Language nest

A language nest is an immersion-based approach to language revitalization in early-childhood education. Language nests originated in New Zealand in the 1980s, as a part of the Māori-language revival in that country. The term "language nest" is a translation of the Māori phrase kōhanga reo. In a language nest, older speakers of the language take part in the education of children through intergenerational language transference. With that, these older fluent speakers act as mentors and help children use the target language in many different settings. The language nest is a program that places focus on local Indigenous cultural practices and perspectives, and with that incorporates traditional activities, cultural products, and Indigenous language discourse. Additionally, the quality of these early childhood immersion programs helps in aiding the development of linguistic and cultural competence for participants. There is only one language nest for Võro working three days a week in Haanja and several initiatives, so called "language nest days" (keelepesäpäiv) that are working one day in week in 18 different kindergartens of Võro area. Võro language nest initiatives are organised by Võro Institute. There are language nests for Inari Sámi, Skolt Sami, and the Karelian languages in Finland. There is a language nest in Vieljärvi, Karjalan Tazavaldu (Vedlozero, the Republic of Karelia): Karjalan Kielen Kodi. Language nest is kielipezä in Karelian. Language nests have been proposed as part of the revitalization of Nivkh on Sakhalin, but as of 2018 had not been implemented due to the unwillingness of local school administrators and shortages of staff and funding. Language nests have been used on the Isle of Man, where there are Manx language playgroups and nurseries run by Mooinjer Veggey. A study in 2004 reported on two language nests in British Columbia: a Cseyseten ("language nest") at Adam's Lake in the Secwepemc language, and a Clao7alcw ("Raven’s nest") at Lil’wat Nation in the Lil’wat language written about by Onowa McIvor for her Master's thesis.