Tuesday, April 6, 2010

Language Diversity

One thing that I'm most attracted to a country is its language. And as I look in East Timor, it has, with no doubt, a diverse language....

Here are some facts about East Timor...

There is great ethno-linguistic diversity in East Timor.

  • At least 14 distinct languages are spoken by ethnic groups ranging in size from over 100,000 to just a few thousand people.

  • Tetum is the most widely-spoken language and is the first language in western and southern regions, the second language in many other regions.

  • Portuguese was the official language until 1975. It is widely spoken by people who were educated during the colonial era. It is still used in many homes alongside Tetum.

  • Bahasa Indonesia is the sole medium of instruction and communication under the Indonesian regime.

  • Tetum and Portuguese have been banned throughout the education system since 1975

Language is the blood of the soul into which thoughts run and out of which they grow. ~Oliver Wendell Holmes

With just the facts about its language, a lot can be learned about East Timor. Though this country is new, I know that this country will be great in its own way...and when it does, I'll make sure that I will know about it. :))


'til here,
JOJO


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