Kohima: A five-day effort to save Indigenous tongues ended August 22 at Tetso College in Sovima. The Central Institute of Indian Languages from Mysuru partnered with the college linguistics department to host the workshop. They gathered language experts, community members, and native speakers. The goal was simple. Build digital tools for Nagaland languages.
Twelve languages hit the list: Angami, Ao, Khezha, Khiamniungan, Konyak, Lotha, Phom, Rengma, Sangtam, Sumi, Tikhir, and Zeme. Teams spent the week recording audio, transcribing, and gathering data. They turned dry wordlists into a working prototype called the Nagaland Language Digital Hub.
The hub now holds 13 interactive games. Tools like Picture Match, Word Weave, and Family Tree help kids and adults alike learn. Principal Dr. Hewasa L Khing watched the demonstration during the final ceremony. Developers aim to move beyond simple recordings. The release stated: "The prototype demonstrates how community language materials can be transformed into interactive digital learning activities rather than remaining as static wordlists or recordings."
The project serves as a model for all of Northeast India. Organizers plan to test and refine the tech before scaling up. Community input stayed at the core of the project throughout the week. Work continues in February 2027. Experts will review the prototype then to polish the resources for wider use.
Updated at 25th August 2026 at 1:49pm
The workshop ran from August 18 to August 22. It officially carried the title Crafting Digital Resources for the Languages of Nagaland.
The hub features a full list of 13 activities: Picture Match, Word Match, Listen and Choose, Listen and Spell, Word Weave, Spell It, Spot the Spelling, Counting, Memory Cards, Sentence Builder, Body Map, Family Tree, and Crossword. These games target a broad range of users, from young children to adults and people learning their own heritage tongues.
Beyond documentation, the project aims to bridge the gap between digital tech and modern classroom needs, proving that native language materials can serve as more than just static data.
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