Save a Language. Save a Culture. A Sociolinguist Discusses the Future of Western Armenian

Armenian orphans in an ad-hoc desert classroom in the aftermath of the Genocide. Courtesy of Bared Maronian
Armenian orphans in class on the Mediterranean shore near Antelias in the aftermath of the Genocide. Courtesy of Bared Maronian

This Friday, May 16, Dr. Arda Jebejian will present a lecture at St. Leon Armenian Church, Fair Lawn, New Jersey entitled Challenges and Opportunities to Maintaining an Endangered Language.

A socio-linguist, Dr. Jebejian will explore the experience of other endangered languages and explain why languages die, what is lost and what we can do to avoid extinction. Unlike the physical destruction and other aspects of the genocidal process, the death of Western Armenian is neither inevitable nor irreversible.  Simple, practical steps by parents and communities can be taken to maintain Western Armenian and pass it on to subsequent generations.

The lecture is being co-sponsored by St. Leon Armenian Church, the Armenian Studies Department of the Diocese of the Armenian Church (Eastern) and the Zohrab Information Center.

Dr. Jebejian is a lecturer at the University of Nicosia. She holds a Doctor of Applied Linguistics from the University of Leicester, United Kingdom. She has authored twenty-two books including four text books for English language instruction with supplemental materials.

The presentation will take place on Friday, May 16 at 7:45PM at the Grace & Charles Pinajian Youth Center of St. Leon Armenian Church, 12-61 Saddle River Road, Fair Lawn, New Jersey. The lecture will be presented in English, and is free and open to the public. A reception will follow.

For further information contact gildak@armeniandiocese.org or (212) 686-0710.

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2 thoughts on “Save a Language. Save a Culture. A Sociolinguist Discusses the Future of Western Armenian

  1. M Kelechian

    Dear Sir/Madam

    My name is Maurice Missak Kelechian. Bared Maronian who produced “Orphans Of the Genocide” documentary has based his documentary by following up my research.

    The caption for you flyer is wrong “Armenian orphans in an ad-hoc desert classroom in the aftermath of the Genocide. Courtesy of Bared Maronian”  This is not in the desert! It is on the Mediterranean beach exactly in front of the Antelias church Catholicosate of Great See of Cilicia . Notice the teacher is wearing a suit and the children properly dressed. During the Armenian Genocide the children were in rags!

    Thank you for the correction in advance

    MK 

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