Description and Study of Sociolinguistic Situation of Palaung Language in Northeast Myanmar

本研究的目的如下：首先，描述缅甸东北部巴朗语的语音，分析巴朗语的音系。第二，在实地调查的基础上，对上述地区的双语或多语情况进行调查。第一年，准备了语音分析和实地调查所需的设备。11月进行了研究双语情况的实地工作。语音描述也是在东京的一名语言顾问的帮助下完成的。由于该国在此期间的政治不稳定，第二年在该地区的实地工作被取消。相反，我们在泰国北方进行了一次实地考察，在那里观察到缅甸语、少数民族语言和当地泰国方言的多种语言。另一方面，我们利用前一年获得的数据进行了音素分析。根据实地调查获得的信息，我们了解到该地区的巴朗人在家中和小学教育的早期阶段一直使用巴朗语，直到五六岁。直到这个年龄的教育都只使用Palaung。当地的教师都是巴朗族人，只有少数是缅甸族。大约六岁以后，巴朗儿童开始学习缅甸语作为国语。

The objectives of this research is as follows.Firstly, to describe phonetics and to analyze phonology of Palaung language spoken in the northeast part of Myanmar. Secondly, to investigate the bilingual or multilingual situation in the above area based on fieldwork.In the first year, the equipment required for the phonetic analysis and the fieldwork was prepared. Fieldwork for studying the bilingual situation was done in November. Phonetic description was also done with the help of a language consultant available in Tokyo.Fieldwork in the area for the second year was cancelled due to the political instability during the period in the country. Instead, we conducted a field trip in the northern Thailand where multilingualism of Burmese, minority languages and local Thai dialects is observed. On the other hand, we concentrated on phonemic analysis using the data obtained in the previous year.According to the information obtained from the fieldwork, we learned that Palaung people in the region continuously use Palaung language at home and in the early stage of their elementary education up to five or six years old. The education up to this age is done using Palaung only. The local teachers are ethnic Palaung people, except few are ethnic Burmese. Only after around six years old, the Palaung children start learning Burmese language as the national language.