Current Projects
CeLCAR is currently working on:
- finalizing revisions of the Dari, Pashto, Uyghur, and Uzbek Intermediate Textbooks through Georgetown Press
- revising the Turkmen and Kazakh Introductory Textbooks
- piloting PTP Tests and making the subsequent necessary revisions
- increasing our archive of authentic materials and creating an interactive searchable database of the materials.
Research on Acquisition and Teaching of Central Asian Languages
CeLCAR is conducting two major research projects:
- A project researching acquisition of Central Asian languages as well as bridging from less commonly taught Turkish and Farsi to even less commonly taught Turkic and Iranian Central Asian languages.
- A project investigating empirically based innovative and effective language teaching methodology for Central Asian languages.
It is anticipated that the results of this research will culminate in curricula, teaching materials, and language courses designed specifically for Central Asian languages, as well as scientific publications.
Conference on Central Asian Languages and Linguistics (ConCALL)
ConCALL was established in 2014 as a professional development conference for linguists and language educators specializing in the languages of the Central Asian region, including both the Altaic and Eastern Indo-European languages spoken in the region, a diverse range of languages such as Azerbaijani, Dari, Kazakh, Mongolian, Pashto, Persian, Tajiki, Tibetan, Turkish, Tuvan, Uyghur, Uzbek, and more!
Online Language Courses
CeLCAR is designing introductory and intermediate online language courses in Dari, Mongolian, Pashto, Uyghur, and Uzbek, all of which will be open for enrollment worldwide and bear university credit. These courses will be particularly useful for non-traditional students such as business people, military personnel, government officials, and humanitarian workers.
Heritage Learning Materials
CeLCAR is collaborating with NHLRC and Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA) to design and establish an Afghan Heritage Language Curriculum for heritage speakers of Dari and Pashto. The curriculum and associated materials will be tailored to the specific needs and abilities of heritage speakers.
Mobile Applications
The center is working on extending its current array of mobile and smartphone learning applications to additional Central Asian languages, including Azerbaijani, Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Mongolian, Tajiki, and Tibetan. CeLCAR’s mobile apps focus on teaching the target alphabet and writing in the target script. Currently, the center is expanding the apps to include teaching essential phrases and vocabulary.