Today we’d like to introduce you to Andrei Golub.
Hi Andrei, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Hello, and thank you for having me. I became interested in language pedagogy at the University of Utah where I studied linguistics and L2 acquisition. I later worked at a language school in the Czech Republic. After finishing a game of chess with my good friend Clay Violand at the Shakespeare and Sons bookstore, we went to catch a trolly. At this point I was hit by a speeding taxi. While I recovered from my injuries, I remembered my dream of becoming a Peace Corps volunteer. I applied and was assigned to Paraguay where I worked in the education sector. One of the coolest things about Peace Corps was learning Guarani—the official language of Paraguay. Upon my return, I realized how few resources there were for learning minor languages.
Before the age of nine, a person can lose their ability to speak if they are not provided with opportunities and incentives to use their language (Kroll and Hermans, 2004). Languages are threatened when they lack informal intergenerational transmission and informal daily life support (Fisherman, 1997). Sociolinguistic research has shown that formal language education needs to be complemented with everyday communicative realities (Baetens Beardsmore, 1993).
The Lingua Bear project has two primary objectives: 1) Document and revitalize indigenous languages and empower their communities; and 2) Use English to teach rare and unfamiliar languages to facilitate awareness, curiosity, and appreciation of foreign languages and their cultures.
As a point of departure, our team has developed the Lingua Bear toy as a pedagogical tool to make language acquisition engaging and fun. After teaching in rural communities, I believe it is vital to develop youth education programs that not only promote social mobility, but also empower local people to see themselves as part of, and not subsumed by, the global community.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The most challenging aspect has been funding. During the startup process, we have mostly relied on friends, family, and the community. To become a better project manager, I have done a lot of research over the years on my own and studied Public Administration at the Evergreen State College in Washington State.
I have learned a tremendous amount by working closely with our incredibly dedicated contacts. We rely on native speakers and community stakeholders to create honest and accurate language content.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
We create content for major language dialects and specialize in indigenous languages. Kids and parents can directly contribute to revitalization efforts by becoming new speakers of languages with relatively small or shrinking populations.
Lingua Bear is our main product: it has three buttons with different lists of words, phrases, and songs in both English and a target language. We plan to create an app that will include the virtual Lingua Bear, as well as other interesting games and learning materials.
Artists from target language communities create drawings depicting the words, phrases, and songs found in our scripts. We have t-shirts and other merchandise that include some of this artwork that can be purchased on our website. A portion of all sales goes to the communities we work with and directly to project participants.
Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out.
Don’t overthink it and keep moving forward. Mistakes are part of the process—it will never be perfect, but you have to make it look perfect. Whatever your trade or business, through your hard work, integrity, and resilience, you will evolve beyond your wildest dreams.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.linguabear.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/linguabear/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/linguabear
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/LinguaBearOrg
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@linguabear6997
