Linguists Collective Conference & International Mother Language Day IMLD Celebration
Linguists Collective Conference & Celebration
of International Mother Language Day
Wednesday, 21 February 2024
Supporting language revitalization efforts in the 21st century
Kristen Tcherneshoff will speak about language revitalisation in the 21st century, focusing on Wikitongues’ approach. She will address the looming loss of 3,000 languages by 2100, a consequence of global assimilation policies. These policies leave many languages unrecognised and underfunded, hindering knowledge transfer and causing societal upheaval. Language loss not only disrupts generational bonds but also obstructs youth education, perpetuating poverty cycles. Tcherneshoff will emphasise the critical role of language revitalisation in preserving cultural diversity and ecological knowledge, citing positive impacts on mental health, early education, and environmental conservation in North America and Australia.
While many governments are rolling back assimilation policies, support for mother-tongue projects remains insufficient. The speaker will shed light on Wikitongues’ proactive approach to bridging this gap through the establishment of a language revitalisation accelerator, which aims to provide resources for sustainable mother-tongue projects on a global scale. This initiative seeks to strengthen international heritage, foster self-expression, and restore cultural sovereignty. Despite positive strides in reclaiming ancestral languages and rebuilding cultures, the urgent need for support persists as language education continues to outpace efforts to curb its decline.
About Tcherneshoff
Kristen Tcherneshoff is Programmes Director at Wikitongues, a non-profit safeguarding endangered languages and increasing global access to criticallinguistic resources, and directly supporting language revitalization projects. She received a BFA in Photography and Italian from theUniversity of Alabama and holds a Master of Arts in African Studies and Linguistics from Helsinki University. With a background in law anddisability rights, her interests lie in language activism and Sign linguistics.