The Lanyu Tao Language Online Learning Website was originally launched in 2005 at Providence University by Prof. Victoria Rau and Prof. Meng-Chien Yang as part of the Endangered Languages Documentation Programme (ELDP) at SOAS, University of London. The site serves as an early platform for the digital archiving and learning of the Tao language.
Since September 2025, Dr. Hui-Huan Chang has been reviewing and updating the website materials, modernizing legacy software, curating the collection, and supplementing the site with additional supporting materials.
The website has now been migrated to the Center for Austronesian Language Archiving, Revitalization, AI and Digital Learning (ALARAD Center) at National Chung Cheng University, with the support of the College of Humanities. The project is currently expanding the development of interactive digital learning materials.
The multimedia lessons are designed based on three main principles: (1) selecting engaging topics that represent a wide range of genres and linguistic structures; (2) adopting a communicative and task-based learning approach; and (3) integrating information and communication technology (ICT) to enrich learning content and presentation.
The topics and grammatical progression of the materials follow the Indigenous Language Teaching Guidelines. The materials are organized into four volumes. Volumes 1 and 2 follow the storyline of a Han Chinese student visiting Orchid Island with Tao classmates. Volumes 3 and 4 focus more on cultural life and extended reading materials. The lessons cover topics such as greetings, self-introduction, family life, weather, the Flying Fish Festival, traditional houses, boat building, weaving, songs, and house inauguration ceremonies, while developing listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills.
The materials follow the structural learning principles of Tao language instruction—progressing gradually from simple to more complex forms in a spiral learning sequence—and include a comprehensive teaching framework covering grammar, word order patterns, and case marking. Each lesson also provides grammar references and learning activities.
These materials are suitable for Indigenous language courses as well as university courses related to linguistics. They can also be used for distance and digital learning, and as teaching materials for courses in Yami as a Second Language. For questions about learning or teaching materials, please contact:
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