Workshop: Digital Media for Endangered Languages in Latin America

Rising Voices Note: We are pleased to be collaborating as a partner with this upcoming event in early 2013, which is being organized by the Living Tongues Institute. For more information, please visit the original website in Spanish at the Living Tongues blog.

Enduring Voices: Digital Media Workshop for Speakers of Endangered Languages in Latin America
Dates: January 7-11, 2013
Place: Santiago Library, Matucana 151, Chile
Collaborators: Enduring Voices Project (Living Tongues Institute + National Geographic Society), UTEM University, Fundación Imagen of Chile, and Rising Voices.

Context: When ideas are extinguished, we all end up poorer. Half of the planet's 7000 languages are now in danger of extinction: a drastic change in humanity's intellectual history. The basis of human knowledge is enduring, and during 99% of the our history, it was transmitted by word of mouth. Yet, it is fragile. It is largely not written, and vulnerable to be forgotten. Digital technologies can help document and preserve this knowledge found in these languages.

Objectives: To train 12 indigenous participants with the goal that they learn how to create a registry of their endangered languages by creating new linguistic materials, such as talking dictionaries through the use of computers, cameras, audio recorders and other technologies. (The workshop will be conducted in Spanish).

Agenda: Each day will be dedicated to a different activity related to digital linguistic documentation. All of the materials produced will be in the participants’ indigenous language. The following is the preliminary agenda for the workshop:

DAY 1 – Monday, January 7, 2013

  • 9:30AM – 11:30AM. Opening session with a short introduction from each facilitator and each participant.
  • 1PM – 4PM. Ethno-linguistic methods I: How to record, edit, and produce an audio recording for use in radio programs and for use in a talking dictionary.

DAY 2 – Tuesday, January 8, 2013

  • Morning session: Ethno-linguistic methods II – The theories and methodologies to create a talking dictionary (with examples of other projects in various countries)
  • 2 PM – 5 PM. The creation of a talking dictionary for each participant.

DAY 3 – Wednesday, January 9, 2013

  • 11AM – 1PM. Digital media I: how to use cameras to create videos
  • 2PM – 5PM. Filming, editing and data transfer

DAY 4. Thursday, January 10, 2013

  • 11AM – 1PM. The importance of Citizen Media and language revitalization in Latin America: presented by Eddie Avila of Rising Voices.
  • 2PM – 5PM. Digital Media II: Improving the presence of indigenous languages online: uploading videos and sharing information through social networking sites.

DAY 5. Friday, January 11, 2013

  • 11AM – 1PM: Complete the digital projects by each participant
  • 1PM – 3PM: Closing session and celebration with members of Chilean indigenous communities.

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The following are the indigenous participants, who are experts in their native languages:

The facilitators are:

Dr. Gregory D. S. Anderson (Living Tongues Institute), Anna Luisa Daigneault (Living Tongues Institute), Eddie Avila (Rising Voices) and Luis Godoy Saavedra (Centro de Desarollo Social, UTEM).

CONTACT

Website: Enduring Voices | Voices Duraderas from National Geographic
In collaboration with the Living Tongues Institute
For further contact: Anna Luisa Daigneault, Latin America project coordinator Enduring Voices. Telephone (United States): +001-415-613-0795 annaluisa@livingtongues.org

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