Kodrah Kristang

Kodrah Kristang is an initiative to revitalize the critically endangered Kristang language in Singapore, spoken by less than 50 people in the Lion City and 500 worldwide. In January 2015, while doing research for a magazine article, Kevin Martens Wong, a linguistics major of Portuguese-Eurasian descent at the National University of Singapore, discovered that Kristang was still likely spoken in Singapore. Kevin resolved to find the remaining speakers of the language, learn the language from them, and begin the long, multi-generational process of language revitalization: working with the community to reawaken the language and bring it back to a healthy level of use. Kevin called his initiative Kodrah Kristang: Awaken, Kristang. In one year, Kevin and the Kodrah Kristang team have taught Kristang to more than 200 new learners, greatly increased public awareness of Kristang’s existence, and are in the process of launching the language onto the national stage with the first ever Kristang Language Festival in Singapore in May 2017.