Kalmyk/Oirat; Development of teaching materials for Kalmyk national schools; Comparative studies of Kalmyk and Oirat

Elena Indjieva, University of Hawaii

Project Details:

Field Trip Grant. Duration: 2005-2006. £6,441

Project Summary:

Over the last century the linguistic and cultural heritage of Kalmyks (a small nation in Russia) has been rapidly disappearing. The recent socio-linguistic studies indicate that the proportion of speakers fluent in Kalmyk did not exceed 6% among the young; about 98% of Kalmyk pupils entering school at the age of seven don't speak their mother tongue. This project is in tune with the language revitalization program, initiated by the local government. The project’s goal is to restore the remaining knowledge of the language and use it for the development of teaching materials for national Kalmyk schools.