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Literacy in Languages of the World
- SIL has active programs in nearly 1,000 languages in more than 50
countries.
- In half of those language groups, SIL introduced literacy in the vernacular
or mother tongue language for the first time.
- SIL has carried out work in literacy, community development, and education
in languages spoken by more than 75 million people.
- More than 12,000 titles of pedagogical and vernacular materials have
been written, published, and distributed in more than 1,200 languages.
- Tens of thousands of local teachers have been trained, and an estimated
50,000 communities now have access to literacy as a result of SIL's
work.
- Six national level, bilingual education programs have been organized
and institutionalized with SIL assistance
- Well over 2 million people have become literate as a direct result
of SIL's work in literacy. Additional millions have become literate
as an indirect result of this work
SIL strategy and methodology
Five decades of international experience in the field of mother tongue
literacy has allowed SIL to forge a practical and proven model of literacy
based on the following principles:
- being community based
- being linguistically sound
- committing to long term support as needed
- committing to training and technology transfer
- providing cost effectiveness
- deferring to local control
These statistics reflect only one dimension of SIL's contribution. Beyond
its work of partnering in grassroots language and human development, SIL
has also sought to foster, in the countries where it works, constructive
national policies towards minorities. The result has been the adoption
of supportive policies in literacy, education, and language development
favoring minority peoples. As a consulting member to UNESCO, SIL contributes
internationally to a better understanding of the dimensions of minority
language literacy.
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International Literacy Day