"Save Your Language" conference in Vancouver, B.C., June 5th and 6th

[Willem Larsen]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 12th, 2010

SAVE YOUR LANGUAGE Conference

VANCOUVER, BC – Native languages are dying, but there is hope.

A recent report from the First Peoples’ Heritage, Language and Culture
Council (First Peoples’ Council) revealed that fluent speakers represent
only five per cent of B.C’s total population of First Nations, despite the
Province being home to 60 per cent of Canada’s First Nations. 52 per cent of
fluent speakers are aged 65 years or older and 39 per cent are aged 45 to
64.

The signs are clear: First Nation languages will die in this generation if
something isn’t done right now.

On June 5th-6th, 2010, three language revitalization activists will host the
“Save Your Language” Conference in Vancouver, British Columbia. The two-day
conference will host workshops on innovative language-learning methods to
help create a shift in B.C.’s endangered languages.

Three individuals who have worked in recent years in language-teaching have
come together to accomplish new things for Aboriginal languages.
Language-instructor and community organizer Dustin Rivers, from the
Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish) people in North Vancouver, started using
language-teaching methods previously unheard of.

Dustin Rivers was introduced to Evan Gardner and Willem Larsen from
Portland, Oregon, who shared their innovative language teaching & learning
method called “Where Are Your Keys?”.    This method has been used with
native communities in Oregon, with great success in creating fluent speakers
and language-teachers of dying languages.    The hope is to bring more of
this success to other Aboriginal communities.

Dustin, Evan, and Willem are inviting Aboriginal people, their families, and
friends from British Columbia and elsewhere to learn techniques, approaches,
and methods to save endangered languages.    Individuals attending the
conference will be introduced to new concepts on teaching and learning
languages that they can immediately apply to their own endangered languages.

It only costs $50 to register before the June 1st, 2010 deadline.

For additional information, also visit our website
http://www.saveyourlanguage.wordpress.com

For further information, please contact Conference Coordinator Dustin Rivers
at dustin.rivers at gmail.com or call 604-999-2780
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