Safeguarding linguistic diversity in Europe

Expected Outcome:

Projects should contribute to all the following expected outcomes:

• Enhanced understanding, accompanied by documented good practices, showing what works to encourage multilingualism in society and what type of practices have led to safeguarding linguistic heritage, including lesser used, endangered and historically marginalised languages.
• Rigorous policy-relevant evidence, strategies and policy recommendations for promoting multilingualism and safeguarding linguistic diversity are available to policy makers, and users are involved in their development, especially the younger generation. Non-linguistic benefits of language maintenance and revitalisation are well documented, communicated and understood by different stakeholders.
• Citizens are empowered and engaged in the sustainable management of their own linguistic heritage and resources, with a focus on intergenerational dialogue and education activities, with particular attention to communities where oral transmission is the primary mode of language preservation.
• Maps and visual presentations showing the linguistic diversity in Europe are available, including a variety of existing languages (regional and minority languages, indigenous languages, low resources languages etc.) and offering suited terminology and explanations.

Scope:

Linguistic diversity is a fundamental part of Europe’s cultural heritage. When languages disappear, a whole knowledge system disappears, and cultural diversity is impoverished. Linguistic diversity plays a key role in safeguarding cultural diversity. Languages are the expression of the identity, culture and the way peoples perceive their world. Knowledge and culture are lost when languages are lost.

Trimmed here, the full scope, expected outcomes and award criteria are on the official topic page ↗.