Tapas Katu, Atayal language digital activist from Nantou (Courtesy of Tapas Katu. Used with permission.)

Rising Voices, in collaboration with Taiwan's New Bloom Magazine and the Indigenous Youth Front, hosted a conference, “Digital Initiatives for Indigenous Languages of Taiwan,” on June 28, 2025, in Taiwan in the hope of bringing together local Indigenous language digital activists to learn from and connect with each other. The goal was to facilitate the exchange of learned experiences and innovative ideas among these language activists, inspiring more possibilities for their language work.

Each of the featured speakers chatted with Global Voices via email, offering a glimpse into their important language work and bringing their firsthand accounts to Global Voices’ audiences.

In this interview, Tapas Katu, an Atayal speaker from Nantou, shared how she learned the Atayal language and leveraged the power of digital tools to aid her learning. 

The Atayal communities, the most widespread Indigenous group in Taiwan, are distributed primarily in the mountainous regions in the northern and central parts of Taiwan. Across Taiwan, Atayal are estimated to have a population of over 100,900 people.

Rising Voices (RV): Please tell us about yourself and your language-related work

Tapas Katu (TK)：我是來自南投縣仁愛鄉發祥村的泰雅族族人，過去曾在國立臺灣師範大學心理與教育測驗研究發展中心的標準本位評量計畫下擔任泰雅語研究員，也是台灣泰雅族語言文化研究發展學會的會員，時不時會參與友善族語研究的各項活動──譬如之前 Common Voice 臺灣原住民族語錄音補助計畫。

Tapas Katu (TK): I'm a Tayal person from the Ren'ai Township in Nantou County. I previously worked at the Research Center for Psychological and Educational Testing of the National Taiwan Normal University as a research fellow for the Atayal language; I am also a member of the Taiwan Atayal Language and Culture Research and Development Association. From time to time, I would participate in activities that can help advance research regarding Indigenous languages, such as the Indigenous language recording project sponsored by Common Voice.

RV: What opportunities do you see, based on personal experiences, in the use of digital tools for Indigenous languages?

TK：因為個人能力有限，比較能注意到的是泰雅語的部分，偶爾也會參照美國一些原住民族語言社團的新聞。 以下是自己一些日常學習族語的經驗和總結：

1. 親友互動因媒介技術提升而更頻繁：泰雅語的部分，因著新生代帶領新 3C 設備進來，族語互動的機會變多。譬如說我跟我媽媽一個在臺北工作、一個在南投工作，我們每天在 Line 上每日一句泰雅語，時不時再把一些比較難的句子拿去跟遠在日本的廖英助老師，或遠在新竹部落、臺中都會區的長輩們請教。
2. 官方教學網頁機能提升而增加人機學習的動機：以前的族語教材數位化，其功能在教育現場稍微偏向「複習」的作用；如果要自己唸數位教材，還是有些吃力。但後來族語 E 樂園（按：一個由原住民族委員會所建置的族語學習入口網站）的功能在細分之下，有遠距非同步的族語結構課程等由難到易的安排，也有 AI 技術的導入，讓使用者能找到適合自己的學習步調。
3. 我自己的研究方向涉及族語教材的發展──
   文本的部分：因為我常常要接觸與族語拼音相關的文獻（例如：日語拼音、英語拼音以及現在書寫系統的拼音），在判讀文獻資料時，為加強準確性，會試著用數位筆記給每個查到的拼音做語詞判斷和雙鏈結說明；
   語音的部分：我自身也有在學程式語言，也會試著以最小的單位來做一些發音校對軟體，目前還在為這個研究項目尋找指導教授及團隊。

TK: Due to my limited capacity, I tend to pay more attention to the Atayal language; at times, I’d read news on Indigenous language groups in the US for a reference. Here are some of my conclusions from daily experiences in Indigenous language learning:

1. Interactions among friends and relatives become more frequent with the advances in digital technologies: As far as Atayal is concerned, the leading electronics that the youths are bringing into the community help boost our opportunities of using the language for interactions. For example, between my mother and me: one works in Taipei, while the other works in Nantou. We talk every day on Line in Atayal and occasionally, I might check with  Tesing Silan M.P [Atayal language Guru] in Japan or elders in Hsinchu or Taichung about some phrases that I can't really grasp yet.
2. Interactive feature on websites for Indigenous language learning has helped motivate human-machine learning. In the past, the digitization of learning materials was primarily used for revision in the classroom; it'd be a bit harder to pick up the language by self-learning through the materials it provided. Now that the Klokah.tw [editorial notes: an entry portal for Indigenous language learning by the Council of Indigenous Peoples] organizes its courses by level, along with the implementation of AI technologies, it makes it easier for any users to learn at their own pace, via the distance learning courses.
   
3. My own research, on the other hand, touches upon the development of the learning materials.
   For reading: Because I would come across text materials concerning Indigenous romanization (through Japanese, English, and Taiwan written Chinese romanization etc.), pretty often, when reviewing these material, to improve accuracy, I'd try to take digital notes and include explanatory links for the romanization I found.
   For the pronunciation: I am picking up on software programming and have worked on some small projects of pronunciation checking software. I am still looking for an advisor and team to help me with this research project.

Klokah.tw is an Indigenous language learning website, with a plethora of digital materials and audiovisual resources to facilitate learning (Screenshot of the Klokah.tw/Fair use)

RV: What are your observations concerning the use of Indigenous languages in daily life?

