| Summary: | 碩士 === 國立高雄師範大學 === 客家文化研究所 === 99 === The present paper is a subsequent extended elaboration of a National Science Council research project, entitled “Medical Students’ and medical personnel’s usage of and attitudes toward minority languages-- the cases of Chung Shan Medical University.”, which was conducted from June 2006 to February 2007. In the present paper, with the data collected for the aforementioned NSC research project being thoroughly reexamined and reanalyzed, we aim to discuss the language usage of and attitudes toward Hakka language by probing the questionnaire responses made by the Hakka students. The research hence centers on 1) analyzing research subjects’ attitudes toward using and learning Hakka, 2) investigating the usage of Hakka language in different social contexts, and 3) observing and, therefore, evaluating the research subjects’ usage of Hakka in practice.
The present study employs questionnaire method. The unanticipated questionnaire findings show that Hakka is widely used by the respondents. However, the usage of Chinese Mandarin prevails over the usage of Hakka considerably in all the contexts (at home, at school, at work, in formal and informal situations. ) Furthermore, despite the emphasis placed on Hakka language by the respondents, they rarely use this minority language in reality. According to a report by UNESCO (United Nation Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) in 2003, it states “population alone is insufficient in preserving mother language.” A language or a dialect may become extinct when its speakers cease using it, use it in a gradually contracted communicative domains, and cease to pass it on to the further generations. Without considerable attention, many dialects and languages would be on the brink of extinction. We do hope that the present research could be meaningful and useful data and resources for the revitalization of Hakka language.
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