Are Dialects Acceptable in Public Places?
As the standard service sector language in China, Mandarin has been promoted for public use nationwide over the past decades. Recently however, a metropolis subway company actually encouraged some of its employees to speak dialects when offering services to people from different areas, which is seen by some as against the promotion of Mandarin across the country. Yet it remains my firm belief that dialects be acceptable in public places.
It can never be denied that the practice of encouraging the use of Mandarin in public places is a good one. As the large territory of China has given birth to various regional accents, it would be unimaginably inconvenient to have people speaking their own accents while communicating with each other. Mandarin is invented and promoted therefore to ensure that people from different areas of the country are able to communicate smoothly and efficiently without obstacles, thus serving to enhance national unity and social harmony. However, dialects have a number of significant functions that should by no means be neglected.
As we know, a dialect is the representative of the unique culture of a particular area as well as an important aspect to be distinguished from other regions. People nowadays tend to use Mandarin most of the times while seldom speaking their dialects. The sad truth is that dialects are gradually forgotten by younger generation, quite a few of whom cannot even use their dialect at all. If the local accents are not frequently used as Mandarin, then it is very likely that they will face extinction which ultimately results in void cultures.
Moreover, not all dialects are as difficult to understand for the majority of people, as is the case with the Dongbei accent which is not only easy to understand but actually a rather funny dialect to hear. Besides, to a number of people, speaking their own accents can actually make them feel relaxed and comfortable in communication, which is what speaking Mandarin cannot bring. It is even more inappropriate to forbid the use of dialects when they are the only way they could communicate.
Based on the arguments given above, I would like to restate my viewpoint that dialects should receive more tolerance in the public because dialects have their unique roles to play and considerable cultural significance. Therefore, it is my strong suggestion that great importance be attached to dialects while sticking firmly to the policy of promoting Mandarin across the country. Only through a balanced approach of the two can we truly expect a brighter future.
