Canada Institute of Linguistics continues to grow
Of the 7,394 known languages in the world, 1,268 (representing 99.8 million people) are waiting for Bible translation to start, according to Wycliffe Global Alliance (Wycliffe.net/Resources/Statistics2023).
Canada Institute of Linguistics (CanIL.ca), which celebrates its 40th anniversary next year, is helping close this gap. Danny Foster, president and CEO of CanIL, says with global translation efforts and technological advances such as AI, a day will come when everyone has access to the Bible in their own language. “The Bible translation movement and the current generation is getting closer to that day.”
With global translation efforts and technological advances, a day will come when everyone has access to the Bible in their own language.
Through two accredited universities – Trinity Western in B.C and Tyndale in Toronto – CanIL launched a master of arts in translation of Scripture (MATS) program in partnership with Northwest Seminary in 2021. This cutting-edge program “has been created for people working in Bible translation projects around the world and is done in situ,” explains Foster, noting students are by invitation only.
Fourteen students are currently in the program and are in Africa and Asia. The goal is to equip students to be Bible translation consultants in their regions. Since most MATS students reside in low- to middle-income countries, Foster says the program is fully funded through generous donors.
Prospective students must be nominated by a sponsoring organization, have significant experience in translation, a bachelor’s degree and be working in a Bible translation project. The curriculum for MATS is competency based and has no classes or courses. “We borrowed the concept from Northwest. The idea is that you can’t assess mastery in the classroom. You can only assess it in the ministry context.”
CanIL’s programs are designed to equip students with skills in language development, language documentation, literacy, advocacy and Bible translation.
Victoria Infante graduated from CanIL with a master of arts in linguistics and says learning from professors with experience in the mission field, especially “seeing theory applied to real language examples,” was a highlight of the program. Infante now works in Brazil at the training department of Missão ALEM, while also researching the Ninam language from the Upper Mucajaí.
“The training I obtained at CanIL has equipped me for two areas of my ministry. First, academic tools for the study and description of the Ninam language, and tools and ideas to improve our linguistics training in Brazil.”
In Canada, CanIL’s work includes helping document Indigenous languages virtually eradicated as the country was colonized. Foster points out that languages matter to God, citing Revelation 7:9 which speaks to vast crowds “from every nation and tribe and people and language, standing in front of the throne and before the Lamb.”
“We’re saying, ‘Your languages are valuable to God. God speaks it and He knows it.’ ”