On April 22 and on the occasion of the 26th World Reading Day, iFly Input Method and the Academy of Chinese Dialects (AOCD) at Zhejiang Normal University joined efforts in a project which focuses on the collection, protection, and digitalization of Zhejiang dialects.

The AOCD spent two years in the field, conducting detailed research into local sound systems, monosyllables, lexicon, and grammatical examples throughout Zhejiang. Both written annotations and video recordings are contributing to collecting and preserving the variety of local dialects. Professor Cao Zhixuan, director of the AOCD at ZNU, explained, “This project on cultural and video recording of dialects sums up the local, cultural, endangered, and fundamental nature of dialects themselves. One of the major achievements of such a language preservation project is the publication of a series of works on local Chinese language and culture. This set of publications combine images, texts, and audiovisual elements to provide readers with a comprehensive overview of China’s dialect culture.”

A few days ago, iFly’s official website for the Dialects Protection Plan made public the 27 videos on dialect culture produced by the team, presenting the actual features of dialects and leading the audience to understand dialects’ historical sources, as well as cultural implications.

Collection and conservation of dialects is not only a process reserved for scholars; it is something in which everyone can have a say, and it is a popular phenomenon. Compared with the past, people can freely access AI tools to contribute to dialect culture, which has opened up a very characteristic technical side of the field and has created new possibilities for the protection of Zhejiang’s dialect heritage.

Specifically, iFly and AOCD developed a sub-application which collects and helps to share native linguistic resources, and provides an excellent foundation for conservation and heritage of local linguistic variants. In addition to the basic functions of recording, playing, and sharing, a highlight of the program is to provide users with tools to record and “display” their pronunciation, as well as promoting outstanding readings by other users clicking “like.” With the combination of valuable linguistic resources and authentic local speeches, and with traditional culture meeting modern technology, each and every native speaker of a local dialect and language enthusiast has the opportunity to contribute to the recording and preservation of local dialects.

The first two phases of Zhejiang’s dialect collection project have been completed, not only drawing resources from the people, but also and more importantly, letting the dialects return to the people. Further such joint projects are expected in the future.

The cooperation between the iFly Input Method and the AOCD is both a successful step in exploring the protection of the cultural heritage of the Chinese people, and a continuation iFly’s public action within the Dialect Protection Plan. (From Jiangxi Network Television, translated by Marco Lovisetto, edited by Kendra Fiddler)