"La langue maternelle: un concept pluriel en évolution" (conférence)

• Thématique: Langue maternelle
• Étendue de l’impact: Régionale
• Nature de projet: Communication
  
  
  
• Pays bénéficiaires:
  - Belgique
  - Luxembourg
  
  
• Entité responsable principale:
  Commission européenne - DG Traduction
  rue de Genève 6
  1140 Bruxelles
  Belgique

Résumé de l'action
À l'occasion de la journée internationale de la langue maternelle, cette conférence bilingue (FR/EN) a donné un aperçu de la problématique de la langue maternelle et de ses conséquences pratiques dans divers domaines tels que l'apprentissage des langues et l'emploi des langues dans le monde du travail.

Les orateurs étaient Laurence Mettewie, qui a participé à l'étude de Rudi Janssens sur l'emploi des langues à Bruxelles, et son collègue Luk van Mensel.

Ils ont remis en question la notion de langue maternelle et ont analysé la politique de l'Union européenne en matière de langues, à l'aide d'exemples concrets. Ils ont notamment abordé les attitudes linguistiques en tant que frein ou moteur d'apprentissage dans les environnements bilingues ainsi que le multilinguisme comme obstacle ou atout pour les entreprises.

"Les langues africaines, facteur d'intégration" (Conférence)

• Thématique: Transformations sociales
• Étendue de l’impact: Régionale
• Nature de projet: Sensibilisation
  
  
• Pays bénéficiaires: Pays africains
  
  
• Entité responsable principale:
  Délégation permanente du Kenya auprès de l'UNESCO
  UNESCO House
  1, rue Miollis
  75732 Paris Cedex 15

"Linguistic Diversity and Peace Processes: an international panorama with case studies" (Seminar)

• Thematic framework: Languages and peace
• Geographical outreach: International
• Types of project: Developing networks
  
  
  
  
• Beneficiary countries:
  - Catalonia, Spain
  - Slovenia
  - Sri Lanka
  - Pakistan
  - Mexico
  - South Africa
  - Ireland
  - Australia
  - France
  
  
• Main responsible :
  Mònica Sabata
  c/ Mallorca, 285, pral
  Barcelona
  Catalonia, Spain

Summary of the activities
At the beginning of June 2008 Linguapax, an organization dedicated to the promotion of linguistic diversity and linguistic rights around the world, hosted a seminar in Barcelona that brought experts together to discuss the relationship between management of linguistic diversity and the building a culture of peace through peace processes around the world.

The aims of the seminar were to:
- Reflect on the promotion of linguistic and cultural diversity and also the important role of linguistic rights as tools for economic, social and cultural development.
- Present positive experiences from different regions around the world and strengthen coooperation between institutions.
- Reinforce and further promote this area of study through the interdisciplinary combination of elements of
socio-linguistics, political science and peace studies.

Main partners
The guests speakers

Analysis of Via Brasil - The brazilian's newspaper in Switzerland promoting language and cultural identity

• Thematic framework: Language, Cultural Identity and Media
• Geographical outreach: International
• Types of project: Research and Analysis
  
  
• Beneficiary countries :
  - Brazil
  - Switzerland
  
  
• Main responsible:
  Lélia Chaves Mendes
  João Pessoa, PB
  Brazil
   
  
  

Summary of the activities
It has been developed an analysis of content of the newspaper Via Brasil, which is edited in Switzerland for Brazilians who live there. This newspaper is written in Brazilian Portuguese and it brings news from Brazil, as well as public service concerning economics indicators, information on Brazilian consulate's services in Switzerland and CPF regularization, news about cultural exchange between Brazil and Europe. Besides, this newspaper keeps the reader in touch with Brazilian literature through the publication of Brazilians writers' texts, such as Fernando Veríssimo.

Firstly, it has been studied Switzerland's Media System and its relation with cultural and language diversity. Brazilian Media has also been studied.

Secondly, six Via Brasil issues are going to be analyzed in detail to check properly the newspaper composition/language.

Then, it is going to be made an academic research about media in general, questioning if Via Brasil fits in newspaper, magazine or fanzine definitions.
 

