In the News
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Linda Yepoyan
Phone: 610-291-2165
info@birthrightarmenia.org
October 6, 2005
FREE EASTERN ARMENIAN LANGUAGE PROGRAM
OPENS NEW DOORS FOR BIRTHRIGHT ARMENIA PARTICIPANTS
Riding on the coattails of last year’s successful
Armenian language program, Birthright Armenia has once again proven
that learning the language can open doors to a more meaningful
experience. Ask the close to 100 participants in 2005, and they
will tell you that the Depi Hayk Eastern Armenian language program
has become one of the most important and successful tools in helping
them immerse into Armenia’s daily life. With a large number
of this year’s young volunteers having no previous knowledge
of the Armenian language before making the journey to Armenia,
Birthright’s supplementary in-class language instruction
helps to eliminate language as a barrier for diasporans interested
in contributing to the Homeland.
Each participant begins learning pre-departure by
using the free online Depi Hayk Armenian language tutorial at
www.birthrightarmenia.org, which launched in April 2004 as part
of Birthright Armenia’s pilot program. The program acts
as a virtual “language lab,” and features a modern
language tutorial, including common vocabulary, grammar, and reading
and writing tools, as well as a phonetics tool to aid in pronunciation.
All materials were developed by the Arlex International team,
led by linguist and attorney Thomas J. Samuelian.
Then volunteers continue learning the basics of
speaking, reading and writing Armenian through in-class instruction
during their eight-week long community service period in Armenia,
enough so that by the end of their stay, they are successfully
communicating with their work colleagues, homestay family members,
newfound friends and neighbors in the local dialect.
Carla Doughty, an Armenian Volunteer Corps (AVC)
volunteer and Birthright Armenia participant from Rhode Island,
who knew no Armenian prior to her arrival in Armenia, states,
“You can’t go to a country where people speak a different
language not knowing the language and expect to have the same
experience. Not only is it culturally important for me to know
the language but it’s socially respectful.”
Birthright Armenia offers these free language classes
in Armenia with teaching professionals from multiple institutions
of higher education in Yerevan. Currently, three different class
levels are offered – beginner, intermediate, and advanced
– the latter specifically designed for those who already
have full conversational ability but want to improve their Armenian
reading and writing skills. Some volunteers already fluent in
Western Armenian choose to join in on the language instruction
to learn Eastern Armenian.
Anahit Avedissyan, who teaches the intermediate
level language class, says that she sees in her students an intense
desire to learn the language and that it inspires her. “I
see this only here because they are Armenians.” She further
points out that because of this eagerness, students are able to
learn an incredible amount during their eight weeks in Armenia,
citing one student who, at the end of his internship, “wrote
a letter to me entirely in Armenian that made me so gratified
and proud”.
Other program services offered to Birthright volunteers
such as the homestay living option, complement the Eastern Armenian
language program, providing great opportunities for participants
to utilize their language skills. AVC volunteer Edward Casabian
of Massachusetts, who also knew no Armenian prior to his arrival
in Armenia, stated that his participation in the language classes
that involved everyday activities, as well as practice time with
his host family, were the most helpful elements during his stay
in Armenia. “The language was an amazing challenge for me,
but learning the bits and pieces I did was extremely rewarding.”
Fortunately a large majority of those who receive
language tutoring in Armenia pledge to continue their studies
once they got back home, whether in Eastern or Western dialect.
"Birthright's language classes helped so much to increase
my ability to communicate in Armenian that I am inspired to continue
building on what I learned in Armenia in order to be fluent one
day”, added Tamara Shahabian, a NY grad student who spent
this past summer in Armenia.
Birthright Armenia 's mission is to strengthen ties
between the Homeland and Diaspora 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. Birthright Armenia offers travel stipends and
many other free services to diasporans 18-32 years of age who
enroll in one of the 24 youth-oriented programs sponsored by Birthright.
For those interested in learning more about Birthright Armenia
, please visit www.birthrightarmenia.org
or email info@birthrightarmenia.org
.
