Canadian Indigenous Languages and Literacy

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CILLDI (pronounced “sill-dee”) is an intensive, annual summer school held at the University of Alberta whose goal is to train First Peoples speakers and educators in endangered language documentation, linguistics, language acquisition, second language teaching methodologies, curriculum development, and language-related research and policy-making. Our mandate is the preservation of endangered languages by developing research skills and teaching resources in the speakers of these languages themselves. CILLDI supports Indigenous language activists in promoting, protecting, practicing, and passing on their languages to the next generation of speakers and educators by providing a unique opportunity to earn university credit towards a certificate, degree, or diploma while learning about selected Canadian Indigenous languages and cultures. CILLDI strives to be multi-cultural, cross-linguistic, inter-disciplinary, inter-regional, inter-generational, and responsive to different sociolinguistic situations in the language communities under threat.

In 2009, CILLDI turns 10!  If you are a former student or instructor, we would love to hear from you and know how CILLDI has made a difference in your life, your community, or your language. If you would like to help us celebrate, please contact us for information about our 10th anniversary language festival and banquet.

2009 CILLDI Student Letter