Why Would a IW Make a Dictionary? Part 1
29/10/2019 10:27:30 AM | Ian Dicks
For the last 12 years I have been involved in a project to construct a bilingual dictionary in English and Ciyawo, the heart language of the Yawo people. For most of these years I lived in Malawi with my family, however, for the last four years I have travelled back and forth from Melbourne to see the project to completion.
When I mention to people that I am continuing to travel back to Malawi, as well as what I am doing there, it can elicit a number of different responses. First, shock that the Yawo don’t have a dictionary like that already! Second, amazement thinking that I am doing the work on my own. Third, wonder at why a intercultural worker for a mission organisation would be involved in this sort of activity. In case you find yourself wondering the same things, let me share how I answer each of these questions.
Yes, it is shocking to think that there are children and communities in the world today that don’t have access to necessary educational materials. The Yawo who number more than three million people and live in Malawi, Mozambique and Tanzania are one of the least educated groups in the region. One of the reasons for their low level of education in Malawi is because they are disadvantaged when first entering school. The vast majority of Yawo children do not speak, read or write either of the two languagesin which education is taught - Chichewa and English. This means Yawo children must learn these languages before they can progress in their schooling.
The English-Ciyawo learner’s dictionary has the most important and frequently used words in English and will help Yawo students overcome this obstacle. It will help bridge the gap for Yawo children, empowering the next generation through education and greater future opportunities. Second, yes it would be amazing if I had the ability to construct a bilingual dictionary on my own, but it would also be dangerous, and the finished result would not be representative of the Yawo.
The Yawo have many proverbs and stories that express the need for working with others on important tasks. One of their proverbs is, ‘Alone, alone, one does not make history’, which means that to achieve anything significant people must work together. We have followed Yawo wisdom when making the English-Ciyawo dictionary. This dictionary is the result of a dedicated team of eight Yawo lexicographers who have worked together to achieve our goal. Others in the Yawo community, including students, teachers and senior Yawo chiefs, have also reviewed the dictionary and provided us with valuable feedback and encouragement. Their endorsement then enabled the Malawian Minister of Education, Science and Technology to officially launch the dictionary, allowing it to become a public document.
Download - Why Would a IW Make a Dictionary? Part 1
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