This website showcases research on linguistic diversity in communities from China, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan who are living in Canada. This research is led by Dr. Shannon Ward at the University of British Columbia.
As the tides of our lives carry us to new shores, we bring with us our voices.
This website is a celebration of the linguistic diversity brought to Canada by speakers of Chinese languages (in linguists’ terms “Sinitic”), who have taken many routes, sometimes decades long and winding, towards their new homes. This website was created for the next generations of speakers of these diverse languages. This generation has inherited the complex histories of languages and cultures from China, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan, and is growing up in Canada. We hope that richness of these languages will inspire you, and help you feel connected to your heritage, family, and home communities.
All living languages change across time and space. The historical and regional variation we see in languages is not, however, merely natural, but social. Who we speak with, how we identify ourselves, and how we view languages are motivating factors for language change. Migration leads to dynamic forms of language change, which can redefine historical forms of place-based linguistic identity. Migration also brings linguistic diversity, in people’s existing language repertoires, to new shores.
As the key medium for human socialization, language is particularly important for children. At the same time, children’s language use drives linguistic vitality, including innovation and change. Every child brings something new to their language. And, every child’s knowledge of language is influenced by their family’s history, as well as their own language experiences in school, with friends, and in media such as books and television. Use our collection of songs and stories to inspire your child!