Consortium on Training in Language Documentation and Conservation (CTLDC)

I recently attended a symposium titled Models for capacity development in language documentation and conservation hosted by ILCAA at the Tokyo University of Foreign Studies. The symposium brought together a group of people involved in supporting language work in the Asia-Pacific region in various ways (see the website for a full list): academic (Institute of Linguistics, Minhsiung, Taiwan, Beijing, China, Goroka, PNG, Batchelor, Australia, Bangkok, Thailand) and community-based (Manokwari, West-Papua; Tshanglalo, Bhutan; Bhasha Research Centre and Adivasi Academy, Gudjarat, India; Miromaa, Australia), using film (Sorosoro, France), or archiving language records (PARADISEC). The aim of the meeting was to build a network that would continue to link between training activities to support language work, the Consortium on Training in Language Documentation and Conservation (CTLDC), whose planning group members are listed here.


If language documentation is going to be effective it needs lots of people doing lots of work, and that means providing training in appropriate methods, from recording techniques and data management through to archiving. Some training programs have been reported on in this blog, e.g., InField, Manchester, 3L in Europe or SOAS, and there are lots of others, including a number run by RNLD. While the organisations mentioned above (and others) are involved in training, there is currently no network that links between various training activities or that cross-refers those seeking training with those providing it. This is what the CTDLC aims to do.

1 thought on “Consortium on Training in Language Documentation and Conservation (CTLDC)”

  1. This was an extraordinary opportunity to learn more about the wealth of actions being undertaken to support languages in the Australia-Asia-Pacific region. One such action is the forest of languages being developed in India by Ganesh Devy (see http://www.dnaindia.com/opinion/column_the-forest-of-languages-and-hope_1357816). Ganesh encourages people from across the world to contribute to this project through the Bhasha Research and Publication Centre (www.bhasharesearch.org.in).
    It was also exciting to see links being built at the meeting, such as the MOU planned between Anne-Marie Wanamp of PNG’s University of Goroko and Yusuf Sawaki of West Papua’s Center for Endangered Language Documentation to support activities across the two halves of Papua.

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