Proposals Endangered Languages
Peru: Living Testimonies of Amazonian Migrants in Lima.
The project will provide a platform through blogs, YouTube and Facebook for speakers of at least 4 Amazonian languages in Peru. Currently, there is quite limited presence of the Asháninka, Nomatisgenga, Shipibo or Wampis languages on internet. These Endangered Languages and its speakers have been relegated in these new and important communication platforms. Using a bilingual approach and through these specific individuals, the project will provide these underrepresented languages a virtual space with the aim of nurturing some seriously Endangered Languages and empowering their native speakers
Cyprus: In the Footsteps of a Dying Dialect
This project is a participatory audio and visual documentary about the dying dialect of Kormakitis village in Cyprus. We hope to show the need for a solution to the Cyprus Problem so that people can return to their village, so get to know and speak there dialect. We will show the historical routs of this dialect, the need for teaching it to the youth and all the interested people so it will not die after a few generations. We will find older people to speak about their language, show the different perspectives of the youth, and highlight what has been done until now to keep this dialect alive.
USA: Against the Current: Language Capture Project
Urgent times are upon my UmoNhoN (against the current) people. There are approximately 5000 tribal members within our rural reservation community, and amongst us, less than 10 fluent speakers remain. These speakers are all 80 years and older. The purpose of this community driven project will be to create short video clips that will teach UmoNhoN tribal members how to speak common, everyday language phrases that can be spoken on a daily basis through habitual interactions. Utilizing social media networks as educational tools, and community members as active participants, will help us do so.
Mexico: Zapotecan Zaachila Language Documentation and Revitalization
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.
Mexico: Videoblog of History and Oral Mayan Tradition
Portal with videos of life stories, legends and traditions from Mayan speakers of Campeche. This project proposes to register a part of the Mayan oral culture. This will be through 20 interviews of Maya-speakers who, through them, will tell a traditional Mayan history. Topics are open, however, priority will be given to those that deal with the environment. Subsequently, these recordings will be edited and translated into Spanish and English and will be hosted on a website to be promoted through our social networks and those of our partners.
Nigeria: Tweet Yoruba
The project provides a platform on twitter for speakers of Yoruba in Nigeria and around the world. Like the famous @sweden project, the twitter account @TweetYoruba will feature a new Yoruba speaker every fortnight, and their role will be to express themselves fully in Yoruba. The project seeks to fill a void on twitter for Yoruba speakers. Currently, there is none or few twitter accounts where one can read ONLY in Yoruba language. The domineering nature of English has crowded out the voices of local languages. Through this project, we will empower more people to use the L1 on social networks.
