The Center for Sustainable Development of Linguistic Diversity in Taiwan (SDLD) aligns its mission with the "National Language Development Plan" and UNESCO's principles of multilingualism and linguistic diversity preservation. SDLD aims to leverage linguists’ expertise in establishing a comprehensive digital archive of Taiwan's indigenous languages, with the primary objective of sustainably maintaining the nation's rich linguistic diversity.
Our methodological approach encompasses both synchronic and diachronic analyses: Synchronically, we employ a multifaceted framework to document, analyze, and archive distinctive features of Taiwanese languages across four primary domains: (a) Phonetics, phonology, and their interfaces, (b) Semantics and syntactic typology, (c) Psycholinguistics and neurolinguistics, and (d) Language contact and change.
Diachronically, our research extends beyond investigating the evolution of Southern Min as reflected in 17th-century onwards mainland and overseas documents. We also endeavor to reconstruct the historical trajectory of language contact between Sinitic and Austronesian languages in Taiwan, thereby expanding our understanding of the historical depth of local languages.
The development of four thematic databases serves to synthesize research outcomes from diverse linguistic subfields, facilitating the digital preservation and continuous transmission of Taiwanese languages. Additionally, we aim to disseminate our findings through accessible science popularization articles, enhancing public awareness of Taiwan's linguistic landscape and fostering broader interest in linguistics.
SDLD's linguistic corpus represents a pioneering cross-platform, multilingual resource, integrating data from various governmental and institutional sources, including online dictionaries, e-learning platforms, and fieldwork data. The corpus features an innovative cross-linguistic search function, enabling comparative analysis of phonetic, grammatical, and lexical features across languages and dialects.
This initiative directly supports the objectives outlined in the "National Language Development Plan," offering empirical linguistic data crucial for language pedagogy, proficiency assessment, talent development, and orthographic standardization. Furthermore, it contributes to the preservation of Taiwan's linguistic diversity and provides high-quality data for the development of indigenous large language models.
By fostering rigorous research, empowering local communities, and advancing linguistic scholarship, SDLD not only ensures the vitality of Taiwan's linguistic heritage but also contributes significantly to the global discourse on linguistic diversity. Our work underscores the irreplaceable value of each language as a unique window into human cognition and culture.