CURRENT FELLOWS
Dr. Bolanle Elizabeth Arokoyo
Olùkùmi Language Projects, 2013 – present
Bolanle Elizabeth Arokoyo holds a PhD in Linguistics. Her doctoral work focused on syntax and first language acquisition.
Dr. Arokoyo has worked extensively on Yoruba as well as Okun dialects of Yoruba and Olùkùmi. She is presently working on the linguistics of Owé (a dialect of Yoruba) and the grammar of Olùkùmi. She is a Lecturer at the Department of Linguistics and Nigerian Languages, University of Ilorin, Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria. In 2017, with the support of Living Tongues, Dr. Arokoyo published the first-ever dictionaries for Olùkùmi and Owé. In 2022, she has been working on the Olùkùmi Living Dictionary with her students in Nigeria with remote support from Living Tongues Institute.
View Dr. Arokoyo’s bibliography
Mr. Khandu Degio
Aka Language Projects, 2011 – present
Khandu Degio is a speaker of Hruso-Aka and Koro-Aka. He is from Palizi village, West Kameng District, Arunachal Pradesh, India. He has been actively involved with Living Tongues Institute on documentation of the Hruso Aka and Koro Aka languages for many years. Koro is an endangered Tibeto-Burman language spoken in Arunachal Pradesh, India, with an estimated 600-800 speakers. Mr. Degio is also a gifted illustrator and has provided illustrations for a children’s book published by Living Tongues in India.
Zimbabwe Fellows
In 2014, a group of Living Tongues fellows were appointed in Zimbabwe. All recently completed their first-level digital literacy skills and training in basic applied technology for language documentation at a workshop in March 2014 at the African Languages Research Institute, University of Zimbabwe located in Harare, Zimbabwe. These linguists/language activists all took part in building the first-ever online dictionaries created in their native tongues. These are now available online on the Living Dictionaries platform.
Dr. Ignatius T. Mabasa | Shona Living Dictionary
2014-present
Mr. Mthulisi Ncube | Kalanga Living Dictionary
2014-present
Mr. Tshidzanani Malaba | Kalanga Living Dictionary
2016-present
[photo forthcoming]
FORMER FELLOWS
Ms. Pediatrice Sibanda | Nambya Living Dictionary
2014-2015
Mr. Robert Chimbiti | Chikunda Living Dictionary
2014-2015
Ms. Tabona Nyoni | Nambya Living Dictionary
2014-2015
Dr. Danielle Barth
Matukar (Panau) Project, 2010-2011
Danielle Barth was appointed Living Tongues Institute Fellow in 2010. She spent several months living and working in Matukar assisting in the Matukar Talking Dictionary and Online Grammar Project.
She returned to Matukar in 2011 as well as 2013 for further field sessions where more details of the grammar were worked out and more forms and media content for the Talking Dictionary were collected, serving as assistant to the Matukar Project leader Rudolf Raward. Danielle Barth is currently a Lecturer at the Australian National University.
Dr. Anna Pucilowski
Ho Language Project, 2008-2009
Anna Pucilowski was the first Living Tongues Institute Fellow appointed in 2008. During 2008-2009, she coordinated and executed the second and most comprehensive stage of the Ho Talking Dictionary and Online Grammar Project, working closely with members of the Ho speaking community of Jharkhand.
She has presented and published a range of studies on the Ho language. Anna graduated with her Ph.D from the Linguistics Department at the University of Oregon. Her dissertation was on the Ho verbal system. She currently works as a speech language pathologist.
Dr. Sophie Salffner
Nigeria Projects Coordinator, 2012 – 2013.
Sophie Salffner joined the Living Tongues Institute as a Fellow in 2012. Sophie has been working with the Akaan people of Ikakumo (Ondo State, Nigeria) since 2006 to work on the documentation and description of Ikaan, the language of the Akaan.
Together, they have published a small book on proverbs, riddles and stories in Ikaan and are now training the children and young people in photography, audio recording and computer skills to help with collecting material on people’s everyday life. Dr. Salffner is currently a Digital Archivist at SOAS University of London.
