National Language Conference Concludes: Minister Lee Highlights Jensen Huang's Call for Multilingual Society

(Central News Agency reporter Yang Sui-rui, Tainan, 14th) Minister of Culture Lee Yuan attended the closing ceremony of the Third National Language Development Conference this afternoon, stating that Jensen Huang, CEO of NVIDIA, recently encouraged children in Taiwan to speak Taiwanese—a brief comment that has prompted renewed societal reflection on language preservation. Lee expressed hope that more people will care for, use, and take pride in their native languages in the future.

The Ministry of Culture hosted the 2026 Third National Language Development Conference in Tainan, concluding today after two days of sessions. The day began with consultation forums across four ministries: the Ministry of Culture, Council of Indigenous Peoples, Hakka Affairs Council, and Ministry of Education. Civil society representatives presented recommendations on language development needs, which were later summarized by session moderators during the afternoon plenary. Representatives from each ministry responded accordingly.

In his closing remarks, Minister Lee addressed a proposal made yesterday by Hakka Affairs Council Chairperson Ku Hsiu-fei during the opening ceremony, who suggested inviting Jensen Huang to next year’s conference. Lee noted that Huang’s simple encouragement to speak Taiwanese resonated widely and attracted significant media attention.

Lee emphasized that this incident reminds everyone that language development is not merely a cultural or educational issue, but a societal one that requires collective attention. True language revitalization can only occur when more people care about, use, and identify with their languages, thereby granting each language the dignity it deserves.

He further stressed that the key challenge lies in ensuring that languages are naturally heard, learned, and used by the next generation at home, in schools, communities, and through media—this is the core challenge in building a multilingual society.

Lee highlighted that the concurrent presentation of the 'Sign Language Contribution Award' offered attendees what he called 'the quietest award ceremony,' while Lienchiang County Government’s special exhibition 'Ten People, Ten Seas' at the Tainan National Art Museum showcased the Matsu language, its writing system, and literature—both exemplifying the conference theme: 'Co-Creating a Multilingual Society with Linguistic Equality.'

Regarding advocacy by Kinmen residents to include the Kinmen dialect as a national language, Lee announced that the proposal has been officially approved by the Executive Yuan, making Kinmen dialect a formally recognized national language.

Lee stated that the Ministry of Culture will consolidate all recommendations from the conference to inform the 'Second National Language Development Report' and future policy initiatives. Additionally, the Ministry is collaborating with the Council of Indigenous Peoples, Hakka Affairs Council, and Ministry of Education to develop the 'National Language Integrated Development Plan (2027–2031),' which has already been submitted to the Executive Yuan for review.

He expressed hope for continued collaboration with ministries and local governments, encouraging society, families, schools, and communities to participate collectively in shaping the next five-year policy framework, ultimately achieving the goal of an equitable multilingual society. (Edited by Chen Jen-hua) 1150614

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