| Sitzung | ||
005A: Indigenous Languages and Revitalisation
S. Bischoff & M. Bischoff & C. Galla Empowering Indigenous and Non-Dominant Voices: Three Initiatives from the IDIL for Language Vitalization and Advocacy | ||
| Präsentationen | ||
Empowering Indigenous and Non-Dominant Voices: Three Initiatives from the IDIL for Language Vitalization and Advocacy 1Purdue University Fort Wayne, United States of America; 2University of British Columbia, Vancouver BC Canada We present three projects managed by the presenters, aimed at supporting speakers of Indigenous and non-dominant languages during and beyond the United Nations Decade of Indigenous Languages. The first, a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) titled “Indigenous Languages: “From Policy and Planning to Implementation and Assessment” was developed by our team from 2022 to 2023. This free course was launched on International Mother Tongue Day 2024 and has since attracted over 800 participants from nearly 90 countries worldwide. Students gain theoretical knowledge and practical skills that can be employed to develop and implement a language plan that will support their respective languages. The second project is the creation and launch of “Indigenous Language Rights & Realities” (ILR&R) in October 2024. This journal is affiliated with the Q1 journal “Language Documentation & Conservation.” The inaugural publication includes a series of papers that were presented at the 2023 United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues. ILR&R is a formal, multi-lingual, Indigenous-driven academic publishing space that prioritizes and centers the work of Indigenous and non-dominant scholars, including elders, language speakers and learners, knowledge holders, cultural practitioners, educators, researchers, and advocates. A primary goal of the publication is to help indigenize and decolonize the Western Academy from within. Finally, we report on the English Language Partners program, which was launched during the pandemic to support partners in Myanmar but evolved into a tool of diplomacy following the 2021 military coup. The program has since expanded to support refugees from the Ukraine war, Indigenous human rights activists, Indigenous broadcasters, and non-dominant youth in conflict zones. To date, it has served over 1,500 non-native speakers of English and has been delivered by over 75100 Midwestern college students from the USA. We discuss the impact the program has had on English learners and their Midwestern pre-professional teachers. | ||