Mother Tongue-based Literacy Programmes: Case Studies of Good ...

Kam inhabit parts of four provinces of the People’s Republic of Chinasinging ability is somehow related to the fact that even their speaking seems musical: the Kam languagehas nine tones, which means that many words can only be distinguished by the pitch of the speaker’svoice. Edmondson, Somsonge and Zhou (2000) provide an example of nine distinct words, with the toneshown by the final letter of the word:saol “smelly”saoc “feeding pen for cattle”saop “information”saos “hot to the touch”saox “husband”saot “grass carp”saov “soup”saok “egret”saoh “to weave a basket”Source: Edmondson, Somsonge and Zhou (2000) Introduction to the Kam-Chinese-Thai-English Dictionary (p. xvii)Kam music has developed into an art form over the centuries. It can be divided into various differenttypes: for example, love songs, which may or may not be accompanied by musical instruments; acappella songs, such as those imitating sounds from nature (e.g., the cicada), “roadblock” songs (that thepeople sing to visitors before they let them into the village, to which the visitors sing songs in response),ceremonial songs and mountain songs. The Kam music also includes Kam opera (drama with alternatesinging and speaking).[ 73 ]