Hye Sharzhoom Armenian Action
Staff Report
A co-edited volume by Bedross Der Matossian and Barlow Der Mugrdechian entitled Western Armenian in the 21st Century: Challenges and New Approaches has been recently published by The Press at California State University, Fresno (2019).
The book is the first in the newly launched Society for Armenian Studies (SAS) Publication Series published as part of the Armenian Series of The Press at California State University, Fresno. Subvention for the publication of the book was provided by the Armenian Communities Department of the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation.
Modern Western Armenian is considered an endangered language by UNESCO. Today Western Armenian is essentially a Diaspora language which was dramatically impacted by the Armenian Genocide of 1915. The post-Genocide period has posed a great challenge to the continued vitality of this important language. For the past few years, scholars have discussed how to best teach Western Armenian and to transmit the language to future generations.
Western Armenian in the 21st Century is the product of a conference, “Transmitting Western Armenian to the Next Generation,” that was organized by the Society for Armenian Studies (SAS) and the Armenian Communities Department of the Gulbenkian Foundation on November 18, 2017, in Washington, D.C. The conference brought together experts in the field of Western Armenian who focused on theoretical questions as well as practical suggestions in dealing with outdated pedagogical approaches. The seven articles in the volume present the latest research in the field of language acquisition, which benefits from theoretical and practical approaches in the field of teaching minority languages in a diasporic situation.
The first article by Hratch Tchilingirian extensively analyzes the outcome of one of the most important conferences that has taken place in recent years on the status of Western Armenian. Entitled “Western Armenian in the 21st Century,” the conference was held in Oxford University in January 2016 and brought together the stake-holders of Western Armenian. Tchilingirian critically addresses its recommendations in the process of maintaining the vitality of Western Armenian. These recommendations range from using electronic resources as a platform for Western Armenian to creating a virtual research institution for analyzing the status of Western Armenian in the global context. Tchilingirian’s article is followed by his detailed report of the conference in, western Armenian.
Ani Garmiryan’s article deals with the challenges facing children who want to study Armenian in the 21st century. The main question that Garmiryan posits is how to develop an environment in which children will experience Western Armenian as natural. She suggests bringing a “village” to life. The successful project that she analyzes is the summer immersion program called Zarmanazan which has been implemented through a collaboration between the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, INALCO, and the Association Mille et un Mondes. The immersion program encourages practices that reveal Western Armenian as a common denominator.
Jesse Arlen’s article specifically deals with “Where are your Keys?” (WAYK). Developed by Evan Gardner, WAYK is a comprehensive method of teaching with the goal of the revitalization of endangered languages. He suggests that teachers of Western Armenian use the WAYK method and inspire students to become independent learners and pursue the language outside of the classroom environment.
Shushan Karapetian’s article deals with the situation of Heritage Language (HL) learners. Through both theoretical and practical approaches, Karapetian discusses ways to maintain a pluricentric diasporic language such as Armenian. For the first time Karapetian addresses an issue that has not been dealt with in the literature: how Eastern Armenian speakers can become Western Armenian learners. Her article provides suggestions on how to enlarge the pool of Western Armenian learners. Furthermore, her approach contributes to a better understanding of Western Armenian culture and thinking by Eastern Armenians.
Sylvia Kasparian’s article is based on the theories developed in the field of psycho-sociolinguistic development of bilingual or multilingual children. The article adopts a theoretical approach to address the teaching of Western Armenian in the Armenian diaspora. Kasparian argues that it is imperative that major changes should be adopted in teaching Western Armenian in the diaspora.
Hagop Gulludjian’s article draws on theoretical and field research and more than a decade of experimentation in teaching Western Armenian. Gulludjian calls for radical modification in the approach to Armenian instruction. In this article, he concentrates on the practical aspect of the problem. Gulludjian’s solution is to adopt a comprehensive strategy of “Creative Literacy,” designed to bypass the advantages associated with the dominant languages by the enduring beliefs of the learners and their families.
Elizabeth Mkhitarian’s article concentrates on the notion of creative writing as an empowering tool for Heritage Learner (HL) students. She discusses her experience in Western Armenian classes at UCLA where the method of creative writing was adopted. Mkhitarian suggests that in order for Western Armenian to persist beyond the walls of the classroom, it must be experienced fully in the classroom.
Vartan Matiossian’s conclusion addresses a broader issue—the attitude that the diaspora itself has towards the survival of Western Armenian. He argues for a positive approach that has no room for defeatist attitudes and the inevitability of the demise of Western Armenian.
This volume will have an important effect as a resource, in not only providing food for thought for those who seek answers on how to utilize new approaches to teaching Western Armenian, but also fostering a conversation about strategies for language maintenance that could be utilized by organizations. The articles will provide a basis for understanding the challenges involved in the use of Western Armenian as both a language of communication and also a language of continued creativity long into the future.
Bedross Der Matossian is an Associate Professor of Middle East History at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln. He is the President of the Society for Armenian Studies (SAS) and the author of the award-winning book Shattered Dreams of Revolution: From Liberty to Violence in the Late Ottoman Empire (Stanford, Calif.: Stanford University Press, 2014).
Barlow Der Mugrdechian is the Coordinator of the Armenian Studies Program and Director of the Center for Armenian Studies at California State University, Fresno. He is the general editor of the Armenian Series of the Press at California State University, Fresno. He is the former President of the Society for Armenian Studies (SAS).
Western Armenian in the 21st Century is available through Amazon.