The Impact of Tibetan Language Policy on Traditional Cultural

Preservation: A Review of Research

Jiawen Liang

College of Literature and Journalism, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610064, China

Keywords: Tibetan Language Policy, Traditional Cultural Preservation, Language Protection Measures.

Abstract: This paper investigates and analyzes the impact of Tibetan language policy on traditional culture protection.

It is found that the national tourism industry and local government policies have protected Tibetan language

significantly; the bilingual teaching mode has benefited the students in minority areas; the mode of

culture+tourism" has promoted recognition and pride of Tibetan culture; and the mature dissemination of

digital technology is expected to enable the Tibetan language to break through the geographic boundaries.

This study, based on the existing literature and policy practices, reveals the multidimensional paths and

existing problems of language preservation. In the future, it is necessary to strengthen empirical research,

build an accurate evaluation system, optimize the grassroots implementation mechanism, and motivate youth

participation, as well as learn from international language preservation technology experiences, and establish

a dynamic balance between the promotion of Putonghua and the survival of national languages.

1 INTRODUCTION

The endangerment of a language is caused by many

factors, there is no doubt that the language policy of

the Tibetans is according to the actual situation

formulated of the Tibetan, but it does not exist in

isolationarea (Zhou, 2002). The Tibetans are mainly

distributed in Tibet, Qinghai, western Sichuan and

other regions of China. Tibetans have a different

social system from that of the Han Chinese, from the

Tubo period to the Republic of China period. The

Tibetan area has the characteristics of a single ethnic

group and a single language, since the full liberation

of the new China in 1951, the main towns and cities

in the Tibetan area have gradually transitioned to

bilingualism, but many of the agricultural and

pastoral areas still retain the old traditional language.

In recent years, with the remarkable effect of the

promotion of Putonghua and the rapid economic

development of the Tibetan area since China’s reform

and opening-up, the Tibetan language and culture are

also facing certain impacts and challenges, and the

usage rate of the Tibetan language in the Tibetan area

has declined linearly. The language policy in the

Tibetan area is a policy with a special imprint of the

times, and the language policy can be either explicit

or implicit. The paper analyzes the language policy

for the Tibetan area in recent years and the related

literatures, as well as finds out how to effectively

realize the dynamic inheritance of national language

and culture and to ensure a certain degree of

protection of national language and cultural heritage

under the premise of guaranteeing the right to

education and national identity.

2 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

AND PROCESS

A total of 12 documents were selected for analysis

based on the principles of Tibetan language policy,

minority language policy, impact of language policy,

minority language, impact of minorities on traditional

culture, protection of traditional culture of minorities

as keywords and accurate to specific issues and

specific analysis, as shown in Table 1.

Liang, J.

The Impact of Tibetan Language Policy on Traditional Cultural Preservation: A Review of Research.

DOI: 10.5220/0014373400004859

Paper published under CC license (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)

In Proceedings of the 1st International Conference on Politics, Law, and Social Science (ICPLSS 2025), pages 291-295

ISBN: 978-989-758-785-6

291

Table 1: Summary of 12 Documents.

Title Author Year of publication

The Current Situation and Preservation of the Tibetan

Language and Culture in Ganzi Prefecture

Lai Chang-yau 2011-08-19

Analysis of the Causes of the Endangerment of the Sino-

Tibetan Language and Countermeasures for its Protection

Wang Wenling

(1944-), PRC film

director

2016-09-15

Introduction to the Inheritance and Protection of Tibetan

Language in Tianzhu Tibetan Area

Su Xiaohong 2018-08-15

The Significance and Ways of Developing the Economic

Value of Ethnic Minority Languages--Taking the Tourism

Industry in Ethnic Areas as an Example

Li Xianle (1946-),

PRC politician and

diplomat

2013-11-01

Changes in Tibetan Language Policy Zhou Wei 2002-09-30

The Current Situation and Reflection on the Language

Use of Adolescents in Ethnic Language Decline Areas-

The Case of Tibetan Student Groups in Tianzhu County

Wang Haoyu 2015-09-15

Language Technology and Language Preservation in the

Digital Age: The Case of Europe

Dai Man-chun 2022-07-10

Sichuan Shantou Group Working brief

The History and Status of Aboriginal Language Policy in

Australia

Yao Chunlin 2018-09-15

Language Technology and Language Preservation in the

Digital Age: The Case of Europe

Dai Man-chun 2022-07-12

A case study of the European Minority Languages

Protection Scheme - focusing on Scottish Gaelic

Michelle

Marceli McLeod.