Main partners
- Universidade Federal da Paraíba (Federal University of Paraíba) :  www.ufpb.br
- Jornal Via Brasil: www.viabrasil.ch
- Suelly Maux (teacher)

Association of Language Testers in Europe (ALTE) International Conference 2008

• Thematic framework: Language testing
• Geographical outreach: International
• Types of project: Awareness-raising
  
  
• Main responsible:
  Barbara Stevens
  ALTE Secretariat 1 Hills Road
  Cambridge
  UK

Summary of the activities
This international event entitled, the Social and Educational Impact of Language Assessment, covers subjects such as formative/teacher assessment, teacher education/certification, Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) and Language Assessment and Intercultural Dialogue: Language testing, migration and social inclusion, which touches directly on the debate concerning the use of language tests in the context of migration and citizenship.

This explores a number of strands, including the development and assessment of language competence for study and work-related purposes. There will also be a conference forum, under the auspices of the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Mr Terry Davis, focusing on the work of the EU and the Council of Europe in the integration and social inclusion of migrants plus an exploration of intercultural dialogue. Finally, Language Assessment: Impact and Stakeholders will cover the widest possible remit in terms of how language teaching and assessment affects individuals, organisations, communities and economies.

Main partners
34 countries (Presenters) Delegates from over 55 countries: ALTE partners see the link 

Diary of events, New Zealand

• Thematic framework: Conferences
• Geographical outreach : National
• Types of project: Research and Analysis
  
  
• Beneficiary country:
  New Zealand
   
• Main responsible:
  Commission for UNESCO
  c/- Ministry of Education
  P.O. Box 1666
  Wellington
  New Zealand

Summary of the activities
More information

Main partners
- Maori Language Commission
- Human Rights Commission
- Ministry for Culture and Heritage
- Pacific Studies Dept of Victoria University
- AKTESOL (Auckland branch of Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages NZ)
- Adult Community Education (ACE) Aotearoa
- Manukau Institute of Technology, Manukau
- New Zealand Association of Language Teachers

Global Understanding in Multilingual, Multimodal and Multimedia Contexts (conference)

• Thematic framework: Communication between academia and industry
• Geographical outreach : International
• Types of project: Capacity-building
  
  
• Main responsible:
  World Language Documentation Centre (WLDC)
  Corner House
  Barn Street
  Haverfordwest
  Pembrokeshire SA61 1BW
  Wales UK

Summary of the activities
A major multidisciplinary conference will celebrate 2008 as the International Year of Languages. To be held at the Bangor University Business Management Conference Centre.

The GUM3C Conference will attempt to bridge the communication gap between academia and industry. Conference themes include:
- protection, curation and preservation of languages and cultures
- resources for less-resourced languages
- infrastructural support for multilingualism
- language description and documentation
- ethnicity, identity and language
- multimodal communications and support for disabilities
- web-corpus linguistics
- challenges and benefits of the multilingual internet
- multimedia ontologies and the semantic/pragmatic web

Main partners
Bangor University

Ido, linguo internaciona
(Ido, international language)

• Thematic framework: International Language
• Geographical outreach : International
• Types of project: Disseminating information
  
  
  
• Main responsible
  IDO
  9 rue des Mouettes
  F-56640 ARZON
  France
  
  

Summary of the activities
- Publishing books, magazines in Ido-language.
- Spreading information about the international language Ido.
- Organising international meetings and gatherings (in 2008 in Neviges, Wuppertal (Germany), in 2009 in Chisinau, Moldavia.
- Discussion-forums the internet

Main partner 
Ido Info
Julius Pergerstraat 146, 1087 KP Amsterdam, Nederland, 020 - 4160292

International Flag of Language (IFL) Contest

• Thematic framework: Design Language Flag
• Geographical outreach: International
• Types of project: Awareness-raising
  
  
• Beneficiary countries: All countries
  
  
  

• Main responsible:
  National Museum of Language
  7100 Baltimore Ave., Suite 202
  College Park, MD
  USA
  
  

Summary of the activities
The National Museum of Language (NML), a small museum that explores the transformative powers of language, opened to the public in May 2008 after more than 10 years in the making. A trailblazer in the field (one of a handful of museums in the world with a similar focus), the NML examines the history,
impact, and art of language.

As a trailblazer, it is only fitting that the NML take on the task of sponsoring a contest to create what we believe to be the world's first language flag, the International Flag of Language (IFL). This contest and the IFL itself will be NML's contribution to commemorate the International Year of Languages. Experts from linguistics and vexililogy have been selected to administer the contest and to select the winning entry.

