Effective language development requires a clear understanding of the sociolinguistic environment, and the means to measure the work's success along the way.
Language development identifies, equips, and engages in ongoing planned actions to ensure that a language continues to serve the community's many changing needs and goals.
Language development work is most effective when integrated with development in all areas of a community's life. In our primary areas of expertise (issues of language and culture), SIL serves Tanzania's language communities by advocating on behalf of these issues, linking the community to valuable resources, and helping them to build their own capacity for continued development.
Language Assessment
Linguistic Research
By studying patterns and variety in structure and use of language, Linguistics provides a strong foundation for many other fields of language development work.
Literacy & Education
Speakers of non-dominant languages constitute just eight percent of the total world population, but account for over forty percent of those who are classified as non-literate.