Networking in a language program

A literacy program cannot be carried out effectively in isolation. To achieve important cooperation and participation in your literacy program, you will need to network with other agencies, organizations, and institutions that are active in the area.

Here are some benefits of networking. Networking is important so that

• a language program has a basis of solid relationships
• a language program is of maximum relevance and usefulness
• the vision of local language literacy is shared by others, and
• the responsibility of local language literacy is carried by many.

Because language is essentially a social phenomenon, a program to develop and use a language in innovative ways has social implications. It involves the users of the language as well as those who have relationships with them users of the language.

A language program, therefore, involves many different kinds of people and institutions. You need to build and maintain relationships among all these people and institutions through networking.

• Network with everyone who might have an interest in the language program.
• Spend t he time and effort necessary to build an effective network.

  See:	Guidelines for effective networking

• Participate in a broad range of activities that will increase your networking effectiveness.
• Expect specific outcomes from your networking efforts.

  See:	Expected outcomes from networking

• Be aware that networking may produce some difficulties.

  See:	Possible difficulties of networking

• Task module: Networking in a language program, by Clinton D. W. Robinson (contributor), Stephen L. Walter (contributor), Kenneth A. Boothe (contributor), and Trudy K. Stewart (general editor)
• In task module: Assembling a local literacy team
• In task module: Preparing for a literacy program
• In modular book: Prepare for a literacy program, by Stephen L. Walter, Mary Morgan, and Leah B. Walter
• In bookshelf: Literacy

This page is an extract from the LinguaLinks Library, Version 4.0, published on CD-ROM by SIL International, 1999. [Ordering information.]

Page content last modified: 22 October 1999

© 1999 SIL International