Mind your indigenous languages: international conference in June, British Columbia

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 22 (Bernama) -- As indigenous languages worldwide continue to disappear at an alarming rate, a conference on indigenous languages will be held in June in Canada.

Approximately, 40 per cent of the estimated 6,700 languages spoken worldwide are in danger of disappearing.

To address this issue, the three-day International Conference on Indigenous Languages 2019 will be held, beginning June 24, in British Columbia (BC).

The event is the collaboration of the First Peoples’ Cultural Foundation and the First Peoples’ Cultural Council, in partnership with the Canadian Commission for UNESCO.

Indigenous leaders and language experts, speakers, learners and advocates worldwide will celebrate, honour and share expertise in indigenous language reclamation, revitalisation and maintenance as well as learn about successful language projects in BC.

The conference aims to provide participants with practical skills and knowledge to support the indigenous language revitalisation work they are leading in their communities and organisations, according to a statement.

Multiple workshop streams such as practical training in indigenous language immersion, archiving and documentation techniques; language policy and legislation; language revitalisation programme planning; models for language revitalisation and education; language and technology; and storytelling will be conducted.

The United Nations has declared 2019 as the Year of Indigenous Languages as initiative to raise international attention on the critical loss of indigenous languages and the need to preserve, revitalise, promote and mobilise urgent and right action to protect them.

For more information, visit https://www.fpcflanguageconference.com

-- BERNAMA