Take a walk through Chinatown in one of Australia’s major capital cities, and you’re more than likely to hear the Chinese dialect of Cantonese being spoken. However, for 17-year-old Chloe, who grew up in Guangzhou, China, but now resides in Melbourne, Australia, the connection to her native language is slipping away. Chloe, like many young people in similar situations, is struggling to balance the preservation of her culture with the need to adapt to her new home.
Chloe’s parents speak Cantonese at home, but she increasingly responds in English. The constant moving and changing schools have taken a toll on Chloe’s language skills, leaving her feeling like there is a block in her throat when she tries to speak Cantonese. This has created a barrier between her and her Cantonese-speaking relatives, making it difficult to connect with them on a deeper level.
Chloe’s experience is not unique. Many young people who grow up in multicultural settings often default to the language spoken at school and in public. This phenomenon has led to the decline of regional dialects across China, as Mandarin is promoted as the lingua franca to cut down on communication barriers.
Dr. Zhengdao Ye, a senior linguistics lecturer at the Australian National University, has experienced this loss firsthand. She has worked extensively to preserve her own native dialect, Shanghainese, and has seen the struggle of her postgraduate students who are unable to speak their dialects and communicate with their grandparents.
The decline of Cantonese is particularly apparent in Chloe’s birth city of Guangzhou, where the promotion of Mandarin has resulted in Cantonese being relegated to the family domain. This process begins in primary school, where students are taught that speaking Mandarin is necessary to be considered a proper citizen of China.
Cantonese is also facing challenges in places like Hong Kong, where there has been a clampdown on the language. However, there is hope for the preservation of Cantonese in Australia. Educators at the Melbourne Baptist Chinese School have seen increased interest in Cantonese language classes, driven in part by native Cantonese-speaking parents wanting to keep the tradition alive.
According to the last two censuses, there are approximately 300,000 Cantonese speakers in Australia, making it the fifth most-spoken multicultural language in the country. This indicates that Cantonese is not likely to be lost entirely.
For Chloe, there is hope that she can maintain her connection to Cantonese with the support of the Australian community. The opportunity to communicate with friends who speak Cantonese helps her feel a sense of connection and solidarity.
While the long-term outlook for Cantonese may be uncertain, the efforts to preserve and teach the language in Australia provide a glimmer of hope. By embracing opportunities to learn and practice, individuals like Chloe can maintain their vital connection to their language and culture.
In the face of linguistic loss, it is important to recognize that every language has something unique to offer and reflects the feelings and experiences of its speakers. By preserving and revitalizing endangered languages, we can prevent the loss of cultural diversity and ensure the richness of human expression is not diminished.
In conclusion, the struggle to maintain a vital connection to native languages is one that many individuals face in multicultural societies. Australia, with its diverse population, offers opportunities for language preservation and learning. Through efforts like language classes and community support, individuals like Chloe can hold onto their mother tongues and enrich their cultural identities.
