Mysore/Mysuru: A two-week Summer School on Language Documentation began at the Scheme for Protection and Preservation of Endangered Languages (SPPEL) of Central Institute of Indian Languages (CIIL), Mysuru, here on Monday under the patronage of Prof. Shailendra Mohan, Director, CIIL.

Prof. Shobhana Chelliah from the University of North Texas (USA) inaugurated the programme and delivered the keynote address. She briefed the participants about the grave situation that India’s tribal and minor languages have been facing and called upon the scholars to document, preserve and work towards the revival of such languages.

She expressed that languages are like forests with ecosystems of their own, and human communities and cultures are born and grown around them. These endangered languages constitute an irreplaceable treasure not only for the communities who speak them but also for linguists, community members, and scholars alike.

Prof. Shobhana Chelliah also shared her field experiences from her Documentation Project on the Tibeto-Burman languages of Northeast India. While emphasising the need to create trusted repositories of digital resources for endangered and lessor-known languages of India, she appreciated the initiatives taken by CIIL in this direction.

Addressing the gathering, Dr. Sujoy Sarkar said that participants have an exciting opportunity to get theoretical insights and hands-on training on the various aspects of language documentation and linguistic fieldwork in this workshop. They will also get to familiarise themselves with the important state-of-the-art tools, techniques and technologies prevalent in the discipline.

Prof. P.R. Dharmesh Fernandez presided. Dr. Narayan Kumar Choudhary welcomed. Dr. S. Nagaraju proposed a vote of thanks. About 60 participants representing 27 States and UTs from various institutions/IITs/Universities across India are participating in this programme.

Seventeen renowned experts will train the participants with the theoretical underpinnings and practical aspects through classroom and online mode. The programme is organised under the coordinatorship of Dr. Sujoy Sarkar, Officer-in-Charge, SPPEL, from May 17  to 31.