Romani Language Initiative / Romani Čhib
Romani Language Initiative / Romani Čhib
The long-term goal of ERIAC through the Romani Language Initiative is to become the language and education center for the transnational Romani movement and the community. The initiative contains efforts towards an international Romani language reform through building on the existing results and updating the Curriculum Framework for Romani developed by the Language Policy Division of the Council of Europe in 2008 as part of the Council of Europe’s comprehensive approach to Roma and Traveler issues. The initiative in 2022 continued the international work on the common Romani language with international experts with proven experience in the field. It developed teaching materials based on the Curriculum Framework for Romani.
The project aims to continue standardizing the Romani language, engaging with the International Language Council, organizing the “Safeguarding Our Romani Language” conference, and writing the Romani language textbook B1. In the long term, it seeks to expand the database of qualified teachers, promote language re-learning among Roma individuals, standardize teaching methods, conduct teacher training, map international Romani language schools, and publish an online English-Romani-English dictionary. Guided by ERIAC Barvalipe Academy Member Mihaela Zatreanu, the project envisions a thriving future for the Romani language with global recognition and preservation.
ERIAC started the Romani Language Initiative in June 2020, in the frame of the International Cultural Outreach program supported by the Federal Foreign Office, Germany.