Bezily P. Varghese (NLCI, Bangalore)

Bezily Padiyara Varghese
NLCI, P.B. No. 8415
St. Thomas Town P.O.
Banglaore - 560 084
INDIA

email: bezily_varghese@kastanet.org

Description of work:
I work with an NGO called NLCI, based in Banglore, India. I head its
sociolinguitics research wing, which does sociolinguistic assessment in
minority languages to facilitate its development. We have been looking at
the sociolinguistic issues in Rajasthan since 2001.

Area of interest: Linguistics, Sociolinguistics

Other helpful information: Our research team has done a comprehensive 
sociolinguistic research in Rajasthan in 2002 [Samuel, Nelson (et.al.). 
2002. Modern Rajasthani Varieties: A Sociolinguistic Profile. 
Unpublished]. Based on this research we recognized the need for conducting 
a sociolinguistic research among each of the dialect in Rajasthani 
varieties. In 2003 such research was done among Mewari speakers [Abraham, 
Binny (etal). 2003. A sociolinguistics profile on Mewari speakers in 
Rajasthan. Unpublished]. Since July 2004 we have been concentrating on 
doing the same kind of research in other Rajasthani dialects [Hadoti, 
Mewati, Bagri, Merwari, Marwari, Godwari, Dundhari and Shekhawati]. The 
fieldwork of the research is done and the write-up is in progress. Our 
initial findings call for separate language development program in most of 
these varieties.