The Three Rivers Language Center

Aims

The Center has three aims: Preservation, documentation, and education.

Preservation and Revival. We believe that the language community itself and members of that language community should be in control of any revival efforts. The Center is available to such communities to provide whatever services that community feels it needs to achieve its end. The specific activities would depend on the needs and desires of the community but could include such things as consultation, workshops, development of classroom instructional materials, language camps, audiovisual material, or web-based instruction.
Documentation. Toward the goal of documentation, we are establishing a local archive to be used by researchers, students, Native American communities, educators, and the general public. We propose to collect as much of the published and unpublished material as possible and to add additional material through work with native speakers of these languages.
Education. Our educational efforts will be directed toward the IPFW community, toward Native American communities, and toward the broader community. Our activities may include such things as lectures and displays about local languages and providing accurate information for school curricula and other educational programs.

Services

Consultation. We have expertise in a wide variety of areas related to language revival. We are especially interested holistic, community-based approaches but we can also help with more focused projects.
Demonstrations and Training. We can demonstrate teaching methods, including total immersion, as well as train language specialists in how to teach. We can also offer training and advice to people wishing to teach their language to a small group of friends or family.
Materials Development. We have expertise and experience in the development of teaching materials and can develop materials or offer advice on materials development.
Presentations. We are available to give presentations or lectures on language revival and related issues.
Other Services. Because of the range of backgrounds of members of the Center, we can help with a variety of language-related issues, including immigrant languages. We can also cosponsor language-related events on the IPFW campus and arrange space for such events.

Updated March 18, 2013 by the Three Rivers Language Center