The contest rules are posted on the NML website. The contest itself began in September and runs through November 28. The winning entry will be announced before the end of the International Year of Languages in February 2009.

Main partners
Contest administrators and judges are from the National Capital Language Resource Center,
- the North American Vexillogical Association,
- the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages,
- the Joint National Committee for Languages,
- the Museum of the Alphabet,
- and the National Foreign Language Center - all US associations.

Printing and dissemination of a pocket diary 2008 on the IYL

• Thematic framework: Education
• Geographical outreach: National
• Type of project: Awareness-raising
  
  
• Main responsible:
  UNESCO Hanoi - Education Sector
  23 Cao Ba Quat
  Hanoi
  Vietnam
  

Description of the activity
On the occasion of new year, UNESCO Hanoi presented all its national and international partners with a pocket diary focusing on the International Year of Languages. Every month of the year highlights one specific topic (e.g. mother tongue education, the declaration on cultural diversity, multilingualism on the internet) with quotes, pictures, international days and half a page information on the topic.

The diary acts as an information tool on the broader initiatives of UNESCO in Vietnam as well as initiatives associated with the International Year of Languages, as the idea that languages matter provides the basis for many of the initiatives supported by UNESCO Hanoi.

Pro.T - Professional Development in English Language Teaching

• Thematic framework: Professional Development in English Language
• Geographical outreach: Regional
• Types of project: Awareness-raising
  
  
• Beneficiary countries:
  Argentina
  Chile
  Urugay
  Brazil
  Paraguay
  Bolivia
  
  
• Main responsible:
  Mr. Luciano Camio
  Luis Robles 4457 (5009)
  Córdoba
  Argentina

Summary of the activities
Professional development is a continuous process of individual and collective improvement of practice. Its empowering effects should reach individual educators and also learning communities. We believe in connecting theory to practice to foster reflection and awareness of one’s and our community’s teaching practices, bridging the gap between information and knowledge, aiming at deepening and broadening knowledge of content, and thus, laying the grounds for pedagogy of all disciplines related to English teaching. We believe professional development should be rooted in and reflect the best available research, and should also be intellectually engaging, as well as address the complexity of teaching. It is through knowledge management that we pave the way to personal reflection, fostering individual professional insight, and thus, having a positive impact on our teaching community.

2009 Pro.T's theme is "from information to knowledge: a collective challenge," and it will deal with topics such as knowledge management, material and curriculum design, cultural studies, postcolonialism and world englishes, CALL, CLIL, metacognition, TQ in educational organizations, among many others. Also, a Social Responsibility action will be carried out, together with Surcos Argentinos, an NGO that organizes community orchards in underprivileged settings.

Main partners
- In English - Training and Translation (Buenos Aires, Córdoba, Rosario, Pilar, Bahía Blanca, Tandil)
- Fundación British School - Colegio Mark Twain (Córdoba) - Conference site  (to be uploaded on the first week of August)

Promotion de la langue nationale, le kirundi

• Thématique: Promotion de la langue nationale, le kirundi
• Étendue de l’impact: Nationale
• Nature de projet: Sensibilisation
  
  
• Pays bénéficiaire: Burundi
  
  

• Entité responsable principale:
  Mme Joséphine Ntahobari
  Avenue Prince Louis Rwagasore,
  n° 78 , BP 1490
  Bujumbura
  Burundi

Résumé de l'action
Pendant la Journée internationale de la langue maternelle, 

- la diffusion des messages du Ministre de la Jeunesse, des Sports et de la Culture par les médias, et du Directeur Général dans les universités, les Ministères chargés de la Culture et l'Education, des agences des Nations Unies;

- un débat sur les " Voies et moyens de promotion de la langue nationale, le kirundi " avec un écrivain, le Directeur Général de la Culture et des Arts, un cadre du Ministre du Ministère de l'Education Nationale et de la Recherche Scientifique, et un universitaire.

- la publication des articles d'universitaires dans la presse écrite: "Mbega umwitwarariko w'ururimi rw'Ikirundi muri kino gihe woba ufise ishingiro"? ("Quelles sont les motivations de l'intérêt porté à la promotion du kirundi?") et "A mi-parcours de l'Année Internationale des Langues, le kirundi face aux enjeux de la communication et du dialogue interculturels et de la mondialisation".

