In the News
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Linda Yepoyan
Phone: 610-408-0988
info@birthrightarmenia.org
May 2, 2004
Learn Eastern Armenian On-line at www.birthrightarmenia.org
Berwyn, PA – For those who seek a basic command
of Eastern Armenian, look no further. The “Depi Hayk”
Eastern Armenian language tutorial is now available to you on-line
and free of charge on Birthright Armenia’s Web site at www.birthrightarmenia.org.
The Depi Hayk on-line tutorial is by far the most
exciting component of the list of meaningful tools and resources
Birthright Armenia offers to enhance the Homeland experience.
Birthright Armenia collaborated with the Arlex International Ltd.
team, led by Arlex founder, linguist and attorney Thomas J. Samuelian,
on preparing the first phase of the planned three-level on-line
language tutorial. The development team consisted of 15 young,
talented Armenian professionals, including programmers, artists,
actors, musicians, singers, teachers, students, and editors. Dr.
Samuelian is the author of the classic two-volume Course in Western
Armenian, first published in 1988, as well as team leader for
the Discover Armenian computer-assisted Western Armenian language-learning
program, recently released by the C.A.K.E. foundation (www.discoverarmenian.com).
The Depi Hayk on-line course aims to help learners
achieve a basic proficiency in Eastern Armenian. The main goal
of this short course is to provide pre-service qualification for
the Birthright Armenia sponsored 8-week stays in Armenia. However,
consistent with its non-profit objectives, Birthright Armenia
is committed to offering access to all others who are interested
in learning Eastern Armenian. Tourists, business people, government
employees, international agency employees, non-profit organizations
who do business in Armenia, diasporans across the globe and Birthright
Armenia participants alike can benefit.
“I believe that having a basic understanding
of Armenian, especially in the local dialect, helps make one’s
trip to the homeland so much more meaningful and the overall impact
of such a trip all the more emotionally powerful”, says
Edele Hovnanian, founder of Birthright Armenia. “Having
at least basic fluency ensures that one can have greater interaction
with local counterparts and thus get a truer sense of what life
is like there. It allows one to feel a part of the country and
not as an outsider. For those who travel to Armenia on a Birthright
travel fellowship, providing a free and easy method to gain such
basic fluency is an important first step in ensuring an “immersion”
style homeland experience, which Birthright is promoting”,
adds Hovnanian.
The timing of the language tutorial’s launch
in late April coincides with the summer program participants'
pre-Armenia preparation. Each Birthright Armenia participant begins
pre-departure preparation with an interactive on-line tutorial,
complete with graphic interface, guiding them through Hayk, the
ancient Armenian name for Armenia. At the end of the course, successful
students receive a certificate in partial fulfillment of the language
proficiency requirement for the Birthright Armenia program.
The tutorial comes complete with on-line testing
capability and focuses on communication skills. The program includes
12 on-line lessons, covering vocabulary, dialogues, grammar, reading,
exercises, songs, and tests to gauge each participant’s
progress. The course has a separate alphabet tutorial, talking
dictionary, thematic vocabulary builder, and a songbook, with
lyrics and notes, as well as a phrasebook. The course even has
a slang section to help Western Armenian speakers as well as new
learners, grasp the nuances of colloquial Eastern Armenian. The
situational dialogues, practical, yet memorable and often humorous,
were written and recorded by native speakers, giving an authentic
flavor of Armenian as it is spoken today in Armenia.
Novice, or basic-level proficiency, should be achievable
by most users upon completion of 150 hours of Depi Hayk’s
online tutorial. Most importantly, upon their arrival in Armenia,
young diasporan adults will be ready to communicate, including
being able to ask and respond to simple questions about the most
common features of daily life. As they begin to carry out their
rewarding community service, their communication skills will improve,
building on their knowledge and enhancing their overall immersion
experience by being better able to communicate with their Armenian
counterparts.
Those interested in supporting the development of
phases two (intermediate proficiency) and three (advanced proficiency)
of the Depi Hayk Eastern Armenian language tutorial, please contact
Birthright Armenia at (610) 291-2165 or via email at info@birthrightarmenia.org.
Birthright Armenia’s mission is to strengthen
ties between the homeland and diasporan youth by affording them
an opportunity to be a part of Armenia’s daily life and
to contribute to Armenia’s development through work, study
and volunteer experiences, while developing life-long personal
ties and a renewed sense of Armenian identity. We do so by supporting
the initiatives of diasporan organizations that offer youth programs
in Armenia and focusing on the young adult participants of these
programs, 18-32 years of age, who are interested in extending
their stays in the homeland. Birthright Armenia assists with travel
fellowships, language instruction, in-country seminars and excursions
in exchange for community service in Armenia.
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