Chinese Dialects: Why our mother tongue matters
<p>This is a phrase I frequently use with my elders during Chinese New Year. It literally means, “I can understand, but I can’t speak,” — a phrase I often use to describe my Cantonese proficiency, or rather, lack thereof.</p>
<p>Cantonese, Hakka, Hokkien, Teochew — are just some of <a href="https://www.alsintl.com/blog/spoken-chinese/#:~:text=Spoken%20Chinese%20is%20separated%20into,more%20than%20200%20individual%20dialects." rel="noopener ugc nofollow" target="_blank">over 200 varieties</a> that exist within the Chinese language.</p>
<p>Although <a href="https://epochtimes.today/the-origins-of-the-hokkien-teochew-cantonese-and-other-chinese-dialect-groups-in-singapore/" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" target="_blank">Singapore is not a Chinese country</a>, the introduction of trade in the early 19th century led to an influx of Chinese immigrants that make up 76% of its population. What this means is that <strong>Chinese language varieties have become some of the biggest language groups in Singapore</strong>.</p>
<p><a href="https://medium.com/not-lost-in-translation-a-guide-by-jala/chinese-dialects-why-our-mother-tongue-matters-a6e1016cab4b"><strong>Learn More</strong></a></p>