Surayt-Aramaic Online Project Erasmus Project

Project Title

Surayt-Aramaic Online Project

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Strategic Partnerships for higher education

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2017

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Teaching and learning of foreign languages; Integration of refugees; Open and distance learning

Project Summary

This project aims at developing an online course for intermediary and advanced levels (B2, C1 and C2) level and additional linguistic material for the teaching of Surayt Aramaic (also known as Turoyo), which is enlisted as “severely endangered” by the UNESCO.

Surayt is a Neo-Aramaic language belonging to the Aramaic branch of the Semitic language family. It is spoken by the Syriac Christians (also known as Assyrians and Arameans) in different countries in the Middle East. Surayt is a non-recognized minority language in the Middle East where it has been repressed and excluded from any official education. Due to the mass emigration of its speakers, the language has drastically weakened, and the number of active speakers in Europe is rapidly decreasing, particularly among the second and third generations.

In order to fill in the gap of Surayt language courses according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, the Consortium has formulated the following aims and objectives in line with Erasmus+ Program’s (Key Action 2) specific objectives and priorities:

1) Develop a pedagogically innovative online course for Surayt at B2 and C1 levels; respect Europe’s linguistic diversity by making the B2-C1 units available in seven languages (English, German, Swedish, French, Dutch, Arabic and Turkish) and C2-level only in English to address both the needs of native and non-native learners;

2) Develop a “Reader” for Surayt (digital text corpus) which will be equivalent to C2 level and address the needs of more advanced learners;

3) Support the online course with textbooks, virtual classes and webinars;

4) Design and develop a learner app to support the online course and increase the interactive level of learners;

5) Prepare a documentary video about the endangerment of Surayt and the online course in order to raise awareness and promote the use of the language;

6) Transfer knowledge and expertise by providing training to educators, experts and academics who are working both in Surayt and in other minority languages which are facing endangerment and spoken in Europe.

7) Organize two summer schools for young learners and further, disseminate the project through seminars and meetings with user communities and stakeholders which will be locally organized.

The project results, especially the online course will be a new opportunity for all interested native and non-native learners of this language to improve their Surayt language skills and increase learners’ intercultural awareness. It will fill in a gap in the spectrum of European languages by offering a new and unique language course. Overall, the project results are expected to have a remarkable impact on the future viability and vitality of this endangered language.

Freie Universität Berlin, Stockholms Universitet, St Ephrem Syriac Orthodox Monastery in the Netherlands, Midyat Syriac Cultural Association and Beth Mardutha Syriac Institute in the USA.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 408160 Eur

Project Coordinator

FREIE UNIVERSITAET BERLIN & Country: DE

Project Partners

• Midyat Süryani Kültür Dernegi
• STOCKHOLMS UNIVERSITET
• Syrisch-Orthodoxe Kerk van Antiochië
• Beth Mardutho: The Syriac Institute