्षकहरु मध्ये अहिलेको समय र भविष्यमा
स्थानिय भाषाका भुमिकाको बारेमा मतविभाजन फेला पारेका छाँै ।
Resumo
Edukado en minoritataj lingvoj en Nepalo vidata el himalaja vilaĝo
La nuna artikolo estas kazostudo de unu grupo de komunumoj de Nepalo. Ĝi
konsideras edukadon en minoritataj lingvoj fronte al la kreskanta entrudiĝo de
la domina kaj nacia lingvo la nepala. La tegmenta esplora demando en tiu ĉi
studo rilatas al tio kion oni povas observi koncerne la perceptatan valoron,
utiligeblon kaj konkurencon de du lokaj lingvoj (Gurung, Gyalsumdo) kaj ankaŭ la
rilaton inter tiuj du lingvoj kaj la nepala – en la Distrikto Manang. Ni
trovas daŭrajn opinidividojn inter enloĝantoj kaj edukistoj pri la aktuala rolo
de lokaj lingvoj, kaj pri ties preferataj estontaj roloj.
Article outline
- Language education in Nepal: History and context
- Methods and findings
- A.Methods
- B.Findings
- Language encroachment and mother tongue language
- Incorporation of context-based current pedagogy
- Spirituality and academia
- Discussion
- Mother tongue integration into local schools: Towards the future
- Conclusion
- Acknowledgements
- Notes
References
References (44)
Angdembe, T. M. (2013). Saving endangered languages via unnatural selection and utility theory. Contributions to Nepalese Studies, 391, 35–68.
Awasthi, L. D. (2004). Exploring monolingual school practices in multilingual Nepal. Ph.D. thesis, Danmarks Paedagogiske Universitet/Danish University of Education.
Belbase, S., Chandra, L., & Taylor, P. (2008). Autoethnography: A method of research and teaching for transformative education. Journal of Education and Research, 1(1), 86–95.
Centre for Research Education [CRED]. (2005). Mother tongue intervention at primary level, at [URL] (2 April 2006).
Creswell, J. (2014). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (4th ed.). Los Angeles: Sage.
Davis, K., & Phyak, P. (2015). In the face of neoliberal adversity: Engaging language education policy and practices. L2 Journal, 7(3), 146–166.
Dhakal, D., Hildebrandt, K., & Krim, J. (2016). Gyalsumdo: A community-based dictionary. Kirtipur, Nepal: Centre for Nepal and Asian Studies.
Dewan, S. (2016). Opportunities and challenges. My Republica, at [URL] (21 February 2016).
Dunbar, R., & Skutnabb-Kangas, T. (2008). Forms of education of indigenous children as crimes against humanity? Expert paper written for the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (PFII). New York: PFII. [URL]. Accessed Apr 11, 2017.
Eagle, S. (1999). The language situation in Nepal. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, 20(4–5), 272–327.
Fishman, J. (2006). Language policy and language shift. In T. Rincento (Ed.), An introduction to language policy: Theory and method (pp. 311–328). Oxford: Blackwell.
Gajurel, D. (2015). Socio-economic impacts of labor migration in Nepal. Nepal Polity Blog, at [URL]. Accessed Apr 11, 2017.
Hildebrandt, K., Dhakal, D., Bond, O., Vallejo, M., & Fyffe, A. (2015). A sociolinguistic survey of the languages of Manang, Nepal: Co-existence and endangerment. NFDIN Journal, 14(6), 104–122.
Hildebrandt, K., & Hu, S. (2017). Areal analysis of language attitudes and practices: A case study from Nepal. Language Documentation and Conservation, 131, 152–179.
Hangen, S. (2009). The rise of ethnic politics in Nepal: Democracy in the margins. London: Routledge.
Hough, D., Ram, B., Thapa, M., & Yonjan-Tamang, A. (2009). Privileging indigenous knowledges: Empowering multilingual education in Nepal. In T. Skutnabb-Kangas, R. Phillipson, A. Monhanty, and M. Bristol (Eds.), Social justice through multilingual education (pp. 159–176). Bristol, UK.: Multilingual Matters.
