There are not accessible grammars or dictionaries of Zaachila. Our research group has the aim to document and revitalize the language through the oral literature in a series of workshops, where together with speakers of Zaachila and other members of the community (children) we will produce a booklet with traditional short stories narrated by different speakers of Zaachila and translated into Spanish and English and a talking dictionary online. The process will be filmed with the intention to make a documentary where the speakers can give their impressions about their language and identity.
Topical focus:
Country:
What locality or neighborhood will your project focus on?
Zaachila, Oaxaca
Describe the specific population with whom you will be working.
For this project, Zaachila speakers and learners are vital. Zaachila is a Zapotecan language spoken in Mexico, Oaxaca (concretely in Villa Zaachila) that is considered to be in a threaten state. This state is cause because of many socio-historical factors, that make this community to be losing an important trait of their identity, their language. The creation of the online dictionary will be carried by linguists and speakers of Zaachila, concepts about lexicon will be taught as well as basic programing to create together the website. The booklet creation would required the participation of adults and children. The level of computer managing is not very high but the community has develop a plan for information technology learning.
Who else will be on your team to help implement the project?
We are a multidisciplinary group of researchers.
Andrea Ariza García. MA student in Linguistics at Aarhus University, Denmark. https://www.facebook.com/andreariza.g
Carmen Urbita Ibarreta. MA student in Comparative Literature in Oxford University, UK.
Pablo Gómez-Pan Rodríguez. Master in Documentary Film. University of the Arts of London. London College of Communication. https://www.facebook.com/pablo.g.rodriguez.98
Andrés Santiago. Master in Linguistics at Complutense University in Madrid, Spain. https://www.facebook.com/asantiago.an?fref=ts
What kinds of news, stories and other content will be created?
The speakers and learners of Zaachila will create an online dictionary of Zaachila Zapotecan language and a booklet of traditional short stories that will be illustrated by the drawings of children. The participants will learn how to create an online dictionary and a booklet. They will record themselves, translate, learn about linguistic concepts and design the final website. This content will be created in two workshops of 13 weeks in total. At the same time we will film the process and the community will have the opportunity to tell and explain how they feel about the endangerment of their language, the causes and consequences of the extinction of it and the ideas they may have to revitalize Zaachila Zapotecan language.
What technologies and digital tools do you plan to use in the trainings?
Describe the connections that you or your organization have already established or plan to establish that will contribute to the success of the project.
We count with the contact of two linguists in Oaxaca experienced in language documentation and revitalization through digital media: Elizabeth Merril, Rosemary Bean de Azcona, who have helped and gave us good advices.
Also we count with the approval and enthusiasm of the town hall of Zaachila to develop the project and the help of some speakers: Osbaldo Gabriel Iriarte, from the department of Media and Culture in Zaachila.
In Zaachila radio, where Osbaldo Gabriel Iriarte is in charge, they have been already working with speakers of Zaachila so they have the information and contact of the consultants and translators that will help us with the process.
How many participants do you think will be trained in your project?
For the online dictionary workshop:
The first part of the workshop will be a collection of lexicon where there would not be a limit of participants, speaker and learners of every age of Zaachila will be welcomed.
The second part consists on the development of the website and the limit of participants is 20 adults. The online dictionary will be updated by the community.
For the traditional short stories workshop:
The first part will be a collection of the short stories. Here children and adults can participate
The second part will consist in the development of the online book that would be illustrated with drawings made by children while they are learning the short stories in Zaachila Zapotecan. The limit will be 10 adults and no limit for children
Describe which technologies, tools, and media you will focus on when training participants.
They will use audio recordings and video cameras to create the files that will be used in the online dictionary and in the booklet. Given the fact that Zaachila community is loosing every day a huge part of their identity the benefits from online products can be outstanding for the revitalization of the language. In this project the participants will use computers and basic programing to create an space on internet to develop and preserve their culture and identity.
Describe the facilities where you will hold the workshops.
The town hall of Zaachila offered an big space in a primary/secondary school which is equipped with computers, approximately 15 computers. Medium internet connection speed, ADSL.
What is your current relationship with the community with whom you plan to work? What makes you the most appropriate individual or organization to implement this project?
Our main contact are Osbaldo Gabriel Iriarte who has helped us to introduce the project to the community of Zaachila and one of the members of this research group who is living already in Villa Zaachila and has started the language documentation with various speakers. The community is very aware of the status of their language and has always been very open and participative to any kind of activity related with their origins and culture.
Being a multidisciplinary research group we can help to revitalized different aspects (related of course) of Zaachila culture.
What specific challenges do you expect to face when planning and implementing your project?
The main challenge is timing. We are aware of the ambitious plan that we have planned so it would be possible that the project will extent its duration. Although it would not be a problem either for us, perhaps it is for the participants. Nevertheless, how the workshops are planned it is not necessary the constant attendance because it is divided in for parts for each workshop that are obviously connected but independent as well.
How will you measure and evaluate the project’s impact, specifically: your primary participants, the wider regional community, or the global digital community?
We think that the three areas will received an important impact from this initiative. In a small scale the participants of the projects will be benefited from the experience of collaborative work in revitalizing their language, at the same time their work an experiences will benefit the regional community to be aware of the importance of language, culture and identity and this subsequently will totally benefit and impact the global digital community because it will show new practices and new spaces for the language and the culture that otherwise will die.
If your project were to be selected as a Rising Voices grantee, what would be the general timeline of project activities in 2014?
Online dictionary Workshop: 20th September / 20th October
1. Collection of the lexicon: 20th/ 30th September
2. Creating audio files for the dictionary: 1st/7th October
3. Training and creating the online dictionary: 7th/20th October
4. Creating illustrations for the design of the website (children): 7th/20th October
Traditional short stories booklet:
1. Collection of short stories and rough translation: 27th October/ 7th November
2. Creating the files for the booklet: 10th/17th November
3. Training and creating the booklet: 18th/ 28th November
4. Creating illustrations for the design of the website (children): 18th/28th November
Detail a specific budget of up to $2,500 USD for operating costs.
Audio recordings: Tascam DR-05 Dictaphone by Tascam (second hand) x 5 = §350
Video cameras: GoPro Hero3: White Edition by GoPro (second hand) x 3 = §600
Tripods: Complete Tripod Kit for the GoPro Hero3 by SSE x 3 = §150
Language Consultants Salary: 3 consultants, §7/h, 2days/week for 7 weeks = §588
Travel expenses for the four members of the group: §512
Besides the microgrant funding, what other support can Rising Voices provide for your project to ensure its success?
The project could have a great impact with you help, for example providing the contacts of other projects related with revitalization of languages, promoting the project online or appear as support and collaborator in the dictionary website and booklet.
Contact name
Andrea Ariza García