SIL Mexico

The Work of the Instituto Lingüístico de Verano in Mexico

 

Contribution to scientific knowledge about the indigenous languages of Mexico

  • Technical articles about various aspects of the languages
  • Detailed studies, especially dictionaries and grammars
  • Monographs
  • Masters' theses
  • Doctoral dissertations
  • Teaching of basic linguistics
  • Workshops on production of grammars and dictionaries (open to the public)
  • Research on interdialectal intelligibility among the indigenous languages of Mexico
  • Cooperation with scientific and educational institutions in research projects and education
  • Access to computer programs for linguistic work (software created by linguistic specialists for the use of all linguists, including members of the country's scientific research institutions)

Promoting and affirming the value of indigenous languages and cultures

  • Preparation and publication of dictionaries and grammars
  • Collection and preservation of folklore and traditional stories
  • Workshops for indigenous writers in their mother tongues

A modest contribution to bilingual education

  • Creation of primers (prior to 1979, this was under the guidance of the Secretary of Public Education)
  • Promotion of literacy in the indigenous languages
  • Cooperation with national institutions
  • Donation of publications to many of Mexico's libraries, including the National Library and others maintained by the government, in addition to libraries maintained by educational institutions
  • Upon request, consultation is provided for bilingual teachers regarding linguistic issues related to indigenous languages

Translation of Bible portions

  • Translation of Bible portions, including the New Testament and selections of the Old Testament, into more than 100 indigenous languages, for distribution to the general public, and in cooperation with other organizations