Our Mission
The Language Conservancy works with Indigenous communities to preserve the world’s endangered languages, restoring them to stability and vital use, and safeguarding them for future generations.
We believe that all languages have an inherent right to exist – that they are valued and irreplaceable facets of a people’s culture and of humanity’s linguistic heritage. The Language Conservancy (TLC) helps prevent the extinction of languages by increasing the international public awareness of the language-loss crisis, creating language tools to preserve the culture, and by providing support to organisations and communities engaged in revitalising their languages.
The Language Conservancy achieves its mission by providing technical and linguistic assistance to grassroots language activists. In particular, we have the tools to develop dictionaries, grammars, language learning textbooks, electronic and digital products such as online multimedia dictionaries, mobile apps, and keyboards. We also work with communities to run teacher-training and language learning programs. The Language Conservancy works directly for and with Traditional Owners, Language Centres, Aboriginal corporations, and Indigenous communities on projects. Our priority is to build local capacity for linguistic support and maintenance of Indigenous languages.
Community Partners
- Malak Malak
- The Language Conservancy and Malak Malak community, with support from the Northern Land Council, developed a Vocab Builder app (for iOS and Android) in 2019.
- Ngarluma
- The Language Conservancy and the Wangka Maya Pilbara Aboriginal Language Centre collaborated to produce a Vocab Builder app for the Ngarluma language. This app is an important, high-quality teaching material which can be used in schools and at home.