Linguistic study by speakers: efforts of an Institute
- E. Annamalai
Abstract
The Central Institute of Indian Languages (CIIL) in Mysore is entrusted with the work of research, training and materials production for the development of all Indian languages (other than Hindi and Sanskrit), including tribal and other minor languages, and for the solution of language problems of this multilingual country. The Institute has highlighted the use of languages in education as a primary step in language development and in facilitating communication to solve problems. Both are done in the context of multilingualism and with the goal of maintaining language diversity. From the experience of CIIL in linguistic capacity building, it is obvious that one of its preconditions is a certain level of literacy among the speakers of tribal languages, and an adequate level of education among the participants in training as partners of linguistic projects or in formal institutional training. It is extremely rare to have people with school education from pre-literate communities. Secondly, there must be willingness on the part of the communities to work with outsiders. Thirdly, the participants in training must be able to relate the skills and knowledge they acquire to their perceived needs of the language and the community.
Keywords: linguistic study, language speakers, Central Institute of Indian Languages, CIIL, education, language development, language diversity, problem-solving, capacity building
How to Cite:
Annamalai, E., (2004) “Linguistic study by speakers: efforts of an Institute”, Language Documentation and Description 2, 55-58. doi: https://doi.org/10.25894/ldd290
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