<div dir="ltr">
<div class="gmail-td-post-header"><header class="gmail-td-post-title">
<h1 class="entry-title">Chai calls for collective efforts for language policy, script development</h1>
<div class="gmail-td-module-meta-info">
<span class="gmail-td-post-date gmail-td-post-date-no-dot"><time class="entry-date gmail-updated gmail-td-module-date" datetime="2018-03-01T02:15:58+00:00">March 1, 2018</time></span> </div>
</header>
</div>
<div class="gmail-td-post-sharing gmail-td-post-sharing-top">
<div class="gmail-td-default-sharing">
<a class="gmail-td-social-sharing-buttons gmail-td-social-facebook" href="https://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Farunachaltimes.in%2Findex.php%2F2018%2F03%2F01%2Fchai-calls-for-collective-efforts-for-language-policy-script-development%2F"><i class="gmail-td-icon-facebook"></i><div class="gmail-td-social-but-text">Share on Facebook</div></a>
<a class="gmail-td-social-sharing-buttons gmail-td-social-twitter" href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=Chai+calls+for+collective+efforts+for+language+policy%2C+script+development&url=https%3A%2F%2Farunachaltimes.in%2Findex.php%2F2018%2F03%2F01%2Fchai-calls-for-collective-efforts-for-language-policy-script-development%2F&via=The+Arunachal+Times"><i class="gmail-td-icon-twitter"></i><div class="gmail-td-social-but-text">Tweet on Twitter</div></a>
<a class="gmail-td-social-sharing-buttons gmail-td-social-google" href="https://plus.google.com/share?url=https://arunachaltimes.in/index.php/2018/03/01/chai-calls-for-collective-efforts-for-language-policy-script-development/"><i class="gmail-td-icon-googleplus"></i></a>
<a class="gmail-td-social-sharing-buttons gmail-td-social-pinterest" href="https://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https://arunachaltimes.in/index.php/2018/03/01/chai-calls-for-collective-efforts-for-language-policy-script-development/&media=&description=Chai+calls+for+collective+efforts+for+language+policy%2C+script+development"><i class="gmail-td-icon-pinterest"></i></a>
<a class="gmail-td-social-sharing-buttons gmail-td-social-whatsapp"><i class="gmail-td-icon-whatsapp"></i></a>
</div></div>
<div class="gmail-td-post-content">
<div class="gmail-td-featured-image-rec">
</div>
<p style="text-align:justify"><strong>ITANAGAR, Feb 28:</strong>
Research Minister, Dr Mohesh Chai has suggested collective efforts by
the Research department, Arunachal Institute of Tribal Studies (AITS,
RGU) and the Education department to save the indigenous languages from
extinction.<br>
Chai’s suggestion came during a brain storming consultative meeting of
resource persons of these two departments, the AITS RGU and experts at
the Jawaharlal Nehru State Museum’s conference hall here on Wednesday.<br>
An integrated road map may be designed to adopt appropriate policy to
develop one’s own script; the script that is to be adopted in the
education system and to establish methodology for determining actual
status of each speech community, he said.<br>
“It is the moral duty of all Arunachalees irrespective of the department
to save their own identity by safeguarding indigenous languages” the
minister said.<br>
Invitee resource person, Dr Roger Blench of Cambridge University, who
recently developed the Mishmi script, delivered a presentation on the
need of development of indigenous scripts, methodology and modus
operandi of it.<br>
According to Dr Roger, “Script development is the need of the hour so
that the next generation can read, learn and speak its own language and
feel pride of own associate identities”.<br>
On methodological aspect, Dr Blench suggested for GPS marking,
enumeration of households, mother tongue speaking children at home and
elsewhere, detection of focus groups, interview with CBOs, and languages
used in media to chalk out language development strategy.<br>
“After the field study, the field researchers have to analyze the sound
of language by writing the sound in international phonetic alphabets for
undertaking phonetic analysis,” he said.<br>
Research Secretary, Dani Salu emphasized on preparing common list of
speech community of the state and priority sector for the development of
indigenous languages. He also pointed out on the need of technical
training for field research officers to accomplish the work
successfully.<br>
During the technical session, resource persons and experts in the
consultative meeting recommended some important points to the government
and said that language policy should be evidence based and in
accordance with the Constitution.<br>
Advocating for prioritization of lesser known languages for development
of the script, they also recommended involvement of CBOs and NGOs, and
harmonization of scripts, if possible.<br>
The consultative meeting further recommended that third language may be
introduced from class-I with the prior acceptance of CBOs.<br>
‘There should be a policy for appointing expert committee for textbook
preparation with involvement of CBOs and creation of language education
and language teaching policy’, they suggested.<br>
Earlier, Research Director Batem Pertin initiated the discussion.<br>
State Editor Gazetteer S Kri, Dr Tarun Mene, Assistant Professor, AITS,
Prof Jumyir Basar, AITS, Lisa Kamduk, Assistant Professor, Bango Palon,
Deputy Director, Elementary Education, Jimi Pulu, Deputy Director of
Research (Philology), Dr. S.K. Ghosh, Deputy Director (Museum &
Archive), R N Koley, OSD took part in the consultative discussion.</p>
</div>
<br clear="all"><br>-- <br><div class="gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature">=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+<br><br> Harold F. Schiffman<br><br>Professor Emeritus of <br> Dravidian Linguistics and Culture <br>Dept. of South Asia Studies <br>University of Pennsylvania<br>Philadelphia, PA 19104-6305<br><br>Phone: (215) 898-7475<br>Fax: (215) 573-2138 <br><br>Email: <a href="mailto:haroldfs@gmail.com" target="_blank">haroldfs@gmail.com</a><br><a href="http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/~haroldfs/" target="_blank">http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/~haroldfs/</a> <br><br>-------------------------------------------------</div>
</div>