Shanxi University’s research project on the Shanxi local dialect was praised at a meeting by panelists who came to Shanxi University to examine the project from Nov 13 to 14.

The campaign, as part of a Chinese Language Protection Project, arranged 17 areas to survey, including two places with vanishing dialects, and dispatched language workers to investigate the pronunciations. Recordings were taken of the dialects to preserve them for future generations.

Attendees at the meeting included eight language panelists, officials in a local language department and representatives from the 17 areas surveyed.

Qiao Jianhua, director of the Shanxi Language Standardization Committee, reported to the panelists about the revisions made since last mid-term examination in September.

The panelists gave positive comments on the project after a careful examination of the videos and sound recordings, as well as the notes taken, and approved Shanxi University to deliver the findings to the Research Center for Language Resources Protection of China for the final examination.

The panelists also advised the research team to check the paper materials, templates, sound recordings and videos to verify the conformity of the phonetic system, vocabulary and grammar.

On behalf of the research team, Qiao Quansheng, chief expert of Shanxi Language Protection Project and director of the Research Institute of Language Sciences at Shanxi University, vowed to continue with the project and organized a meeting on the next work plan soon after the examination.

Panelists pose for a photograph. The panel provided positive feedback on Shanxi University’s research project on the Shanxi local dialect. [Photo/sxu.edu.cn]