This project aims to develop a digital platform were two indigenous Mexican languages Nahuatl and Maya Yucatec can be learned. With this, we want to reconcile these languages into modernity, to give an opportunity for both communities to learn about each other but also to make these languages available to any other person interested in them. In the long-medium term, our goal is to get more indigenous languages involved to enlarge the project.
What locality or neighborhood will your project focus on?
Chemax Yucatán, Mérida Yucatán, Mexico City
Describe the specific community with whom you will be working.
What kinds of news, stories and other content will be created?
In the beginning, we expect communication one way: from the site to the users. Stories and songs representative of both languages will be included. This way, both linguistic communities will be share their world view. In medium and long term, we expect that the users themselves use this platform to share information or experiences. Overall, learning about each other is a particular event aimed to do through this project.
What technologies and digital tools do you plan to use in the trainings?
Describe the connections that you or your organization have already established that will contribute to the success of the project.
To develop this project we will have direct contact with the communities of native speakers of both languages. It will also be contacted local Universities that might be interested in using this site. We expect that the lack of opportunities like this, might rise the interest of both communities: native speakers and nonnative speakers.
How many participants do you think will be involved in your project?
Initially, we consider a number of at least 60 people between native speakers of both languages and nonnative speakers will be favored. However we expect that within time, this number might increase.
Besides the microgrant funding, what other resources and support are you seeking for your project to ensure its success?
So far, we don’t have any economic support to carry out this project but there is great motivation of the people directly involved. In this respect, it is noteworthy to mention that these people have previous experience teaching, programing and that they are all native speakers of indigenous language. Secondly, given the great gap for representing indigenous languages in digital and massive media make us consider that the product of this project.