Par ailleurs, les conclusions d'une étude intitulée: "Évaluation de l'usage du kirundi dans les secteurs de la vie nationale: État de lieux et Perspectives" commencée en mars 2008 seront restitués le 15 juillet au Centre Suédois de Bujumbura devant les représentants des pouvoirs publics, la société civile, les linguistes et les anthropologues, et des représentants du Bureau Intégré des Nations Unies (BINUB).

Principaux partenaires
- Ministères de la Jeunesse, des Sports et de la Culture; de l'Agriculture et de l'élevage, la Santé publique, la Communication, l'Education nationale et de la Recherche Scientifique, et de la Justice
- Département des Langues et Littératures Africaines, Université du Burundi;
- Association des Écrivains du Burundi;
- Comité de pilotage composé de membres de la société civile et de linguistes;
- les médias

Proyecto de investigación y II Congreso de Lenguas e Inmigración

• Marco temático: Lenguas e inmigración
• Amplitud del impacto: Internacional
• Naturaleza del proyecto: Difusión de información
  
  
• Países beneficiarios:
  - País Vasco (España)
  - Países de origen de inmigrantes
  
  
  
  
• Principal entidad responsable:
  UNESCO Etxea - Centro UNESCO del País Vasco
  Alameda Urquijo 60, ppal. dcha.
  Bilbao - Bizkaia
  España

Resumen de la acción
En 2007, Ikuspegi y UNESCO Etxea han llevado a cabo una investigación en torno a las lenguas que, como resultado de la inmigración, se hablan o se conocen actualmente en el País Vasco.

Los resultados de la investigación se recogerán en la publicación Hizkuntzak eta Immigrazioa - Lenguas e Inmigración que se dará a conocer durante la celebración del II Congreso de Lenguas e Inmigración que tendrá lugar a lo largo del 23 de mayo de 2008, viernes, en el Palacio Euskalduna de Bilbao.

En la investigación, hemos accedido a personas procedentes de 66 nacionalidades que conocían o eran portadoras de 100 lenguas maternas, lo que nos identifica claramente la importancia de la diversidad lingüística actual presente en el territorio, y que se suma al bilingüismo ya existente en el territorio.

La investigación y el Congreso cuentan con la financiación procedente de la Viceconsejería de Política Lingüística y la Dirección de Inmigración del Gobierno Vasco.

Socios principales
- Ikuspegi - Observatorio Vasco de la Inmigración (Gobierno Vasco y Universidad del País Vasco)
- Cátedra UNESCO Patrimonio Lingüístico Mundial - Universidad del País Vasco

Questions linguistiques dans les frontières de l’Acre: interculturalité et politique

• Thématique: Cartographie
• Étendue de l’impact: Régionale
• Nature de projet: Recherches et analyses
  
  
• Pays bénéficiaires:
  Brésil
  Pérou
  Bolivie
  
  
• Entité responsable principale:
  Universidade Federal do Acre
  Rodovia BR 364, Km 04
  Rio Branco - Acre
  Brasil

Résumé de l'action
En Amazonie sud occidentale, Assis Brasil, Brasiléia, Epitaciolândia (Acre – Brésil), Cobija (Pando – Bolivie) et Iñapari (Madre de Dios – Pérou) constituent une région frontalière multilinguistique, cumulant des langues autochtones et les deux langues alóctones: le Portugais et l'Espagnol.

Notre projet de recherche se tourne vers ces deux dernières langues pour proposer une cartographie sociale et linguistique de la région. Nous avons comme objectifs
- d'examiner le contact du Portugais et de l'Espagnol dans différents environnements de communication de ces villes frontalières;
- d'enquêter sur les relations sociales et culturelles entre la population et les institutions publiques et civiles de ces villes;
- de confronter les politiques linguistiques et culturelles instituées par les gouvernements local, régional et national.

Dans l’attente de pouvoir penser des politiques et des planifications linguistiques, nous nous focaliserons sur les situations “in vivo”.

