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Politicization of script in Taiwan

Language Log 2025-01-03

This was inevitable:

Kaohsiung university faces backlash over simplified Chinese exam: Education ministry says faculty member's business card listing ‘Taiwan Province, China’ is ‘inappropriate’ by Charlotte Lee, Taiwan News (1/3/25)

(article in Mandarin)

The language is the same; it's only the script that is different — but that really matters:  Think Hindi-Urdu, Serbo-Croatian, Hangul-Hanja, Maltese-Arabic.

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology is facing controversy after a final exam in its Department of Aquaculture was in simplified Chinese, while a faculty member's business card listed “Taiwan Province, China.”

The Ministry of Education said that using simplified Chinese in exams is “inappropriate,” and the business card “clearly undermines the nation's dignity.” The incident will be recorded as an administrative flaw and used as the basis for reducing subsidies, per CNA.

AntC remarks:

Aquaculture is a huge part of Taiwan's economy. Every local market sells a bewildering variety of shellfish and crustaceans. I find it hard to believe there aren't teaching materials in Traditional script. Flinging "ethical standards" into the issue sounds like there's more going on here.

The article raises implications of plagiarism, fairness of student assessments, and attempts to divide the community.

 

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