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Ministry of Diaspora & AVC Celebrate UNESCO International Mother Language Day 02/28/2017
Since 1999, UNESCO sponsored mother language and multilingual education through International Mother Language Day (IMLD). The overall objective of the Day is to contribute to promoting global language education and intracultural communication. This year, the observance of the International Mother Language Day was held on 21 February in the UNESCO headquarters and many countries worldwide. In Armenia, IMLD was marked with active participation by AVC in a series of five dedicated events to our mother tongue. In collaboration with the RA Ministry of Diaspora, AVC took part in the 13th Yerevan Book Fair-Expo in KhnkoAper National Children's Library;in the round table panel discussion at the National Academy of Sciences; and in the Armenia-Lebanon virtual conference on preserving the Western Armenian. Also in the frames of the Day, AVC organized an e-Chat Roomevent for AVC alumni and an e-Connect session between an Aleppo Armenian school and a Yerevan Public school to sum up Mother Language Day celebrations. The opening event of the series was the 13th Yerevan Book Fair-Expo in KhnkoAper National Children's Library from February 18 to 21. In the joint pavilion of AVC and the Ministry of Diaspora, AVC showcased its multimedia eBooks series and Armenian Language courseware, revealing the innovative capabilities developed to meet the needs of the young e-learners. During this Fair-Expo the Minister of Diaspora of RA Hranush Hakobyan singled out AVC: “This unique institution always stands out with its innovative offerings. The e-publications are what we miss today for the new generation of readers. The Ministry will support the College to further raise awarenessand participation.” In its efforts to connectGlobal Armenians by using the mother language as the strongest connection tool, AVC’s contribution to the February 20 roundtable panel discussion was crucial. The roundtable was entitled “The Armenian Language in Textbooks” and coorganized by AVC, the RA Ministry of Diaspora and the National Academy of Sciences of Armenia. At the panel discussion, AVC successfully revealed its innovative approaches to disseminate the Armenian language. The AVC Founder Dr. Yervant Zorian, through a video link, highlighted the importance of our language in connecting Global Armenians. The AVC Hybrid Education Coordinator Arpine Tavakalyan shared AVC’s online experience in preparing the e-learning material. “Distance learning and the application of the latest technologies need to have their special place during the development of the new language policy; the to-be developed textbooks need to be accessible for the Armenian Diaspora as well”, she stated. The Armenia-Lebanon virtual conference held on February 24 was devoted to the preservation of Western Armenian. During the event AVC Academic Director Dr. Hasmik Khalapyan and Online Instructor of Western Armenian Zepur Kheblikian reemphasized the significance of using e-learning methods in teaching today’s generations and AVC’s proactive efforts in the context of preserving Western Armenian. To improve knowledge of the Armenian language and to inspire cohesion among the Armenians worldwide,a series of AVC’s e-Chat Roomsessions, throughout February and March,were dedicated to the Mother Language Day. These sessions gatheredAVC students and alumni via the AVC online communication platform. Finally, on March 2, AVC held an eConnect session linking two classrooms one at the AGBU CalousteGulbenkian-Lazar Najarian School of Aleppo and the other at the #150 Public School after F. Nansen in Yerevan. The topic of discussion was language learning in Diaspora and Armenia. Through International Mother Language celebrations, AVC keeps staying connected with the Global Armenian community by sharing the values it has been pursuing since its foundation. Video Link: Mother Language Day