What about the “Declaration of Linguistic Rights”?

A new article by Don Osborn at Multidisciplinary Perspectives

There are probably not many people who have heard of the Universal Declaration of Linguistic Rights (UDLR). The whole concept of linguistic rights is not widely known or discussed outside of some “MINEL” (minority, indigenous, national, endangered, local) language communities and language experts and activists. During this International Year of Languages, and with an upcoming Symposium on Linguistic Rights in the World (Geneva, 24 April), it would seem to be an ideal moment to ask where we are going with the UDLR and the whole concept.

Read the full article 

PLM2008 Workshop Session: African languages in advance: language technology and acquisition (Poland)

Source: Aflat

Thu, 2008-03-13 19:14 — Karien

The Poznań Linguistic Meeting (PLM) is an annual general linguistics conference that continues the tradition of the Polish-English contrastive conferences started by Jacek Fisiak in 1970. The name “Poznań Linguistic Meeting” was adopted in 1997, when Katarzyna Dziubalska-Kołaczyk took over as the Head of the Organising Committee. The Meetings are organised by the School of English, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań.

PLM2008 Workshop Session: African languages in advance: language technology and acquisition

With the leitmotif of the 39th PLM in mind, the workshop “African
languages in advance” will focus on recent South African linguistic
perspectives. In a multilingual society, with eleven official languages,
research in language is more needed than ever. The South African
Government’s Department of Arts and Culture realised the importance of
maintaining linguistic diversity and that is why a national strategy for
human language technology (HLT) was drafted in 2004 “to provide for
setting up a national HLT facility to co-ordinate research, development,
training and consultation”
(http://www.dac.gov.za/publications/strategic_plan/str_plan2005_10.pdf).

During this workshop, we want to discuss the advances in the field of
human language technology (speech and text technology) and research in
language acquisition in the past few years. The topics will range from the
developing of core technologies (e.g. parsers, morphological analysers)
and applications (e.g. electronic dictionaries, spellcheckers and language
acquisition packages) to the methodology of language acquisition
(especially in a multicultural environment such as South Africa). This
will also be an opportunity for interaction between South African and
European researchers.

Session organisers
Karien Brits (Adam Mickiewicz University), e-mail: karien (at) ifa.amu.edu.pl
Aleksandra Cichocka (Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań), e-mail: olukomska (at) yahoo.com
(In the addresses above, replace (at) with @)

Important dates:
Main submission deadline for all abstracts (papers, posters and workshop
sessions): 1 May 2008
Notification of acceptance for papers and posters: 1 June 2008

Links:
http://ifa.amu.edu.pl/plm/African_languages
http://ifa.amu.edu.pl/plm/

Corpora for African languages - An Crúbadán

Source: Aflat

Thu, 2008-02-07 04:42 — scannell

URL:

http://borel.slu.edu/crubadan/

Description:

The Crúbadán Project is devoted to creating basic language technology for minority languages and under-resourced languages using web-crawling and statistical techniques. As of early 2008 we have collected text corpora for 419 languages, including more than 125 African languages, and have used these to create open source spell checkers for more than 20 languages. Please contact Kevin Scannell (http://borel.slu.edu/) if you are interested in developing open source resources for other African languages using these data.

Ghana: Summer School on Documentary Linguistics in West Africa

Posted on March 31, 2008.

Summer School on Documentary Linguistics in West Africa

University of Education, Winneba, Ghana

16-27 July 2008

A 10-day summer school on language documentation will be held prior to the 26^th West African Languages Congress (WALC) of the West African Linguistics Society (WALS/SLAO) at the University of Education, Winneba, Ghana, 28^th July to 3^nd August 2008. The theme of the Congress is “Language Documentation in Support of West African Languages”.

The goal of the Summer School is to provide training for linguists and graduate students in the West African region in language documentation theory and practice.

Pending final approval, the 2008 Summer School on Documentary Linguistics in West Africa will be sponsored by the Endangered Languages Documentation Programme (ELDP) of the Hans Rausing Endangered Languages Project (HRELP), SOAS, London.

 

Participants:

The maximum number of participants is 30 and they will be selected so that each country in the region will be represented.

How to apply:

 

Applicants must reside and study/work in West Africa.

They should have a minimum of BA or its equivalent involving some linguistic training.

They should have some fieldwork experience or have concrete plans for doing documentation work.

They should be committed to and have a plan for transferring the knowledge they acquire to others in their universities and countries.

The general lectures will be given in English, hence all participants should be able to read and understand basic English. Workshops and tutorials may be offered in French as well, when necessary.

 

Interested persons should send an application via e-mail or fax to the following address:

 

Felix K. Ameka

African Languages and Cultures

Leiden University Centre for Linguistics

P. O. Box 9515

2300 RA Leiden

The Nehterlands

 

Tel: + 31 – 71 – 527 2243

Fax; + 31 – 71- 527  7569

 

e-mail: f.k.ameka@let.leidenuniv.nl

 

 

Your application must include:

 

A. Personal background Information

 

Full name

Position

Affiliation

Address

 

Telephone, fax, e-mail

 

Country

 

First language(s):

 

Other West African languages you know:

 

B. Curriculum Vitae and Motivation

 

1.     Give a brief statement of your University studies involving linguistics (including degrees obtained). Indicate the courses you have followed.

