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The Journal of the Royal Institute of Thailand Volume III - 2011 63 Suwilai Premsrirat A dictionary can be compiled and literature in local languages can be produced. The writing tools can also be used for recording oral literature from the elderly such as stories and folktales, poetry and local knowledge about herbal medicine, etc. For those ready to offer an ethnic language class in school teaching-learning, materials will be produced in the local language. Those mentioned are attempts from the language speakers at the grassroots community and academics (mainly linguists). School-Based Language Revitalization School-based language revitalization is highly prestigious and a dream of the language speakers. Of the language groups that still have enthusiastic speakers, they would prefer to have their language taught in school as part of a language revitalization program. There are two types of programs. ● Teaching Mother Tongue (MT) as a Subject (Chong, Nyah Kur, Northern Khmer, Mon (Ratchaburi)) ● Teaching Mother Tongue-Based Bilingual Education (MTB BE) (Patani Malay-Thai, Northern Khmer-Thai, Mon-Thai, Lavua- Thai, Hmong-Thai) Chong and Patani Malay have been selected as case studies to present two kinds of school-based language revitalization programs that involve strong participation of the language speakers and community. 1. Chong Language Revitalization Project (CLRP) Chong is an indigenous language, spoken in Chantaburi Province, Thailand. At the moment there are about 2,000-4,000 speakers. It belongs to the Austroasiatic language family (Pearic branch) and is very famous for its four registers. There has been a rapid decrease in the number of speakers over the last 30 years. Chong people under 30 years do not speak Chong. Thai is their first language. Only the older people use Chong in many situations. The CLRP began with minor cooperation between Chong elders and Mahidol linguists with whom they had formed good relationships following earlier linguistic field work in the Chong area, where the Chong people were invited to join the Field Methods in Linguistic classes. The Chong people are aware that their language is declining. They also realize that their language can be written down and can be taught to other people as well as to their younger generation. They then joined hands with their Mahidol friends for language revitalization. 54-75_mac9 5/3/12, 10:42 PM 63