Office of Inter-institutional and International Relations

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The professor researcher Didier Demolin is visiting the University of Cauca under the agreement ECOS - Nord scientific cooperation between universities in Colombia and France.  Professor Demolin is working on the revitalization of the indigenous languages ​​Nasa Yuwe and Nam Trik and their phonetical relationship with other languages.

According to the researcher, who works for the University of Grenoble and the university laboratory Gipsa - Lab (France), the purpose of his visit is to deal with the phonetic problems present in the two languages ​​of indigenous origin. Three members of the Linguistic, Pedagogical and Socio-cultural Studies Research Group of the Alma Mater of Cauca are conducting this work.

"This project seeks to make an accurate description of the phonetics of the language, in order to develop systems for the recognition of speech signals that helps in revitalizing the two languages ​​“, said Mr. Demolin.

The visiting researcher associate says that in the case of the language Nasa Yuwe, they are looking to make a description of the vowel system, which is considered unique in the world because of the characteristics that it possesses. While on the tongue Nam Trik they will perform a comparative work related to the consonants, since there are similarities with the Chinese language and a unique language from India.

Knowledge Exchange

Although the research project is in the final stage, the purpose of it is projecting it toward other initiatives to continue exchange of students and professors from Colombian and French universities looking for the to the revitalization of the languages ​​and development of computer tools for the education in the indigenous reservations.

"There is a tradition of exchange between Colombian and French linguists due to the work of Professor Tulio Rojas, who is known in France for his studies and researches, so the idea is to continue with the work in both languages ​​and carry out such analysis as detailed as it has been developing", said Mr. Demolin .

The fieldwork for the Nasa language, at this stage of the project, it has been done especially in Resguardo de Paez de Muchique – Los Tigres, in the municipality of Santander de Quilichao.  They seek to make this work on other places to record more data and continue the investigation. For the Nam Trik language the work has been done with speakers of the Guambía and Ambaló, in the municipality of Silvia, said the researcher who works along wirh Professor Tulio Rojas and the students Geny Gonzales and Stephen Diaz.

The results of this research work will be presented next year in a publication that will include phonetic units for use by engineers, and thus articulate this revitalization with the use of Information Technology and Communications. "This kind of exchanges will develop synergies in research and teaching, so that there will be a progress in strengthening the cooperation ties between the institutions" said Tulio Rojas Curieux, professor of the University of Cauca.

For more information, please contact:

Vice-rectory of Research

Linguistic, Pedagogic and Sociocultural Studies.

Tel 8209822 Ext 2637

Email: gelpsunicauca@gmail.com