Shenyang (CNS) – The Man is the second largest minority group in China. Over 10 million Man live in China at present, but only dozens of them have mastered the Man language.
A class opened recently in Shenyang, the capital of Liaoning province, to teach Man for free. A high school teacher, Mr. Liu, runs the class to teach basic grammar, but only started to learn the language himself in 2008.
"I am a layman advocate for the Man culture, but as a Man minority member I aspire to learn about the culture. I decided to start with the language when I heard of this class", said one student. The class is scheduled on Sundays, and about 20 people have enrolled to date.
Plenty of books, dictionaries and poems written in Man need to be translated, raising the chances that Man culture and customs will be preserved, said Bai Qiankui, head of the Shenyang Man Minority Association, adding that Mr. Liu's language classes contribute to that larger goal.
