Overview
The lecture introduces the Mayan Languages Preservation and Digitization Project, which aims to safeguard Mayan languages through digital tools, community collaboration, and open resources.
Project Mission and Importance
- The project aims to preserve and digitize Mayan languages, emphasizing cultural continuity and identity.
- Mayan languages are seen as vibrant and essential, not relics of the past.
- Participating in the project strengthens language teaching, learning, and identity in Mayan communities.
- Language preservation is linked to broader access to education, healthcare, and human rights.
Practical Roadmap and Community Involvement
- A Practical Roadmap to Digitization is being developed, led by the community and shared via UNESCO’s Decade of Indigenous Languages.
- Key strategies include creating talking glossaries, specialized keyboards, and spaces for collaboration.
- The roadmap offers step-by-step guidance for communities starting their own digitization efforts.
- Collaboration is encouraged with students, universities, NGOs, and language activists.
- The self-serve portal aims to centralize digitization resources and solutions.
Digital Tools and Resources
- Open-source glossaries and digital keyboards for various Mayan languages are available to support communication and learning.
- A linguistic map of Guatemala, orthography guides, and a language identification tool are provided.
- The project supports the creation of new digital tools that are accessible and culturally relevant.
Partnerships and Support
- The project is sponsored by MasterWord Services, Inc. and supported by UNESCO’s International Decade of Indigenous Languages.
- Partnerships with institutions and community organizations strengthen the initiative.
Key Terms & Definitions
- Digitization — Converting language and cultural materials into digital formats for preservation and access.
- Glossary — A curated list of word meanings, often open-source, to support language understanding.
- Orthography — A standardized writing system used for a language.
- NMT (Neural Machine Translation) — Technology for automatic translation between languages using AI.
- UNESCO — United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization supporting global language preservation.
Action Items / Next Steps
- Explore the open-source glossary and available digital keyboards.
- Review the Practical Roadmap to Digitization and related resources.
- Consider participating in project activities, internships, or sharing knowledge with the community.
- Subscribe to the newsletter for updates on new tools and project developments.