Tibetans have had their own language and many dialects for centuries. But that all seems to be changing. These days, Tibetan students study most of their classes in Mandarin Chinese—a language that's often key to finding a good job—especially now that so many ethnic Chinese have migrated to Tibet.

Many Tibetans worry that this means their own ancient language and its unique writing system are at risk of disappearing. Even the Shanghai Shigatse Experimental School, which is technically bilingual, only teaches one class in Tibetan—the Tibetan language class. All other subjects are taught in Mandarin. Teachers say there are no Tibetan language textbooks available for subjects like history, math or science.

For decades, the Chinese regime has been promoting standard Mandarin Chinese in the Tibetan region. All business transactions are now made only in Mandarin. And when it comes to finding a good job, many Tibetans have little choice but to learn it. High school student Dawan Dunjhu agrees.

[Dawan Dunjhu, Tibetan High School Student]:
"I want to be a lawyer, and for me Mandarin plays a very important role both in my life and my study. If someone can't speak Mandarin then they might as well be mute."

The Chinese regime claims it goes to great lengths to support Tibetan culture, but many Tibetans say that in reality, their language is being sidelined.

[Woeser, Tibetan Activist and Blogger]:

"Whether you can speak Tibetan has already become a secondary issue, but whether you can speak Mandarin has become crucial to your livelihood. So the Tibetan written language has in reality reached a very serious point."

Tibetan is spoken by just a few million people across the Himalayan plateau.