The Royal Institute of Amazigh Culture (IRCAM) www.ircam.ma is just about to launch its first Amazigh language comic book in September this year, presenting young Tifinagh learners with a beautiful role model…
Tagllidt N Ayt Uflla, the Queen of heights, is well decided to protect her people against evil. Inspired from a historical Berber character, Queen Dihya, who had frightened 7th century Arab invaders into calling her “Kahina” (the witch), the young queen calls her friend the jinn for help as a terrible storm threatens her peaceful kingdom.
What the green-eyed, red-haired heroin does not know is that the struggle she will be leading from her mountain will also help young Tifinagh (Amazigh script) learners the third alphabet in their school life.
This comic book by Meryem Demnati, a researcher at the Centre of Didactic Research and Pedagogic Programmes (CRDPP/IRCAM), should soon be followed by another two, relating the young lady's latest adventures.
[img]http://www.moroccotimes.com/paper/images/20050707_B_BD%20queen.jpg[/img] The beautiful queen... Ph: Cover pucture provided by courtesy of IRCAM.
Whatever critics may say, this 20-page booklet appears as a useful item as it remains more user friendly and attractive than other supports.
“We wanted this book to come as a support to school books, especially as these are not sufficient [to guarantee children's good memorisation of the language]” explained its author, Meriem Demnati to Morocco Times.
[img]http://www.moroccotimes.com/paper/images/20050707_B_%20bad%20guy.jpg[/img] and the bad guy...
She added that special attention was paid to the use of standardized Berber, in accordance with the direction taken by IRCAM, even though some characters do use expressions specific either to northern or southern Morocco.
It also grabs the attention of children, enabling them to remember vocabulary and sentences without requiring much effort.
In addition, the book tries to transmit a number of universal values with the next Tagllidt N Ayt Uflla adventures even dealing with themes such as solidarity, the protection of cultural heritage or environment…
It will also try to provide a better quality, lower price (MAD 12) alternative to young comic buffs and is mainly aimed at primary school children aged between 6 and 12.
It should be available by September this year, in every kiosque and library in Morocco. IRCAM has not yet found a way of making it available to Berber speaking communities abroad.
I hope so too, but I do not think that they want to make the children frightened. But learn them values as said in the article and their language[vocabulary, etc...].
I also read about a recent translation of 'The Little Prince' written and illustrated by Antoine de Saint Exupéry. The translation to Tamazight is done by Lahbib Fouad. The titel in Tamazight is; Agldun Amz'z'an
chargement...
