【250-253】Saving a Critically Endangered Language in Australia

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*【250】AS IT IS

Saving a Critically Endangered Language in Australia

July 23, 2018

FILE - Members of the Australian Aboriginal community of Ramingining can be seen near their homes in East Arnhem Land, located east of the Northern Territory city of Darwin, Australia, Nov. 24, 2014. (REUTERS/David Gray)

People in Australia are leading efforts to save a critically endangered language.

At one time, an estimated 300 indigenous languages were spoken on the continent. Only about 90 are still spoken today.

Language is a central part of the culture of Australia’s indigenous peoples, called Aborigines. Language helps Aboriginal communities understand their tribal roots, history and customs. It also gives them a strong sense of identity.

European settlers arrived in Australia in the late 1700s. Experts say that colonization had a harmful effect on indigenous languages. Now, only about 60 of those languages are considered “alive” and in daily use. As older members of tribes die, other languages are likely to pass away.

In the central Australian desert near Alice Springs, only 20 people are fluent in Pertame, a language native to the area. But now, children are being taught its ancient words in hopes that it will not die out.

Kathleen Bradshaw and Christobel Swan are among the indigenous elders working to keep the Pertame language alive. Swan is one of the last remaining fluent speakers of Pertame. She is also founder of the Pertame School, which opened in Alice Springs two years ago. Bradshaw is a teacher at the school.

At Pertame School, children not only learn the language, but also cook traditional food, learn history and visit places that the community considers holy.

“I want to teach my children, grandchildren and great grandchildren our language and show our country to them so they can think and talk in Pertame,” she told the Alice Springs News.

“Our old people, poor things, have all passed away now. There are only a few of us left to teach our kid how our old people used to live.”

Swan, an expert on languages, has worked for many years at the Institute of Aboriginal Development. With the group’s help, she has published language books on Pertame.

Forbidden to speak their language

Community leaders say that, for many years, white teachers refused to let them speak their native language. But they spoke Pertame in secret to help it survive.

Bradshaw recalls one of her experiences as a child.

“This teacher walked past and said do not speak that lingo at school and we promised ourselves that we would talk it in secret and just keep it going and, you know, talk amongst ourselves in secret. I think a lot of non-Indigenous people they do not understand how important it is for Aboriginal people to have their language and to keep it strong.”

In some schools in Australia’s Northern Territory, students learn in both English and an Aboriginal language. Many communities speak what is called “Aboriginal English” – a language that makes use of indigenous terms and culture. Its keeps some structures of standard English and includes words from Aboriginal languages.

Kriol is a north Australian creole language. A lot of children whose parents were fluent in different tribal languages speak Kriol.

Many non-indigenous Australians mistake indigenous languages for dialects of one larger language. However, the estimated 300 indigenous Australian languages were about as different from one another as, say, Russian and French.

Aboriginal Australians now make up about just 3 percent of Australia’s population. They suffer high rates of poverty, poor health and imprisonment.

Historical evidence has suggested that Aboriginal people have been living in Australia for at least 65,000 years.

I’m Phil Dierking.

Phil Mercer reported this story for VOANews.com. Alice Bryant adapted his story for Learning English. Her report includes information from The Alice Spring News and other online sources. George Grow was the editor.

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Words in This Story

creole – adj. a language formed from the contact of two languages

critically – adj. relating to or involving a serious condition

dialect – n. a form of a language that is spoken in a area and that uses some of its own words, grammar, and pronunciations

elder – n. a person who is older or a leader

fluent – adj. able to speak a language easily and very well

indigenous – adj. produced or living in a given area

lingo – n. a language

*【251】 AS IT IS

Syria Calls Evacuation of White Helmets ‘Criminal’

July 23, 2018

An Israeli solider provides water to Syria Civil Defense group members during the evacuation from the Golan Heights, Israel, in this still image taken from video, provided by the Israeli Army, July 22, 2018.

Syria has criticized the evacuation from Syria of hundreds of Syrian White Helmet rescue workers to Jordan.

A Syrian foreign ministry official called the action a “criminal process” that showed the “true nature” of the White Helmets. The comments were reported by Syria’s state-run SANA news service.

The official said the evacuation demonstrated the involvement of Israel, the United States and other western allies in supporting the White Helmets. The group has received support from the U.S. and other Western nations.

The volunteer group - officially known as Syria Civil Defense - was formed in 2013. It includes workers who enter attack areas before anyone else to rescue people in rebel-held territory.

The group says it is neutral in Syria’s civil war. But the Syrian government has accused the White Helmets of working to help rebel fighters. Syrian officials have called the White Helmets a “terrorist group.”

