Image source: Veteran Innu language teacher Francesca Snow teaches language pedagogy at the Innu Community Linguistics Workshop in Sheshatshiu, Labrador
How can workshops and programs in local communities build the foundation of Indigenous language revitalization?
As Canada Research Chair in Change, Adaptation and Revitalization in Aboriginal Languages, I am working to build training programs for community-based language workers. The programs are mobilized in local communities and focus on language revitalization skills: teaching methodology for Indigenous languages, language documentation technology, Indigenous-language literacy, and the structure of Indigenous languages, all identified as pressing needs by Indigenous communities in Labrador. Central to the training are dedicated community linguistics workshops, where trainees work with experienced teachers of Indigenous languages, with Indigenous community linguists, and academic linguists to develop their skills. The first of these workshops focused on the languages Innu-aimun, in Sheshatshiu in 2019, and Inuttitut, in early 2020 in Nain. In light of the current public health situation, subsequent workshops will be delivered online. Simultaneously, my students and I are researching the effectiveness of such training workshops in bringing linguistic knowledge through teachers to learners of Indigenous languages.
The community linguists trained in these workshops will aid in building the Labrador Languages Preservation Archive, an online database that will provide online access to thousands of textual, audio and video files in Indigenous languages of Labrador to community members, academics, and interested members of the public.
