Language Fest: Celebrating International Mother Language Day at SOAS
To celebrate International Mother Language Day on 21 February, SOAS World Languages Institute and ELAR organised Language Fest with SOAS staff, students and friends showcasing their work on languages. 2019 is also the UN’s International Year of Indigenous Languages, raising awareness and promoting and ensuring access to indigenous languages.
Visitors listened to flash talks throughout the day, learning about languages like Manchu, Tamil and Gikuyu. Mandana Seyfeddinipur and Gema Zamora Fernandez gave introductions to ELAR and ELDP while visitors were also invited to record their languages for SOAS We Talk, showing the diversity of languages spoken at SOAS. The full programme can be found on the event page.
Take a look at our photo gallery below, which highlights just a few of the great activities that took place on the day:
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- Shan Siping discusses Manchu, an endangered Tungusic language
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- SOAS staff and visitors learn about Chouette Films’ 360° film of Zoroastrian worship
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- Mandana Seyfeddinipur gives an introduction to endangered languages and ELDP
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- SOAS students encourage visitors to record their languages for SOAS We Talk
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- Alena Rettová talks about decolonisation through language
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- A visitor watches the video installation created by Chouette Films.
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- Just some of the stalls at Language Fest, including SOAS Sylheti Language Society and SOAS Language Centre.
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- A SOAS student contributes to the “Draw Your Own Metaphor” gallery
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- Visitors were invited to draw their own metaphors in their languages, inspired by the artwork of Mary Kuper.
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- Aicha Belkadi gives an introduction to Berber languages