2022-10-15

UNESCO's initiatives and effectiveness in safeguarding

linguistic diversity

Sibelle Chang (1958-

), Taiwanese actress

2020-08-15

A Comparative Study of Language Policies for Minorities

in Italy

Macedonia 2019-11-2

3 FINDINGS

3.1 Supportive Guarantee of National

Laws and Active Role of Local

Governments in Cultural Heritage

Protection

Local governments in ethnic minority areas should

adopt active and reasonable policies and measures to

deal with the current situation in which ethnic

languages in their areas are on the verge of extinction.

China's Constitution and the Law on Regional Ethnic

Autonomy and other relevant laws provide a strong

legal foundation for the protection and development

of minority languages. Local governments should

actively fulfill their responsibilities and take effective

measures to protect and develop minority languages,

preserve the uniqueness of ethnic cultures, highlight

regional characteristics, and make positive

contributions to the economic and cultural

development of their regions. Concerning the

protection of Tibetan language and Tibetan culture in

Ganzi Prefecture, language planners and

sociolinguists agree that fostering the use of ethnic

minority languages by a larger number of adults is a

necessary way to reverse language replacement

(Marcelli & Qui, 2022). Lai (2011) states Ganzi

Prefecture requires state public officials to take the

lead in learning and using Mandarin, while at the

same time training some civil servants in Tibetan,

depending on the region in which their organization

is located. Wang (2016) articulates in Ganzi

Prefecture, the first two-year Tibetan language

training course for in-service cadres was launched in

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2006, and since then, in-service cadres have been

deployed every year to receive training in basic

Tibetan language and Tibetan culture, in order to

improve government staff's ability to speak the

Tibetan language, and their ability to recognize and

protect Tibetan culture, and to promote the

development and dissemination of the Tibetan

language and Tibetan culture.

3.2 Greatly Develop Ethnic Tourism

and Promote Mother Tongue

Identity

The development of ethnic tourism can attract more

tourists to Tibetan areas to experience the unique

natural scenery and ethnic culture of the region. In the

process, the Tibetan language, as a key element of

Tibetan culture, will be displayed and spread more.

Local aborigines and tourists will be inspired to

protect and pass on the Tibetan language. Meanwhile,

as ethnic tourism develops continuously, the

economic level of Tibetan areas will be improved,

which also provides a better material basis and

objective economic conditions for the protection and

inheritance of the Tibetan language (Su & Zhu,

2018).

Li & Liu (2018) argue tourism in the region has a

positive effect on the protection of ethnic languages,

and the economic and cultural prosperity brought

about by tourism promotes the positive evaluation

and recognition of the mother tongue of the Tibetans,

which in turn promotes intergenerational inheritance.

Aba Prefecture utilizes its own climate to create a

"snow culture" in the prefecture, creating snow parks

such as Taiziling and Jiuding Mountain, and creating

an economy and increasing the local GDP.

3.3 Implementing Bilingual Teaching

Models in Ethnic Minority Areas

The implementation of bilingualism in Tibetan

schools deserves thoughtful consideration. Schools

should set up specialized Tibetan language courses.

The value of the national language, as a valuable non-

renewable intangible cultural heritage, should not be

ignored. In the bilingual teaching system, through

well-designed curriculum structure and teaching

strategies, students can not only master the Chinese

language, but also explore and understand the Tibetan

language in depth, thus enhancing their identification

with and pride in Tibetan culture (Wang, 2015). In

addition, the local government should further increase

the financial support for Tibetan language education,

improve teaching facilities, enhance the professional

level of teachers, and ensure the quality and

effectiveness of Tibetan language education through

the policies of teaching support from universities in

Sichuan Province and peer-to-peer support.

3.4 Promoting Digital Inclusive Media

to Disseminate the Tibetan

Language Using Digital Technology

Dyman (2022) states language technology and

language preservation are tools and goals. There

are

successful precedents of digital language

preservation technology. Promoting digital fusion

media in order to disseminate the Tibetan language

and using digital technology can break through

geographical boundaries and widely disseminate

Tibetan language educational resources to a wider

audience (Yao, 2018). Zhang, Shao & Yu (2020)

argue digitization facilitates the storage and updating

of endangered languages and their research

documents, while the formation of databases and

interactive communities increases the opportunities

for language exchanges, which can facilitate

international cooperation and promote the sustainable

development of linguistic diversity preservation. For

example, by constructing an online Tibetan language

learning platform and providing rich video tutorials,

audio materials and interactive exercises, more

people can access and learn the Tibetan language. At

the same time, with the help of new media channels

such as social media and short video platforms,

interesting content about Tibetan culture, history and

language is produced and disseminated to stimulate

the public's interest in and love for the Tibetan

language. Such digital communication means are not

only efficient and convenient, but also bring Tibetan

language education closer to modern life. Examples

include the digital Dunhuang and the digital

Forbidden City.