In this file photo, volunteers of the Syrian Civil Defense, known as the White Helmets, rescue a woman from the wreckage of a building after an airstrike in Douma, eastern Ghouta, March 19, 2018.

The Jordanian government said in a statement Sunday that 422 White Helmet members were moved from Syria to Jordan. The statement said Jordan agreed to accept the workers after Britain, Germany and Canada promised to help resettle them in the coming months.

The Israeli military cooperated with U.S. and European allies to carry out the evacuation. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke about the action in a video message. He said U.S. President Donald Trump, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and others sought help to move the rescue workers out of Syria.

The operation took place near the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. Officials say Syrian troops had surrounded the White Helmets there. Syrian government forces and Russian allies have been fighting an offensive against Syrian rebels in the area.

This photo, released by the Syrian Civil Defense, shows the group workers setting up a shelter for civilians who fled from Daraa after shelling by Syrian government forces, in the town of Qunaitra, southwestern Syria, June 28, 2018.

“These are people who saved lives and whose lives are now in danger,” Netanyahu said. “I authorized bringing them through Israel to other countries as an important humanitarian gesture,” he added.

Britain’s foreign secretary, Jeremy Hunt, praised the evacuation and thanked Israel and Jordan in a tweet. The White Helmets, Hunt said, “are the bravest of the brave and in a desperate situation.”

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The U.S. State Department said in a statement it welcomed the operation. It called on the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Russia to honor their promises to “end the violence, and protect all Syrian civilians.”

I’m Bryan Lynn.

Bryan Lynn wrote this story for VOA Learning English, based on reports from the Associated Press, Reuters, Agence France-Presse and VOA News. Caty Weaver was the editor.

We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page.

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Words in This Story

evacuation – n. the action of leaving or removing someone from a dangerous place

authorize – v. give official permission for something

gesture – n. something a person does to show others how they feel about a person or situation

desperate – adj. very bad or difficult to deal with

abide by – phrasal verb. obey a rule

*【252】 AS IT IS

Trump Warns Iranian President ‘Never Threaten the United States’

July 23, 2018

A combination of two pictures shows U.S. President Donald Trump (L) on July 22, 2018, and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Feb. 6, 2018.

U.S. President Donald Trump says Iran risks serious consequences if it makes more threats against the United States.

Trump’s words were written in large letters as part of a Twitter message. It appeared on Twitter Sunday night.

It came hours after Iranian President Hassan Rouhani told the American leader that hostile policies toward his country could lead to “the mother of all wars.”

While tensions between the countries have increased, both sides have reasons to want to avoid starting a conflict that could easily intensify.

In this photo released by official website of the office of the Iranian Presidency, President Hassan Rouhani attends a meeting with a group of foreign ministry officials in Tehran, Iran, Sunday, July 22, 2018.

Trump’s comments followed a series of speeches and communications meant to incite unrest in Iran. U.S. officials say the Trump administration wants to pressure Iran to end its nuclear program and its support of militant groups.

Iran has faced increased U.S. pressure and possible sanctions since May. That is when Trump announced his decision to withdraw the United States from a 2015 international agreement over Iran’s nuclear program.

In his message directed at Rouhani, Trump wrote: “Never, ever threaten the United States again or you will suffer consequences the likes of which few throughout history have ever suffered before. We are no longer a country that will stand for your demented words of violence & death.”

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Earlier on Sunday, Rouhani had told Iranian diplomats: “Mr. Trump, don’t play with the lion’s tail, this would only lead to regret.”

“America should know that peace with Iran is the mother of all peace, and war with Iran is the mother of all wars,” Rouhani said. The Iranian state news agency IRNA reported his comments.

Rouhani left open the possibility of peace between the countries. But Iran’s most powerful leader, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said on Saturday that negotiations with the United States would be a “mistake.”

Rouhani also made fun of Trump’s threat to stop Iranian oil exports. He said Iran has a leading position in the Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz, a major waterway for oil shipping.

A commander of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards reacted to Trump’s threats by saying his country would continue to resist its enemies. Iran’s Students news Agency ISNA reported his comments.

War of Words

Trump’s warning to Iran came hours after a speech by U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

Speaking in California, Pompeo described Iran’s religious leadership as a “mafia.” He also promised support for Iranians unhappy with their government.

Pompeo said that the government has become a nightmare for the Iranian people. He urged all U.S. allies to join in financially suppressing the government.

U. S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo speaks at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, Sunday, July 22, 2018, in Simi Valley, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Iran reacted to Pompeo’s speech as interference in its affairs, the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported.

An Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman said, "Such policies will unite Iranians who will overcome plots against their country.”

There is little interest among United States lawmakers for a conflict with Iran. U.S. officials note the difficulty the military faced in Iraq after its invasion in 2003. They also are concerned about the effect on the world economy of higher oil prices.