2.     What experience do you have in linguistic description (e.g. fieldwork)? Indicate whether the languages you have worked on, are your first or other language. 

3.     What experience do you have in language documentation including the use of any tools?

4.     Which language(s) are you working on or plan to work on? Provide information on their geographical location and genetic affiliation. 

5.     Explain your commitment as well as how you plan to transfer the knowledge you would acquire to     others in your institution and/or country.

6.     Provide the name and contact details of your Supervisor or an academic who would like to serve as a referee for you. Explain why you have nominated this person.

C Travel information

 

7.     There will be travel bursaries to supplement the travel costs of participants (mostly by road) from country of residence to Winneba, Ghana. Provide an estimate of the cost of travel from your residence to Winneba.

Send your application in to the address provided above not later than April 30^th, 2008.

Applications received will be acknowledged immediately.

Decisions on the applications will be made by the Organising Committee and communicated to the applicants by 15^th May 2008.

 

The resource persons include:

 

Firmin Ahoua, Université de Cocody, Abidjan

Felix Ameka, Leiden University

Bruce Connell, York University and University of Kent

William Foley, University of Sydney

Dafydd Gibbon, University of Bielefeld

Birgit Hellwig, RCLT, La Trobe, Melbourne

David Nathan, ELAR, SOAS

Sophie Salffner, ELAP, SOAS

Eno-Abasi Urua, University of Uyo

 

 

The topics to be covered are:

 

• What is language documentation (including planning a language documentation project)
• Ethical and methodological issues in language documentation (including fieldwork)
• Techniques and methods of data collection
• Transcription and annotation and their tools (Transcriber, Praat, ELAN)
• Audio and video recording
• Principles of archiving and dissemination: metadata, media, file formats
• Ethnography in language documentation
• Lexicography and tools (Toolbox)
• Field Semantics
• Field phonetics
• Grant application writing

 

—————————————-

Felix K. Ameka

African Languages and Cultures

Leiden University

PB 9515

2300 RA Leiden

The Netherlands

 

e-mail: f.k.ameka@let.leidenuniv.nl

tel: + 31 (0)71 527 2243

fax: + 31 (0)71 527 7569

 

Visit the website of the Journal of African Languages and Linguistics (JALL) at

www.degruyter.de

Nigeria: Ido language lessons

Edo Nation has some fairly rudimentary Ido language lessons 

as does EdoFolks where you’ll also find the following:

Edo Proverb 1
Edo Proverb2
Teach Yourslf Edo Language
24 major Edoid dialects in Nigeria
Nigeria’s Modern Language
WAZOBIA
Edo General Language
10 Edo Proverbs
Edo Months and Seasons
Edo Language Class (2/03)
Can we speak one language (2/03)
Common Titles and Definitions in Edo Language  (2/05)
Definitions of an “Obo” and “Ogie-Obo”  (2/05)
Political Office Minister in Edo Language  (2/05)
Edo Dictionary Online  (6/06)

Benin: Edo language policy

BNC makes case for Edo language policy

Written by Simon Ebegbulem
Tuesday, 25 March 2008

THE Benin National Congress (BNC) a socio-cultural organisation in
 Edo State, has urged the state House of Assembly to prevail on the
relevant authorities in the state to implement the Edo language
 policy in all private and public schools, so as to save the cultural
 heritage of the Binis from extinction The Congress through a letter addressed
to the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Mr Zakawanu Garuba,
signed by its National President, Mr Aiyamenkhue Edokpolo, lamented
that non-teaching of the  subject as well as the significance of the
cultural heritage such as dancing steps, artifact, moats, dresses and
historical tales has in no small measure denied the younger
generations of the essence of enculturation.

It pointed out that Edo language was listed among the languages to
extinct before the year 2020 by the United National Education,
Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) report of last year,
saying that since the emergence of that report, governments and
concerned groups across the globe have been articulating ways to save
their heritage from the “sad prediction”. “As a cultural heritage
group, we hold our people the duty to raise the stake for the safety
of our heritage hence our resolve to humbly appeal to you to ensure
that not only is Edo language taught in our schools, it must be made
compulsory for every student of Edo State origin to secure a pass as
 a promotional yardstick” it stated.

Full story:
http://www.vanguardngr.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=5417&Itemid=44 More on Edo language 

Nigeria: Igbo language lessons and more

 Igbonet has a series of Igbo language lessons, essays about the culture and people and more

Nigeria: Igbo Language Preservation

Source: All Africa

Nigeria: Umeh Calls for Igbo Language Preservation

A retired secondary school principal, Mr Peter Umeh, has called on
 Ndigbo to preserve their language in order not to destroy the rich
 cultural heritage of the people.

Umeh told (NAN) in Enugu that the identity of any tribe was its
 language and that without language, a tribe would be incomplete and
 without identifiable root.

“Every tribe cherishes and protects its language because the
 extinction, marked the end and recognition of that tribe,” he said.

