TRANSMISSION OF HAKKA TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE FROM TWO REVITALIZATION PROJECTS IN THAILAND: WHAT DID THEY ACHIEVE?.

Abstract

The phenomenon of intermarriage and assimilation into Thai society has contributed to diminishing Hakka language use. However, some elderly Hakka speakers have acknowledged this situation and are trying to preserve the Hakka language and culture as much as possible. Two research projects of Hakka language preservation and revitalization were conducted using Participatory Action Research (PAR) approach by the participants and researchers. The results were that in the first project, the adult generation had the ability to teach the traditional Hakka food style, but there were no Hakka children to learn from them. Several factors, such as fast food, climate change, and young people going to study outside the community, had an effect on language revitalization and preservation. Results from the second project showed that volunteer participants, Hakka association networks and internet communication are positive factors for language revitalization. Young people had opportunities to hear and speak Hakka with the elderly in the events if these were mainly organized occasions. Some participants collected data from Hakka speakers while others wrote articles related to their family history which they wanted to record and transfer to the next generation. As their knowledge of Hakka was limited, they wrote in the Thai language instead. From observation, most Hakka speakers know words from their language, but they cannot use them in full sentences. If someone could communicate in Hakka, they used mixed language with Thai.