Department of Indigenous Languages and Communication 

Established in 2001, the Department of Indigenous Languages and Communication aims to educate students with the talent of language preservation and the skill of audio-visual communication, in order to revitalize the cultural heritage of indigenous nations in Taiwan.

According to Robert Blust, the Formosan languages form nine of the ten primary branches of the Austronesia language family; therefore, Taiwan's indigenous language is the most important part of the Austronesia languages, which are widely dispersed throughout the islands of Southeast Asia and the Pacific. Recently, most of the Formosan languages are seriously diminishing due to the process of colonial domination and cultural assimilation. Many linguists urge to preserve Taiwan's indigenous language and the creation of the department is thus to meet the urgent needs for the revitalization of indigenous language and culture. 

The department is committed to providing quality education that is relevant to indigenous linguistics and communication, for enabling students to participate the language preservation and leading to further opportunities engaging in the future development of indigenous society. 

Compared to other universities, our department has the additional resources:

1. Provide professional training in four course programs including language, literature, communication, and ethnic development.

2. Offer indigenous language courses and oral training.

3. Establish multimedia labs and have two divisions: broadcast and television. To provide students with more opportunities in practicing the use of multimedia and to increase their experiences for future career, broadcasting team collaborates and produces programs with the local broadcasting station in Hualien, and the television team documents the cultural rise and fall, social changes, and the stories of the youth in villages.

4. Provide students with multifaceted learning opportunities and environment in accordance with the course program system of the college and school.