Full story:

http://allafrica.com/stories/200803240780.html   Read more about Igbo

Ghana: West African Languages Congress 2008

Posted on March 18, 2008.

Activities in Summer 2008 in Ghana

(i)    There will be a Summer School on Documentary Linguistics in West Africa 16^th to 27^th July 2008, preceding the 26^th West African Languages Congress, University of Education at Winneba. A call for applications for participation in the school will be sent out shortly. Registered participation is limited to graduate students and professionals resident in the West African region. The Summer School is supported by the Endangered Languages Programme (ELDP) of the Hans Rausing Endangered Languages Project, (HRELP), SOAS London.

(ii)  The 26^th West African Languages Congress will be held at the University of Education, Winneba from 28^th July till 3^rd August 2008.  I paste the Call for abstracts below.

(iii) The 2008 International Workshop on the Ghana-Togo-Mountain (GTM) Languages

(Sponsored in part by the Endangered languages Programme of the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO))

Date:              3-8 August 2008.

Venue:      Bishop Konings Social Centre, Ho, Ghana

Theme:      KA- and NA- GTM Languages Forty Years On

Featured Speakers include:

                   Kevin Ford, Australia

Bernd Heine, University of Cologne

              Mary Esther Kropp Dakubu, University of Ghana, Legon

      Contact:  Felix  Ameka (e-mail: f.k.ameka@let.leidenuniv.nl)

 

The 26th West African Languages Conference and

The First Summer School of Linguistics

University of Education, Winneba, Ghana.

July 16– August 03, 2008.

SECOND CALL FOR PAPERS

Due to numerous requests, the deadline for submission of abstracts for the 26^th West African Linguistics Congress (WALC) has been extended to Monday, March 31, 2008. The date for the Summer School has also been modified. Below are the details.

The 26^th West African Linguistics Congress (WALC) will be held on July 28-August 3, 2008 at the University of Education, Winneba Campus, Ghana.

The conference will be preceded by a Summer School to be held from Monday, July 15 to Saturday July 26, 2008.

The conference theme is Language Documentation in Support of West African Languages.

 

The organizers of the conference would like to invite papers that address the conference theme, or any other topic relating to West African Languages and Linguistics.

Topics include, but are not limited to, the following:

·      Endangered Languages

·      Language and Culture

·      Language and Education

·      Language and Technology

·      Language Planning

·      Morphology

·      Phonology

·      Pragmatics

·      Psycholinguistics

·      Semantics

·      Sociolinguistics

·      Syntax

·      Typology

Abstracts may be submitted in either English or French by email (word attachment is preferred) to the following email address: walc2008winneba@yahoo.com. The abstract should not be more than one page of A4 paper in word using 12 pt of Times New Roman font. If you do not have regular access to e-mail, you may submit one copy of your abstract by regular mail on a CD or 3.5 floppy disk (Microsoft Word document only) to the following postal address:

The Chairman

WALC 2008 Local Organizing Committee

Departments of Ghanaian Languages Education

University of Education, Winneba

P. O. Box 25

Winneba

Ghana.

Deadline for submitting abstracts is March 31, 2008.

Notification of acceptance of abstracts will be sent out by Tuesday, April 15, 2008.

 

THE SUMMER SCHOOL OF LINGUISTICS

The Summer School will commence from 15^th to 27^th July, 2008 at the South Campus of the Winneba Campus of the University of Education, Winneba. Interested participants should apply separately for the Summer School.

REGISTRATION

Registration and payment of fees shall be made concurrently at the registration desk from July 28 through July 31, 2008.

Conference Fees:

Participants from outside of Africa: USD 25

Participants from Africa and students: USD 10

Membership fee: USD 10

Excursion and dinner fees will be communicated to participants in due course.

LOCAL Organizing Committee

Emmanuel Nicholas Abakah     Tel.    + 233 244 73 21 72 or +233 208 76 77 83)

Ephraim Avea Nsoh          + 233 207 31 01 93

Samuel Atintono A.          + 233 244 22 56 97

Francisca Adjei          + 233 242 15 11 52

Dominic Amuzu          + 233 244 73 98 42

Philip K. Geraldo   + 233 208 47 11 32

Louisa Koranteng          + 233 244 58 46 79

C. B. Buachie          + 233 208 22 76 38

2008, International Year of Languages - Languages matter!

Posted by sociolingo on January 4, 2008

Source: UNESCO

2008, International Year of Languages

Languages matter !

On 16 May 2007, the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 2008 to be the International Year of Languages. As language issues are central to UNESCO’s mandate in education, science, social and human sciences, culture, and communication and information, the Organization has been named the lead agency for this event.

To celebrate the International Year of Languages, UNESCO invites governments, United Nations organizations, civil society organizations, educational institutions, professional associations and all other stakeholders to increase their own activities to promote and protect all languages, particularly endangered languages, in all individual and collective contexts.

To facilitate partnership and monitoring, a communication tools kit is available, as well as a list of possible action fields and a list of the projects currently undertaken in the framework of the International Year of Languages. To submit your project to the list, please fill in the project outline form.