Spoken Wor(l)d - Celebrating Human Speech and Language Through Electronic Music

• Thematic framework: Music/Art
• Geographical outreach: International
• Types of project: Awareness-raising
  
  
• Main responsible:
  Roger Velasquez
  10 rue Camille Desmoulins
  Levallois Perret
  France
  

Summary of the activities
Music is communication, the ultimate universal language. Now imagine creating music using more than thirty of other human languages. That is exactly what ‘Spoken Wor(l)d’ is about. Roger Velasquez (aka Phileas), the artist and producer of the project spent three years wandering the globe collecting voice
samples. The theory behind this unique concept is that music unifies all these diverse voices.

However, what makes his music different is that the voice is used just as others might use an instrument: the meaning of the words is less important than the sound that they make. So many voices, all speaking their own language, but somehow brought together to sound as one, guide the listener through a journey filled with unity and harmonic coexistence. As the artist says, ‘Spoken Wor(l)d’ is more than a record: “It is a positive message about the diversity and similarity of the people of this world”.

Support for IYL 2008

• Thematic framework: Others
• Geographical outreach: International
• Types of project: Disseminating information
  
  
• Main responsible
  Don Osborn
  Washington, DC
  USA
  

Summary of the activities
This is an individual online project, involving informal collaboration with others, to support the International Year of Languages and its goals. Aims include:

- Promote development of a webspace that is complementary to the UNESCO webpages about the Year, and links other related sites. The understanding is that the range and number of language-related organizations and activities are such that only multiple "framings" can hope to represent and serve them;

- Collect and present links and very basic information on organizations and activities;

- Gather information on strategies and resources for support of the Year;

- Serve the development of linkages among organizations and of possible "civil society" type structures to promote the goals of the Year and other language-related efforts after the Year is over.

The webspace is currently based on a personal website, which hopefully can lead to a dedicated website and related online instruments (such as a forum).

The Legacy of Colonial Language Politics in the Actual Linguistic Situation of the Western Sahara

• Thematic framework: Endangered Languages/Politics of language
• Geographical outreach: International
• Types of project: Research and Analysis
  
  
• Beneficiary countries:
  - West Sahara
  - France
  - Marroco
  - Spain
  
  
• Main responsible:
  Laura Morgenthaler Garcia
  Faculty of Language Sciences
  University of Bremen
  Bremen
  Germany

Summary of the activities
The goal of this project is to investigate the differences between the colonial language politics of France and Spain in the Western Sahara according to the following issues:

a) The historical and actual consequences for the West Saharian and nomad populations and the disappearance of their linguistics habits and languages.

b) The actual expansion/deterioration of Spanish and French in the region.
The sociolinguistic situation of the nomad and the West Saharian people has received very little attention in political language and sociolinguistic studies (mostly because of the difficult political situation in the refugee camps). In order to understand the actual linguistic situation in this part of Africa, it is necessary to get a very clear picture of the colonial time – through archive work and historical research. In addition, it is
important to get an insight into the attitudes of the West Saharian and nomad populations towards their own languages and the colonial languages – through the collection, transcription and analysis of oral data.

Main partners
- University of Bremen
- École de Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales

“Language Use and the Quality of Latvian Language Translations” (study)

• Thematic framework: Study
• Geographical outreach : National
• Types of project: Research and Analysis
  
  
• Beneficiary country:
  Latvia
  

• Main responsible:
  Translation centre Skrivanek Latvia
  Brivibas Boulevard 40 – 18
  Riga
  Latvia
  

Summary of the activities
In order to implement the meaning of high quality and grammatically correct Latvian language translations, a two-month study (from January to March 2008) titled “Language Use and the Quality of Latvian Language Translations” will be conducted by the translation centre Skrivanek Latvia and the State Language Agency.

The study will be done in collaboration with the newspaper Dienas Bizness. Over the course of the study, company employees, who utilise translation services daily, will be interviewed to determine: how often companies use foreign language and translation services, which languages are used to communicate and what kind of difficulties do employees meet, both in verbal and written communication.

The study will also include interviews with professional translators and the Latvian University translation faculty, answers to questions like :
- “Why are there inadequate and grammatically incorrect translations?”,
- “Which problems do companies most frequently meet when translating documents?”,
- “Which mistakes are characteristic of student-done translations?” and how those interviewed view the Latvianization of foreign words.

The results of the study will be presented at a conference in March of this year, and will be the basis for further studies of the quality of Latvian language translations.

Main partners
- The State Language Agency
- The newspaper Dienas Bizness.