Chapter 17 Using Children’s Native Language Repertoire to Develop Literacy Materials: Early Writing in Torwali
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Abstract
Torwali is an endangered Indo-Aryan language spoken by approximately 100,000–120,000 people in the Swat district of Northern Pakistan. Many Torwali speakers have migrated permanently to the larger cities of Pakistan, and the language is threatened by Urdu, English, and Pashto. Torwali is not recognised in Pakistan, nor is it used in the public education system in the country. It lacks a rigorous writing tradition. However, recently the documentation of Torwali and the development of its writing system have been undertaken by a local organisation, Idara Baraye Taleem waTaraqi (IBT). The organisation has established schools for children, where they start their education in Torwali and then transition to Urdu and English. This chapter is an attempt to explore the educational opportunities available in Torwali, with an emphasis on the evaluation and assessment of the teaching materials, as well as the pedagogical approaches used and the challenges faced by the educators and activists involved in the revitalisation of Torwali. The chapter also aims to trace the little-known history and identity of the Torwali people. The chapter specifically analyses the written output and writing skills of both current and former students of the Torwali multilingual education programme, which was established in August 2008. The chapter highlights some of the areas where improvement is needed in the Torwali multilingual education model and describes future efforts for the revitalisation of the Torwali language.