Many Iranians are worried that the war of words might lead to a conflict. But observers in Tehran told the Reuters news agency that the U.S. administration would not bring the country into another quagmire in the Middle East.

I’m Ashley Thompson.

Warren Strobel and Parisa Hafezi reported this story for the Reuters news agency. Susan Shand adapted their story for VOA Learning English. The editor was George Grow.

Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page.

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Words in This Story

consequence–n.something that happens as a result of an action or set of conditions

escalate – v.to become worse

sanctions – n.an action to force a country to obey international laws by limiting or stopping trade with that country

demented – adj. not able to think clearly or to understand what is real and what is not real

quagmire – n.a situation that is full of problems

currency– n.the money used by a particular county

lion– n.a large cat

tail – n.the rear end of an animal

mafia– n.a secret criminal group

nightmare – n.a frightening dream

*【253】

AS IT IS

China Wants Young People Working in the Countryside

July 23, 2018

FIle--Locals pick tea leaves at a tea plantation in Xinchang, Zhejiang province. The Chinese government wants young people to move to the countryside as the country's rural population ages. REUTERS/Aly Song (CHINA - Tags: A

Rural China is home to many small farms and traditional industries, but productivity is falling.

There are not enough new industries to provide economic growth. Young people continue to leave rural areas for big cities.

The situation is bad enough that Chinese President Xi Jinping has called on talented workers from the cities to move to the countryside.

That is an unusual idea for a country where the growth of cities has been an important step toward prosperity.

The ruling Communist Party appears to have several aims in calling for a return to rural areas.

The party wants to avoid social unrest in highly populated areas. It also wants to increase spending all over the country and to control the fast growth in big cities. Party leaders also want to increase the power of rural areas, where an estimated 577 million people live.

Ma Xiaohe is an advisor at the National Development and Reform Commission, China’s top economic planning agency. He spoke to the Reuters news agency.

Ma noted that the Chinese president launched a program of “rural rejuvenation” last October. Xi promised projects to improve roads and other infrastructure in the countryside. He also promised to develop industries, such as farming and tourism, and bring investments to rural areas.

Since October, local governments have announced measures to bring business owners, skilled workers, college graduates and “modern professional farmers” to rural areas.

The central province of Henan, for example, plans to offer a total of $890 million dollars this year to Chinese who return to rural areas to start businesses. Henan wants 200,000 such “rural entrepreneurs” in 2018.

In Hunan’s Shuangfeng County, local leaders also are trying to get people to return. One sign reads, “No need to go afar for work, the opportunities are right here at home.”

That saying is the idea of Wang Xin. She is a representative of a local entrepreneur school which sells training services to the government.

Wang said the school hopes to get thousands of people to return to the local community to be trained in online business and other fields.

But when the school held a job fair seeking to fill 200 low-skill manufacturing jobs, few people showed up.

Young leaving rural areas

One of the issues preventing young people from returning is a generational difference.

He Sha works in a shoe factory operated by Stella International. He said, “Most of the workers here at our factories are middle-aged or older.” They earn an average of $400 a month.

Li Jinglong grew up in a small town in Hunan. The 27-year-old designer was educated in the United States. Li told Reuters he has no plans to return to his hometown.

Li moved to Changsha, Hunan’s capital, one year ago to launch his own company, which works with new businesses on issues like branding and design. “If I choose to go back to the countryside one day, that would probably just be out of nostalgia,” he said.

The problem is low earnings in rural areas.

The Chinese Academy of Social Sciences reports that rural people have one third of the disposable income of urban people. It adds that only about 7 million people returned to China’s countryside in the period from 2012 to 2017.

In a mountainous area of Hunan known for tea farming, 25-year-old Xiang Liping was called back by her father to supervise the family’s organic tea business. The business is doing well, but she says there are not enough workers even after employing all the old people and children.

“We don’t have enough people here to pick the leaves,” she said.

As the population in rural villages ages, economic productivity continues to decrease.

A 2016 report by China’s State Information Center said that people aged 60 and older made up 15.6 percent of the population in rural China. That is almost 5 percentage points higher than in the cities.

That is unlikely to change soon. Young people continue to go to the cities seeking jobs and higher pay.

Zhao Fengling is 68-years-old and lives in a village. Her children, who live in the city, moved her out of her old farmhouse. They bought her a new home nearby.

But Zhao is lonely since her husband died. “When he was alive, we could at least play cards,” she said with tears in her eyes. “My children are really good to me, but they are busy making money.”

I’m Mario Ritter. And I’m Ashley Thompson.

Yawen Chen and Ryan Woo wrote this report for the Reuters news agency. Mario Ritter adapted the report for VOA Learning English. George Grow was the editor.

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