20 Shanghai kindergartens to pilot local dialect program

A teacher teaches children to speak Shanghai dialect at a local kindergarten. (Photo source: People's Daily)

(ECNS) -- Shanghai is promoting its local dialect in 20 kindergartens by encouraging children to speak Shanghainese during break times at school, the local Youth Daily reports.

Yuan Wen, deputy director of the Shanghai Commission of Education, said she hoped it would help children acquire the dialect during a critical period in their language development.

Mandarin is the exclusive language allowed in class, according to state provisions, so we will try the program during breaks, Yuan added.

The protection and inheritance of the Shanghai dialect has been a hot topic at the city's Legislative and Political Consultation Conference Meetings.

The city last year launched a similar program in two communities, at the suggestion of Feng Maolun, a municipal political councillor.

Feng also encouraged more social organizations to promote the dialect at China's "two sessions."