UNESCO supports Caribbean indigenous and endangered languages portal (fwd)

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Caribbean Press Releases - http://www.caribbeanpressreleases.com

UNESCO supports Caribbean indigenous and endangered languages portal

http://www.caribbeanpressreleases.com/articles/759/1/UNESCO-supports-Caribbean-indigenous-and-endangered-languages-portal/Languages-must-be-preserved.html

By SC Admin
Published on 11/8/2006

Languages must be preserved

Kingston --- 8 Nov. 2006 --- UNESCO and University of West Indies
Language Unit launch the first authoritative website on Caribbean
Indigenous and Endangered Languages (CIEL). The website showcases and
promotes the preservation of over 20 indigenous languages in the
region.

Caribbean indigenous languages and their cultures were produced over
thousands of years. In the 500 years since the arrival of Europeans,
most of these languages and cultures have either disappeared or are
seriously endangered.

According to Hubert Devonish, Professor of Languages at the University
of the West Indies, “these languages must be preserved if we are to
safeguard a significant part of the heritage of mankind. We would not
just be preserving things past but rather, we would be maintaining
bodies of knowledge, technology and beliefs which can be useful to
mankind in the present and the future.”

Hubert Devonish insists on and ensures that his team employs scientific
approaches in the collection of data relating to these indigenous
languages, making the portal truly authoritative.

UNESCO is now exploring Phase 2 of the project along the lines of:

a) additional language data collection;

b) language documentation through the production and digital storage of
the material collected;

c) development of webpages within the CIEL website especially designed
for use by school children and members of the communities involved;

d) production of books of stories and cultural information bilingually,
in indigenous languages and English, supported by audio and video
materials.