International Year of Languages

International Year of Languages

The United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 2008 as the International Year of Languages, pursuant to a resolution of UNESCO.UN document |docid=A-RES-61-266 |type=Resolution |body=General Assembly |session=61 |resolution_number=266 |highlight=rect_189,1007_828,1088 |page=4 |accessdate=2008-09-18|date=16 May 2007] The resolution also reaffirmed the need to achieve full parity among the six official languages on United Nations websites.

The Year is intended to address issues of linguistic diversity (in the context of cultural diversity), respect for all languages, and multilingualism. The resolution also discussed language issues in the United Nations itself. [ [http://www.crystalreference.com/DC_articles/Langdeath20.pdf Crystal. David. 2007. "What do we do with an International Year of Languages?" Paper to Unescocat, Barcelona, European Day of Languages, 26 September 2007] ]

UNESCO is charged with coordinating observance of the Year, and officially launched it on the occasion of International Mother Language Day, 21 February 2008. [ [http://portal.unesco.org/culture/en/ev.php-URL_ID=35559&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html UNESCO, "Message from Mr Koïchiro Matsuura, Director-General of UNESCO, on the celebration of 2008, International Year of Languages," Date Added: 2007-11-05 9:44 am; Updated: 2007-12-19 2:40 pm] ]

European Union Funded Language Projects

Within the Socrates programme, funded by the European Union Directorates-General: Education and Culture (DG EAC), Information Society and Media (DG INFSO) and the EuropeAid Cooperation Office (DG AIDCO), the promotion and learning of languages is a high priority. Below is a short list of some funded projects:

1. [http://arg.paisley.ac.uk/index.php ARGuing for Multilingual Motivation in Web 2.0.] ARGuing is a project that addresses two needs by utilizing an Alternate Reality Game; firstly, how to bridge the technological gap between educators and their students and secondly, how to motivate students to understand the benefits of learning languages at a level that impacts on their existing personal lives.

2. [http://www.allproject.info/ Autonomous Language Learning] The Autonomous Language Learning (ALL) project, is building Blended Learning language courses in four European languages (Turkish, Romanian, Bulgarian and Lithuanian).

3. [http://www.chainstories.eu/?language=en Chain Stories project] Young students, in their first year of language learning, can complete creative writing in their mother tongue. They then pass on their story to other schools (in other countries/languages), within a chain, for completion.

External links

* [http://portal.unesco.org/culture/admin/ev.php?URL_ID=35344&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201&reload=1199465343 UNESCO gateway page: "2008, International Year of Languages - Languages matter!"]
* [http://www.icvnews.org/wiki/index.php/World_Network_for_Linguistic_Diversity ICVWiki page on "World Network for Linguistic Diversity" (Maaya) which includes a calendar of events for IYL]
* [http://donosborn.org/iyl/ Support for International Year of Languages 2008]

References


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