4 DISCUSSION

Existing literature has made notable contributions to

the policy and practice of Tibetan language

protection: first, it has systematically explained the

linkage mechanism between legal safeguards (e.g.,

the Regional Ethnic Autonomy Law) and local

policies (e.g., Tibetan language training for civil

servants in Ganzi Prefecture), which provides

institutional support for language protection; second,

it has demonstrated the feasibility of synergistic

The Impact of Tibetan Language Policy on Traditional Cultural Preservation: A Review of Research

293

economic and cultural cooperation through ethnic

tourism (e.g., development of the Aba Prefecture's

Snow Culture); third, it has argued the core value of

bilingual education in balancing Chinese pragmatics

and Tibetan cultural inheritance, and proposed the

role of teachers in strengthening mother tongue

identity. Secondly, through ethnic tourism (e.g., the

development of "Snow Culture" in Aba Prefecture),

the feasibility of synergy between economy and

culture is demonstrated, revealing the reinforcing

effect of tourism on mother tongue identity; thirdly,

the core value of bilingual education in balancing the

practicality of the Chinese language with the

inheritance of the Tibetan language and culture is

demonstrated, and specific paths are proposed, such

as optimization of teaching staff; and fourthly, the

introduction of digital technology (e.g., online

platforms, social media) broadens the channels of

communication of the Tibetan language, injecting a

modern and innovative perspective into language

protection.

However, there are still limitations in the study:

first, it is dominated by local perspectives and lacks

comparisons with international experiences (e.g.,

European language protection technologies), thus

lacking theoretical depth; second, it relies on

qualitative descriptions, and lacks quantitative data

(e.g., language usage rates, generational differences),

thus weakening the rigor of the argumentation; and

third, it is superficial in analyzing the barriers to

implementation at the grassroots level (e.g., unequal

distribution of resources, lack of incentives), and fails

to propose an operational framework for

improvement. Future research needs to strengthen

empirical analysis and broaden cross-cultural

comparative perspectives. Fourth, language status is

not obtained. It is the basis for language ontology

planning and language teaching planning. If a

language does not acquire the appropriate social

status, it is unlikely that the language administration

will be able to dedicate sufficient social resources to

standardize the phonological vocabulary and

grammar of the language, teaching activities will

unlikely introduce language.

5 CONCLUSION

As the core carrier of Tibetan culture, the preservation

and inheritance of the Tibetan language faces

multiple challenges in the process of modernization.

This study reveals the multidimensional paths and

existing problems of language protection by

systematically combining existing literature and

policy practices. First, the synergy between the

national legal framework (e.g., the Law on Regional

Ethnic Autonomy) and local policies (e.g., Tibetan

language training for civil servants in Ganzi

Prefecture) lays the institutional foundation for

Tibetan language preservation. Second, ethnic

tourism (e.g., the development of "snow culture" in

Aba Prefecture) has enhanced the use of the Tibetan

language and mother-tongue identity through

economic and cultural interactions, proving the

compatibility between language preservation and

economic development. Third, the practice of

bilingual education system in Tibetan schools has

effectively balanced the practicality of Chinese

language and the cultural inheritance function of

Tibetan language, while the introduction of digital

technology (e.g., online learning platforms) breaks

through the geographic limitations and injects

modern vitality into the dissemination of the Tibetan

language.

However, the structural challenges occur during

the implementation of the existing policy. For one

thing, implementation at the grass-roots level has

resulted in varying degrees of effectiveness of

protection measures due to differences in policy

interpretation, uneven distribution of resources and

ageing. For example, in some agricultural and

pastoral areas, the use of the Tibetan language has

shrunk due to the exodus of young people, while the

collaboration mechanism between village cadres and

local governments needs to be improved. Secondly,

existing studies mostly rely on qualitative analysis,

lacking quantitative data support such as Tibetan

language usage rate and intergenerational inheritance

differences, which weakens the scientific validity of

policy adjustments. Third, the research perspective

focuses on local experience and Southwest China's

experience, with to insufficient reference

international language protection techniques (e.g.,

European multiculturalism policy), which limits the

theoretical depth and innovation of solutions.

In the future, the protection of the Tibetan

language will need to deepen its exploration in the

following directions: first, strengthening empirical

research, and accurately assessing the effectiveness of

policies through field surveys and data modeling;

second, promoting reform of grassroots-level

implementation mechanisms, optimizing the

allocation of resources, establishing incentives, and

attracting young people's participation in the cultural

inheritance based on the revitalization of the

countryside; and third, broadening the international

perspective, and drawing on the global experience of

digital preservation, community participation, and so

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on. Ultimately, a dynamic balance needs to be struck

between the promotion of Putonghua and the

protection of the national language, in order to

safeguard national identity and educational equity

while preserving cultural diversity, so that the Tibetan

language will have a lasting vitality in the

modernization process.

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