Language Development and Training Unit
The Language Development and Training Unit promotes the development and preservation of local languages and cultures. Through training and consulting with local speakers of those languages, community members are able to create culturally relevant literacy and education materials and curriculum for teaching in their own languages. In addition the EthnoArts department can assist language groups in developing and promoting the use of their own local cultural art forms as a bridge to literacy, education, community development, trauma healing and other domains.
Arts in Literacy and Education Material Development
Online Workshop
February 6 - 24, 2023
Each culture has communication forms in both their language and in their cultural arts. To engage students in relatable ways, some communities not only use their own language, but also design and utilize their own unique expressive forms within their development programs. Focusing on empowering communities to develop and integrate meaningful arts into their education programs, this training will have three different levels of engagement for the participants – theoretical foundations, practical techniques in application, and creation of materials for a specific program.
This workshop utilizes an updated Producing Culturally Releveant Language Development Teaching Materials as a framework for exploring a process of engaging with community members: Discovering, Deciding, and Developing. Participants will learn skills and application in how to discover the cultural arts within a specific context, how to support the use of these artistic expressive forms in material development through community engagement and decision-making, and ways to develop relevant materials for use in literacy, education, or church-based programs. Case studies and examples of application will also be incorporated into the training.
The training will be held on Zoom for at least 3 hours each weekday. Assignments in preparation and following each daily meeting will be required – up to 3 hours each day. Students will need at least 6 hours a day available to attend class and complete the related assignments. This workshop is sponsored by Payap University’s Linguistic Institute. Certificates will be available upon completion of the requirements.
Space is limited. If you are interested in joining in this training, please contact Liz Foerster and Mary Beth Saurman at artsinliteracy@gmail.com. More information and a registration form will be sent to each applicant. Workshop fee is 50 US dollars.