Kamat, R. (2016). Language commission formed: lav dev awasthi, regional administrator of central region, to be its chairperson. The Himalayan, at [URL] (7 April 2017).
Kansakar, T., Yadava, Y., Chalise, K., Balaram, P., Dhakal, P., & Paudel, K. (2011). A sociolinguistic study of the baram language. Himalayan Linguistics, 10(1), 187–226.
Kukuczka, A. (2011). Negotiating ethnic identity in the Himalaya: The Tamang of Nepal. Südasian-Chronik (South Asia-Chronicle), 11, 393–437, at [URL] (2 April 2006) Accessed Apr 11, 2017.
Language vitality and endangerment. (2003). UNESCO Ad Hoc Expert Group on Endangered Languages, at [URL] (2 April 2006). Accessed Apr 11, 2017.
Lewis, P., & Simons, G. (2010). Assessing endangerment: Expanding Fishman’s GIDS. Revue Roumaine de Linguistique, 55(2), 103–120.
Luitel, B., & Taylor, P. (2007). The shanai, the pseudosphere, and other imaginings: Envisioning culturally contextualised mathematics education. Cultural Studies of Science Education, 2(3), 621–655.
McCarty, T. (2014). Teaching the whole child: Language immersion and student achievement. Indian Country Today Media Network, at [URL] (13 February 2016).
McNiff, J., & Whitehead, J. (2011). All you need to know about action research (2nd ed.). Los Angeles: Sage.
Ministry of Education. (2015). Education for all: National review report, 2001–2015. Kathmandu: United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization.
Ministry of Labor and Employment. (2014). Labour migration for employment. Government of Nepal, at [URL] (2 April 2006). Accessed 11 April 2017.
Phyak, P. (2013). Language ideologies and local languages as the medium-of-instruction policy: A critical ethnography of a multilingual school in Nepal. Current Issues in Language Planning, 14(1):127–143.
Purdie, Nola, Frigo, T., Ozolins, C., Noblett, G., Thieberger, N., & Sharp, J. (2008). Indigenous languages programmes in Australian schools: A way forward. Camberwell: Australian Council for Educational Research.
Ragsdale, T. (1990). Once a hermit kingdom: Ethnicity, education, and national integration in Nepal. New Delhi: South Asia Books.
Rai, V., Maya, R., Phyak, P. & Nabina, R. (2011). Multilingual education in Nepal: Hearsay and reality? Kathamandu, Nepal: United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization Office.
Shrestha, N. R. (2002). Global studies: Asia, Nepal and Bengladesh – A global studies handbook. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-Clio.
Shrestha, B., & Van den Hoek, B. (1995). Education in the mother tongue: The case of nepālbhāsā (newari). Contributions to Nepalese Studies, 22(1), 73–86.
SIL. (2016). Lhomi community of Nepal prepares for multilingual preschool. SIL, Literacy and Education, at [URL] (22 February 2016).
Snellgrove, D. (1961). Himalayan pilgrimage: A study of Tibetan religion by a traveller through western Nepal. Boston: Shambhala.
Taylor, S. (2010). Beyond bilingual education: Multilingual education in Nepal. GIST Education and Learning Research Journal, 4(1), 138–154.
Taylor, P., Taylor, E., & Luitel, B. (2012). Multi-paradigmatic transformative research as/for teacher education: An integral perspective. In B. Fraser, K. Tobin, & J. McRobbie (Eds), Second international handbook of science education (pp. 373–387). Dordrecht, The Netherlands: Springer.
Thomas, B. (2005). Trekking in the Annapurna region (4th ed.). Surrey, UK: Trailblazer Publications.
Tumbahang, G. (2016). Situation of mother tongues In Nepal. The Rising Nepal, at [URL] (21 February 2016).
UNESCO. (2013). Atlas of the world’s languages in danger, at [URL] (2 April 2006). Accessed Apr 11, 2017.
