Dear ELP, 

My language’s situation wasn’t too bad until the war started a few years ago. Now speakers are scattered around the world and many have been cut off from other speakers. How can we promote our language in these circumstances?

 -Conflict Zone 

Dear Conflict Zone, 

I must begin by sadly acknowledging that many languages in war-torn zones around the world have either suffered or are currently experiencing this kind of unfortunate situation that you describe for your language. In many cases, war victims find themselves in conditions where it is no longer possible to speak or sign their languages and continue with their usual cultural practices. This is particularly evident when they are displaced to places with very few members of their home community and are forced to socialize in a different language, i.e., that of the host community. Keeping a language and culture alive under such circumstances where people are mostly trying to be safe and to survive can be quite challenging, but at the same time, can be particularly useful as a means of holding onto and sustaining one’s way of life and belonging. 

My community is currently facing the same crisis you describe. Before the Anglophone conflict broke out in Cameroon in 2016, we were already making efforts to maintain and promote the use of our language. As the conflict intensified and young people were forced to flee for their lives to far off places within and out of Cameroon, we knew that our language and culture will now face greater threats. At the same time, what is important is to be alive and to find some stability in life in the new environment. To rebuild and gain stability can be supported by cultural and linguistic practices that people are familiar with, knowing that in the new environment, there are other languages and cultures that are required for integration and/or survival. Under such challenging circumstances community members may consider using social media outlets to build networks and keep their cultural practices alive. 

In the case of my community, we created a WhatsApp group, Facebook account and a YouTube channel. Members are all over the world, including those who are still back home and living in the conflict. We share news and updates about our community on WhatsApp and Facebook, and discuss all kinds of topics about the community, including language and culture. We encourage audio messages in the group to ensure people practice the language, and maintain a sense of community. Weekly lessons on the language are presented by members of the language department. We post videos, music and film sketches in our language on the YouTube channel. Dedicated individuals are responsible for ensuring that content shared is suitable and meets the goals of the community. There is also a website where we keep most of the material created and showcase our language and culture. Where displaced individuals have met an organized group of our community members, they have been quickly integrated into the host group and regular monthly in-person meetings are organized. During these meetings our language and culture are practiced. 

Depending on each situation, it may be possible to create digital platforms of the sort described above or other online spaces such as Duolingo or Coursera for online language courses, and Discord, Skype, or Zoom for virtual meetings. If possible a digital library of textbooks, storybooks, dictionary or grammar books could be created. In all, technology should be used as much as possible to support the creation and maintenance of online spaces for the language and culture. Above all, I believe that whatever works best for the victims should be facilitated and promoted. 

-Pius