Welcome to the CALN Website
 

When we set up CALN in 2011 the aim was to bring together people who were interested to promote respect and recognition for Caribbean and African Languages.

Update August 2020 - since 2011 a great deal was achieved, but not recorded well on this site, but we have kept this site as a reminder, with ideas and links to support a revival of interest. 

We established CALN as a network as a way to move forward and to establish a specialist team of people with specific expertise and interest. The Institute of Caribbean Linguists leads the way as ever, with a base at the University of the West Indies. 

The Black Lives Matter campaign reminds us that there are so many ways that Black people are undermined by racism, and the lack of respect and recognition for Caribbean and African languages is one of these ways. 'Black Languages Matter!'

In Britain and many other parts of the world, even in the countries of origin of languages, European or other languages are seen to have higher status and also as being better options for study for economic reasons. CALN promotes multi lingualism and equal access to opportunities to learn and study any language of choice, so that any language a child or adult may want to learn and learn more about is seen as equally valuable and respected.

Message from Liz Millman, Founder, Developer and Co-ordinator of CALN 

"We have to recognise that 'Language is Power!' and we all know that sadly the colonial and hierarchical attitudes to "community languages" are alive and still thriving in the 21st Century.

But isn't English a community language? It was in Wolverhampton where I spent many years!

Work is going on all around the planet to fight for respect and recognition for languages that are currently oppressed or dying out. CALN is one small way that we can share information and learn with others who share the same concerns.

I do not speak my fathers language, Welsh, but in my lifetime I have seen the campaigns and action that have transformed respect and recognition of Welsh. We all have a lot to learn from this and the many others who have worked to prevent language loss."