MDP Student attends Language Sustainability Conference

Tue. May. 26, 2026

MDP student Jackie Dormer attended DISTILS-01: Discoveries and Insights in Skills Training in Intergenerational Language Sustainability Conference held at the University of Alberta, May 3-7, where she presented alongside Kathleen Anderson (Simon Fraser University). Their work, entitled “Lessons from the Michif Context: An Unauthorized Guide to Surviving Language Revitalization,” focuses on extralinguistic skills that are central to language revitalization and reclamation, but are often overlooked in academic literature. 

DISTILS was organized by the International Network for Skills Training in Intergenerational Language Sustainability(INSTILS) and is the first conference that focuses on intergenerational language sustainability. This year’s theme was “Conceptions of Intergenerational Language Sustainability Skills Training: Best Practices and Innovations.”

The conference featured speakers from around the world including those from Canada, Nepal, Thailand, Chile, Pakistan, Australia, and the Soloman Islands. Academic, private-sector, and community-based scholars alike presented their research and insights on how we can continue passing on our languages in a sustainable way. 

“It was eye-opening to see the amazing work that people are doing in their communities around the world. I was reminded that Indigenous and minoritized language groups in other parts of the world are working in very different contexts, with different political, social, and economic pressures. It was inspiring to see everyone who was able to attend, and I am very grateful for everyone I was able to connect with and learn from.

I would like to thank MDP and the University of Winnipeg for providing funding for me to attend this conference.”