AN INTERNATIONAL LANGUAGE MUSEUM IN DENMARK

[Ole Stig Andersen]

AN INTERNATIONAL LANGUAGE MUSEUM IN DENMARK

In August 2006 the initiative was taken to build a language museum, or
rather a modern interactive language exploration activity center, in
Denmark's second largest city, Aarhus.

The Institute for Anthropology, Archaeology and Linguistics (AAL) of Aarhus
University kindly provides office facilities for the Language Museum during
its start-up phase.

The vision is to erect a modern museum presenting all sides of the
phenomenon of language in a variety of ways that are appealing, engrossing
and educational to the general public, child and adult. State-of-the-art
advanced interactive set-ups are envisaged with multiple hands-on
exhibitions. Top-notch technology will involve visitors with each other,
providing an unusual meeting place with people speaking other languages.

Denmark's International Language Museum does not only deal with the Danish
language. The museum will furnish a portal for the phenomenon of language
in its many diverse forms and functions. It will provide insights into the
diversity of the world's more than 6000 languages, and a voyage of
discovery into the realm of the ultimate essence of humanity.

There are, it seems, a handful of museums devoted to individual languages
around the world and another handful are planned. But apparently there is
not a single general language museum anywhere, though also a couple besides
Denmark's Language Museum seem to be in the planning.

We invite everybody involved in or entertaining similar projects to contact
us, we are looking forward to cooperate about this new trend in 'popular
linguistics'.

http://www.sprogmuseum.dk
http://www.languagemuseum.dk
sprogmuseet at hum.au.dk
http://www.aal.au.dk/en

Peter Bakker, Dept of Linguistics, AAL, Aarhus University
Ole Stig Andersen, Information [Copenhagen newspaper]
Benedikte Skaarup Madsen, The Language Museum

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