Links

05/04/2013  UNESCO Interactive Atlas of the World’s Languages in Danger United Nations

It is estimated that, if nothing is done, half of 6000 plus languages spoken today will disappear by the end of this century. With the disappearance of unwritten and undocumented languages, humanity would lose not only a cultural wealth but also important ancestral knowledge embedded, in particular, in indigenous languages.

However, this process is neither inevitable nor irreversible: well-planned and implemented language policies can bolster the ongoing efforts of speaker communities to maintain or revitalize their mother tongues and pass them on to younger generations.The aim of UNESCO’s Endangered Languages Programme is to support communities, experts and governments by producing, coordinating and  disseminating :

• tools for monitoring, advocacy, and assessment of status and trends in linguistic diversity,
• services such as policy advice, technical expertise and training, good practices and a platform for exchange and transfer of skills.

UNESCO's flagship activity in safeguarding endangered languages is the Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger.

24/02/2013  Mutual intelligibility of closely related languages European Union

In Europe a large number of languages are spoken. These languages enjoy different statuses, some are officially recognized, while others are spoken by minority populations. Respect for linguistic diversity is a core EU value but the linguistic diversity can lead to communication problems that might only be reconciled with sufficient knowledge about the language situation at hand. In 2007 the High Level Group on Multilingualism (HLGM) therefore published an overview of research topics that should be investigated to improve communication within Europe while still preserving multilingual richness. Two of these topics form the basis for the present investigation.

12/01/2013  The Education Index at PhDs.org United States

12/11/2012  Euregioschool Belgium

Le projet Euregioschool s'intéresse aux élèves de l'Eurégion Meuse-Rhin, âgés de 4 à 15 ans, dans le but de leur offrir un apprentissage du néerlandais, de l'allemand, ou du français plus approfondi, et cela au sein-même des établissements scolaires où ils suivent leur scolarité. Ce projet est une initiative des comités scolaires suivants: le Comité pour l'enseignement secondaire au Limbourg (LVO), Mosalira, Movare (groupements d'établissements primaires) et le Comité pour l'enseignement secondaire de la communauté Parkstad Limbourg (SVOPL) et va être plus amplement développé avec les partenaires en Belgique et en Allemagne.

06/11/2012  Deutsch Unterwegs Belgium

Deutsch Unterwegs est un projet qui a pour objectif la promotion de la langue allemande en Belgique.

Nos assistants linguistiques, dotés d’une formation en pédagogie, sillonnent les routes de Belgique à bord d’un bus Mercedes rempli de matériel sur l’espace germanophone. Ils se rendent dans les écoles primaires et secondaires ainsi que dans d’autres établissements de formation pour y fournir des informations détaillées et des nouvelles à propos de l’Allemagne et parler des événements d’actualité chez nos voisins d’outre-Rhin. Nous voulons susciter, par le jeu, l’enthousiasme des enfants et des adolescents pour l’apprentissage de la langue allemande. Quant à ceux ont déjà entamé leur apprentissage, nous entendons les encourager et les motiver à poursuivre sur cette voie.

23/10/2012  KIKUS - Kinder in Kulturen und Sprachen Germany

Research has shown that the first five years are critical for children´s language development - which is why early childhood language development is such a promising concept. The Siemens Stiftung is partnering with the non-profit Center for Multilingualism for Children (Zentrum für kindliche Mehrsprachigkeit e.V. - zkm) to spread its KIKUS (Kinder in Kulturen und Sprachen - Children in Cultures and Languages) language development method for children aged three and over to all parts of Germany. Since 2008 when the partnership was formed, the Siemens Stiftung has supported no less than 6,000 children and 400 educational specialists in this program.

Language development through play

Playing, singing, having fun and learning a language at the same time – that is the basic concept of KIKUS (Kinder in Kulturen und Sprachen – Children in Cultures and Languages). This method was developed by Dr. Edgardis Garlin, linguist and board member of zkm, in response to the specific requirements of early language development for children three years and older. This method focuses on the children’s emotional and experience patterns as a central priority at all times: topics such as family, clothes or food are made the objects of playful interaction with the language to be learned. Vocabulary, grammar and linguistic-social patterns of action are taught and practiced in a manner appropriate for children. In addition, attention to the child’s first language within the family is encouraged through guided parent-children work. Respect for the children’s language of origin strengthens their self-confidence and supports their multilingualism. The knowledge gained will be promoted and consolidated in the everyday practices of participating institutions.

Details

09/10/2012  Babelweb European Union

Babelweb est un site créé pour partager des opinions et des contributions sur plusieurs thèmes (voyages, recettes, films, etc) où chacun peut écrire dans la langue romane qu’il préfère (italien, français, espagnol, roumain, portugais), donnant vie à la grande communauté plurilingue de Babelweb .

La participation est libre et gratuite.