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I am excited about the very initiatives that your institute is putting in joining the bannerof the United Nations proclamation of 2008 as the International Year of Ingigenous Languages. I have been working for over 13 years in preserving and promoting indigenous languages, in my country, Papua New Guinea. My country has 865 different indigenous languages. I am senior language tutor with Language and Literature Department at the University of Goroka and also the facilitator to my indigeous language Alekano organisation, The Alekano Gakoq Otiti (Alekano Language Revitalisation)Organisation. To commemorate the International indigenous language year we are in the progress to do awareness on the Alekano language, record language songs, folkfore, stories etc. At the moment we do not have a website but with proper arrangement with the University of Goroka or Summer Institute of Linguistic in Papua new Guinea, we might get connected. If anything that you need us concerning Language that needs publishing through your web we are happy to contribute.
Below is a proprosal/ rational I made to the University of Goroka to recognise our effort in preserving/promoting indigenous language this year.
1. Title of the Awareness Campaign: Year of the indigenous language awareness campaign-2008
2. Research Statement: Awareness Campaign on indigenous language-Alekano
3. Rationale: In the effort to recognize the United Nations proclamation of 2008 as the International Year of Indigenous Languages, Language and Literature Department has taken the initiative to do awareness to promote the protection, perpetuation and preservation of Papua New Guinea’s indigenous languages. The Department joins global efforts to promote the diversity of indigenous local languages that are important for humanity but are being challenged to survive under the shadow of the most widely used dominant world languages such as English, Spanish, French, Chinese, and others. Further, on that note, spear heading the objective of the University, “Melanesian perspective”, and reinforcing the line of National Constitution, national goals and principle no.5, “preservation of PNG ways and cultures”, the aim solicit to promote these goals through indigenous language awareness (Faraclas, 2002,).
This awareness will not only recognize and commemorate the international year of indigenous languages but would do communal recordings, collaborations and language analyzes aiming toward the task to preserve the recordings in the library or language lab as a researched outcome.
4. Aims: The aims and objectives of this awareness are:
- to establish the extent to which the awareness is seeing as community service provided by the University to the people of Goroka.
- to protect indigenous language by collaborating effectively towards a unified goal of language preservation through use, education and promotion
- to help market the language certificate course which the Department is aiming to develop
- to inform the Linguistic Society of Papua New Guinea and the University of Goroka on the outcome of the awareness during The International Year of Indigenous Languages conference towards the end of this year.
5. Relevance to PNG: Papua New Guinea with its 865 language is the most pluralistic country in the world (Faraclas 2002, Tama, 2007). Recognizing that genuine Papua New Guinea language identity and appreciation promotes unity in diversity and mutual Melanesian understanding, this awareness bearing is timely.
6. Campaigners Qualifications: Most of the campaigners are staff from Language and Literature Department with expertise in the field and one from Social Science who is exposed to research.
- Miss Anne-Wanamp (Literature Lecturer)
- Mr. Robert Baraka (Language Lecturer)
- Ms. Rose Bolgy (Language Lecturer)
- Miss Jane Awi (Literature Lecturer)
- Mr. Lawrence Gerry (Language Tutor)
- Mrs. Cecelia Amoiha (Language Tutor)
- Mr. Philip Tama (Language Senior Tutor)
- Dr. Felix Bablis (Senior Lecturer-Social Science)
- (Other Lecturers/Tutors interests are yet to be confirmed)
7. Literature Review: UNESCO Intangible Heritage Section document states the case well: Language diversity is essential to the human heritage. Each and every language embodies the unique cultural wisdom of a people. The loss of any language is thus a loss for all humanity.
The extinction of each language results in the irrecoverable loss of unique cultural, historical and ecological knowledge. Each language is a unique expression of the human experience of the world. Thus, the knowledge of any single language may be the key to answering fundamental questions of the future.
Every time a language dies, we have less evidence for understanding patterns in the structure and function of human language, human prehistory and the maintenance of the world’s diverse ecosystems. Above all, speakers of these languages may experience the loss of their language as a loss of their original ethnic and cultural identity.
Language Awareness Campaign Scope and Methodology
8. Sampling/Unit of Analysis: The elements in the awareness will include almost all the Alekano Language speaking villages in Goroka. One village at a time will be visited to do awareness. Awareness will be given by University staffs, by the organizers, Alekano Gakoq Otiti organization, and the village indigenous people concerning language. Language songs, stories and ways will be recorded. Visitation to the villages and sites will be made twice a month on a Friday afternoon, one in the beginning of the month and the other at the end of the month.
Specific Alekano speaking villages are selected in Goroka to be visited for awareness purpose (see Table 1. below).
Table 1. Villages in Goroka to be visited (Provisional)
Village/Venue Date of Visit Confirmation
- Kami No1 07/03/08 Confirmed
- Gorohanota 28/03/08 Confirmed
- Asaroufa 04/04/08 Confirmed
- Seigu 25/04/08 Confirmed
- Faniufa 02/05/08 Not yet confirmed
- Kamaliki 30/05/08 Not yet confirmed
- Okiufa 06/06/08 Not yet confirmed
- Kafuku 27/06/08 Not yet confirmed
- Nagamizuha 04/07/08 Not yet confirmed
- Roja 25/07/08 Not yet confirmed
- Kama 01/08/08 Not yet confirmed
- Ufeto 29/08/08 Not yet confirmed
- Kotuni 05/09/08 Not yet confirmed
- Masilakaufa 26/09/08 Not yet confirmed
- Sipiga 03/10/08 Not yet confirmed
- Nupaha 30/10/08 Not yet confirmed
- Lapigu 07/11/08 Not yet confirmed
- Komiyufa 28/11/08 Not yet confirmed
Note: changes can be made depending on the village schedules, or UOG schedules
9. Proposed Budget: The budget below is an anticipated amount needed for the awarenessTable2.
- Expenditure Quantity Amount Funding
- Transport 10 x K5x 18 K900 TBA
- Informants/refreshment K50 X 18 K900 TBA
- Printing, photocopying & cartridge 1 x K500 K500 TBA
- Stationery: tapes/cassettes/batteries Stationery K200 TBA
- Total K2,500
10. Methodology: The type of information collection is both quantitative and qualitative with the use of tape recorders. The data will be analyzed using linguistic methods.
11. Form of Final Report: The final report will be made to the department and those who sponsor (if any) the awareness. The preliminary findings will be presented at the Papua New Guinea Linguistic conference. The language data and records collected will be compiled for use in the library or language lab. Progressive linguistic analysis would be made for the university seminar cause. If possible the awareness campaign aims and objectives with its findings will be sent via internet to the Indigenous language Institute in the United States.
12. Departmental Briefing: A briefing on the progress and result of the awareness will be made at the departmental level. This may take place during the department meeting
13. Report for Department: The Department of Language and Literature will receive a copy of the completed language awareness
References
Faraclas, 2002, Culture, and Critical Literacy, The politics of cultural pluralism in Papua New Guinea, Lecture Handout, University of Papua New Guinea, Port Moresby
Hill, L. G 2008. “2008 International Year of Languages”, http://www.indigenous-language.org/YOL/index.html, 07/03/08
Tama, P 2007, “Learning from Critical community Literacy program in Papua New Guinea” Huon Seminar presentation, University of Technology, Lae
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