Making Language Revitalization Come Alive
Explore the many ways TLC supports Indigenous language revitalization—from custom materials to powerful tech tools. Scroll through our featured services below to see real examples in action, watch demo videos, and discover how we can support your community’s language goals.
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Custom Keyboard
Typing in your language should be effortless. Many instructors rely on copying and pasting words from old documents. A custom keyboard with every letter, diacritic, and special character is right at your fingertips making it simple to write, share, and communicate naturally.
We work closely with Elders, First language speakers and knowledge keepers to design keyboards that reflect how the language is being represented. Available for mobile or desktop this tool empowers communities to use their language in the digital world.
Vocab Builder Apps
Our Vocab Builder apps offer fun and interactive activities to help learners build their vocabulary. Each app covers 300 to 500 essential words and phrases, designed for anyone 10 and up. We work closely with Tribal partners to include meaningful categories like animals, plants, and everyday objects. The app challenges users to progress through increasingly complex activities, as you can see in the demo.
Why start with a Vocab Builder? Tribal leaders, members and students love using this tool early in their language journey. It gives quick access to words we use every day! Allowing you to see, hear, and write the language boosts confidence and accelerates language learning. The Vocab Builder is already a key part of many successful language revitalization projects, and we’re confident it will be valuable in your efforts too.
Online & Mobile Dictionary
Native language dictionaries are vital tools for preserving languages, strengthening connections to heritage, and promoting cultural diversity. Our process begins by evaluating existing materials—both print and audio—that have been developed over time. These materials serve as the foundation for the future dictionary.
With community guidance, we work closely with First Language speakers to ensure accuracy, and we host community events to document the language at a pace set by your speakers. Step by step, we capture the words of the language in both written and audio forms, fostering engagement between Elder speakers and younger generations, and building excitement around language revitalization.
Over several years, the collected words and phrases are shared through our Online and Mobile Dictionary apps. Watch the demo to see the possibilities, and click here to explore other dictionaries we’ve developed.
Data Sovereignty: We believe Indigenous data belongs with Indigenous communities. That’s why we work closely with our Tribal partners to ensure that the information we collect remains accessible and shareable on your terms—now and for future generations. This process strengthens bonds across the community, connecting First Language speakers, new learners, and Native youth in a shared mission to revitalize their language and culture.
eLearning
Lessons in eLearning provide an engaging, structured way for students (K-12 & adult) to build fluency in their Indigenous language. Exercises are tailored to meet different learning styles while tracking progress. Culturally relevant lessons introduce new vocabulary followed by a short quiz at the end. Students are asked to listen, and respond to multiple choice, true false and matching questions in audio and text format. The tool includes a Teacher’s Portal that provides customizable dashboards that include student progress reports and lesson planning.
Available on web, iOS, and Android, this tool supports language learners of all ages focused on long-term language growth.
Capacity Building: We are also committed to building local expertise. Training is included in all our programs to equip community members with the skills needed to continue the work. The training allows you to continuously expand the dictionary, update definitions, and add new words along with audio recordings of sample sentences. You can choose to be as involved as you’d like throughout the process.
In 2018 TLC created an academic paper describing the app created for the Lakota language, you can read the paper here.
Customized Printed Language Materials
We create high-quality printed materials to support Indigenous language revitalization. Whether you need storybooks, coloring books, textbooks, flashcards, or posters, we work with communities to develop engaging and culturally relevant resources. Each project is tailored to your language and teaching needs, ensuring accessible and effective learning tools for all ages. Let us help bring your language to life through beautifully designed print materials!
Copyright & Ownership – When you partner with The Language Conservancy, you retain full ownership of all finished materials and any data collected during development. Our contracts explicitly state that all deliverables—including books, software, recordings, and other resources—belong exclusively to you. We are committed to supporting Indigenous communities in creating language materials without claiming ownership of their work. Your language, your resources, your rights.
