Tuesday, April 14, 2015

First Nations Languages Studied By Zurich University

Three indigenous languages still spoken within Canada are part of a global project on mother tongues.
Three indigenous languages still spoken within Canada are part of a global project on mother tongues. (CBC)
Colin Perkel, The Canadian Press
Three indigenous languages still spoken in Canada are among a group being studied as researchers attempt to understand how children around the world learn their vastly different mother tongues.

The global project — spearheaded by the University of Zurich — is looking at Dene, East Cree, and Inuktitut among 10 languages.

Researchers already know that children have little problem learning to speak their native language. What's not well understood is exactly how this happens.

"We're trying to get a real sense of how children can acquire or learn any language in the world," Dagmar Jung, a senior researcher from the University of Zurich, said in an interview.

"It's a miracle that any child can actually learn any language it's exposed to when it's young.

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