TK: 年齡在 35─55 左右的青壯一輩，很少在生活中使用完整的族語句子；有在用族語的話，幾乎也都是以單詞的使用居多。不過，族語教師及原鄉孩子在課室裡，基本上是能流暢地使用教過的族語句式來對話的；當然，不是在原鄉長大的孩子族語能力就不一定，要看他們族語實踐的環境。

相形之下，之前在婚喪喜慶或部落會議等親族聚會的時候，68 歲以上的長輩們還是可以流利地使用族語──包含完整句子的使用，有時還會有古語歌謠的吟唱。

我的看法是，青壯一輩可能是因為國語政策的關係，以至於在語言學習的關鍵期／敏感期喪失了在生活中進行族語會話的能力，而影響下一代的族語能力。但如果今天青壯一代能在家中保留族語環境（例如家中還有能夠流利使用族語的長輩），而他們的下一代又能在學校不受歧視或限制地使用族語，那麼小朋友是很有機會再回復族語生活會話的能力的。

TK: In real life, the middle-aged generation between 35 and 55 years of age rarely uses complete sentences in Indigenous languages. When they use the languages, it'd be in the form of broken phrases in most cases. Indigenous language instructors and kids in the tribes, however, can converse freely with the sentences they had learned in the classroom. Of course, it wouldn't necessarily be the same case for kids who do not grow up in Indigenous communities. It depends on the language environment they are surrounded by. 

In contrast, during occasions such as weddings, funerals, community meetings, or family gatherings, you can still see elders above 68 using the languages freely with no issues at all — including the use of complete sentences and, at times, the singing of ancestral folklores.

As far as I am concerned, the middle-aged generation probably missed the crucial period in language learning, probably because of the national language policy, so as to lose the ability to carry on daily life conversation in the language — and this in turn makes an impact on the next generation in their language learning. But if they are able to maintain a language friendly environment in their homes — such as having elders fluent in the languages living with them — and their next generation can use Indigenous languages freely in school without having to worry about discrimination or other restrictions, then there's still a high chance for these kids to cultivate the ability to carry on daily life conversations in the languages.

RV: What are your motivations for seeing these language(s) present in digital spaces?

TK: 學習語言，最初的動機是想跟家中長輩們好好聊天。接著就如同學習工具愈來愈科技化，我也從紙筆、錄音帶、錄音筆，慢慢過渡到試著去學音波比對等技術；另一方面，我也從個人學習、去族語學習中心較有系統地學習語言，到後來和同儕團體一起努力推動語言的保存。

TK: My initial intention for learning the language was to be able to chat freely with elders in my household. As language learning tools became more technology-based, I moved gradually from paper-and-pencil notetaking to using audio tapes, voice recorders, and eventually picked up sound-matching technologies. On the other hand, I moved from self learning to learning more systematically at the learning center, then to working on the advances of language preservation initiatives alongside my peers.

RV: Could you share some of the challenges encountered and lessons learned in your digital work with these languages?

在現今科技飛速發展的情況下，儀器或者軟體反而比較好處理；處理不了向外求援時，也較容易找到很厲害的高手。但最大的挑戰之一，大概是自己的時間有限，很難安排出一個長期的部落採集研究時程；最大挑戰之二就是經費，不論是請專業人士幫忙或自己去學技術，都一定得要考量到成本。

TK: With the fast emerging technology today, it's easier to work with devices or software and, when you're stuck, it's easier to find experts for consultation. But the biggest challenge remains that one only has as much time, and it's been hard for me to arrange a long-term schedule for field research in the communities. The second challenge comes to funding. Whether you are seeking professional assistance or spending time on acquiring the skills yourself, one must consider the cost.

RV: What concrete steps do you think can be taken to encourage younger people to use Indigenous languages in the digital space?

TK: 我認為現在老中青三代都非常樂於接觸 Line、抖音或 FB 直播，有些長輩們已經有在定期或不定期地分享自身的部落經驗、語言文化等知識，真的很感激他們。

我自己有空時也會製作一些每日一句練習的短影片上傳到社群，再請族語老師們點評，希望能夠拋磚引玉。時間比較充裕的時候，我會放上開源素材，讓老師們可以直接下載使用。

與此同時，數位世界裡的族語教材、遊戲、音樂或影片，也能提高數位世代的年輕人接觸族語的機會，自然地感受到：說族語／聽族語是很正常的事──這對過往被剝奪聲音的原住民族來說，將會是很大的一個內在轉變。

TK: I think all generations are fairly accepting of Line, Douyin, and Facebook live streams now, whether they are from the young, middle-aged, or older generation. Some elders already use these to periodically or occasionally share their experiences from the communities and/or their knowledge of the languages and cultures. I am really grateful for them to be doing this.

Whenever I have time, I also make short videos teaching indigeneous expressions, and have them uploaded to online communities for Indigenous language instructors, in the hope of encouraging further interest. When I have even more time, I'll upload open-source materials for the instructors to download and use.

In the meantime, learning materials, games, music, and videos existing in the digital space can also help with exposure, providing Indigenous youths of the digital age more opportunities to get in touch with their languages and to experience that speaking and hearing Indigenous languages is completely normal. For Indigenous people who had long been deprived of their voices, this would be a huge change in the mindset.

For those who missed the event but are still interested in learning about this topic, you can catch up here.