Chang Literature Board for language standardization

Morung Express News
Tuensang | May 14

“I have a passion to write and to translate other languages in Chang but as I keep on writing, I find difficulty since there is no standard form of writing in our language. This workshop was an eye opener not only for me but for the entire Chang community,” Aliba Chang, one of the participants of the workshop organised by Chang Literature Board on phonetics and phonology stated. 

“It will be good if there was a standard form of writing in Chang language. During this workshop, we found out that in Chang language there are six vowels, 15 consonants and 21 alphabets only, the letters such as F, Q, R, V, X, Z are missing,” Aliba observed. 

The Chang Literature Board (CLB) organized the workshop at Resource Centre, Chang Baptist Lashong Thangyen in Tuensang from May 11 to 13. The CLB stated that the objective of the workshop was to develop, improve, polish and promote Chang linguistic, with the focus on spelling, sounds and pronunciations. 

Assistant professors Dr Imlienla Imchen and Dr Bijen Kumar Singh from the Centre for Naga Tribal Language Studies, Nagaland University, Kohima Campus, Meriema were the resource persons.

Stating that this workshop with a certain community is a first of its kind, the resource persons stated, “This is a community outreach programme. We had a discussion on why standardization of spelling is important. Language is not only about preservation but we should share it to discriminate it to spread it.”

“The board brought up this issue and we are providing help to them with the motive of what can be done to promote Chang language. We have worked on sound standardization which is just a beginning which will eventually lead to language standardization,” they added.

The workshop was sponsored by DUDA, Nagaland. Around 50 participants were invited from the CLB members, church workers, teachers, students, local writers, community leaders etc.