DiM PROJECT

Multilingual interactive Dictionary

We are looking for partners for a K2 Erasmus + Project based on the exchange of good practices and innovation.

Our project consists on a Multilingual Online Dictionary origineted as a didactic support in the process of teaching and learning a second foreign language, whose aim is also  the social inclusion and a full integration of foreign immigrant students.

Our students, as native speakers, collaborate actively to the realization of the dictionary and promote the knowledge of their cultures trough their languages.

The project started in 2016/17school year, and was carried out by Cpia  AV- BN teachers without any financial support. We would like to extend it to other institutions working in the field of adult immigrant education, to increase the number of languages and dictionary users and also to create an intercultural exchange to promote an online multicultural library.

The dictionary, called DiM (Dizionario Multilingue/Multilingual Dictionary) is conceived as a work in progress whose format can be adaptable to any language. At the moment the languages whose entries have been collected are: Bambara, Igbo, Kotokoli, Twi, Urdu.

The compilation of the dictionary consists of 4 stages each following one another which are:

1. the planning of the dictionary;

2. the collection of the entries;

3. the writing

4. on line publication.

In the planning stage the reference point as such as the starting point is the lexical list Level A1 and then Level 2, published in the Profilo della Lingua Italiana (Italian Language Profile) according to the Common European Framework of References for Languages.

In this way, many of the problems related to words selection, the first step of the second stage, have been solved. The second step that is the collection of the entries (words) is carried out by students who complete a form with the translation of the words in their own language. The teacher will then record the translated words.

In the writing stage we take care to reproduce the transliteration of the words in the Latin alphabet where necessary.

In the last stage the dictionary is published and can be consulted online through a web application with a mysql and php solution designed by an IT expert.

The final result for each entry consists of:

1. a schematic drawing for each word (very useful for illiterates);

2. a brief description in Italian/any other language;

3. the translation of the word into the different languages involved;

4. files audio for pronunciation in the different languages involved.

At this temporary link you can find a demo that show you how DiM works

dim.satya-yuga.net/video.mp4

contacts:

CPIA-AVELLINO

http://www.cpiaavellino.gov.it

contact person: Prof.ssa Lia Pensabene: e-mail:

lia.pensabene@gmail.com