The conference on “Issues of Convergence between Western Armenian and Eastern Armenian” continued at the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Armenia (NAS RA) on July 30. The conference is organized by the RA Ministry of Diaspora and the Hrachya Atcharyan Language Institute of the NAS RA.

The session was moderated by RA Deputy Minister of Diaspora Serzh Srapionyan and editor-in-chief of Beirut’s Bagin magazine Hagop Balian.

Member of the Western Armenian language group of the Department of Diaspora of the Hrachya Atcharyan Language Institute of the NAS RA Susanna Tioyan presented the address of the Los Angeles group led by Artem Sargsyan to the participants of the conference. Welcoming the initiative to organize the conference, the members of the Los Angeles group reflect on the issues of and paths to convergence between the two ramifications of the Armenian language and find that convergence predominantly relates to vocabulary, terminology, the principles to be applied in the use of neologisms, orthography and other linguistic realities. They express certainty that the process shouldn’t take place at the expense of any one of the ramifications of the language. The group also expresses its willingness to support all initiatives that will contribute to the convergence between Western Armenian and Eastern Armenian.

Susanna Tioyan also delivered her speech on “Several Issues on the Study of Western Armenian”.

Head of the Chair of Elementary Teaching of Armenian at the Armenian State Pedagogical University Ashot Galstyan touched upon the elements of Western Armenian in Eastern Armenian documentation devoted to the arts.

Lebanese-Armenian writer, pedagogue and author of Western Armenian language textbooks Harutioun Kyurkjian’s speech on “The Possible and Impossible in the Convergence between Eastern Armenian and Western Armenian” was read by editor of Paris’s Nor Harach newspaper Jirair Cholakian. The author of the speech, referring to his personal experience, presents the opportunities of convergence that are based on the indisputable unification of Armenian language and culture and the centuries-old history of that unification.

The speech by representative of the “Diaspora” Scientific and Educational Center at the Armenian State Pedagogical University Knarik Abrahamyan was related to the current challenges in the teaching of Western Armenian at general education schools and shared her views on the issue.

Creators of the game “Another Way” and representatives of Yerevan State University Elina Melikyan, Anahit Hakobyan and Sofia Khachatryan presented their program for the preservation an use of Armenian through a slide show of mind and entertaining games.

Lecturer at Yerevan State Linguistic University Gaiane Gevorgyan delivered a speech on the issues in teaching of Western Armenian at general education schools in Armenia.

Among other speakers were teachers at Armenian schools abroad, including director of “Mgnig” Studio in Paris Armine Grigoryan (“Joint and Parallel Communication and Development of Eastern Armenian and Western Armenian”) and teacher of the Ignatios Maloian Dprevank School for Monks and St. Mikayel School of Zmmar Soseh Pilavjian (“Am I Really the Last Poet”: Preserving the Purity of the Mother Language”).

PhD student of the Chair of Armenian Studies at Yerevan State University Mairanush Shahumyan touched upon different linguists’ views on, debates over and opinions on the convergence between and unification of Eastern Armenian and Western Armenian, particularly the studies and reflections published in Hrachya Atcharyan’s books devoted to the topic.

The speeches ended with a speech by scientific worker of the Language Institute of the NAS RA Anahit Kartashyan, who presented her study on “Observations on Names of People Used in the Modern Western Armenian Reality”.

The speeches were followed by an interesting discussion.

Suren Danielyan, Hilda Panosian-Galfaian, Nshan Vorperian, Hagop Balian, Jirair Cholakian, Manvel Adamyan and others gave final speeches in which they made suggestions, as well as made observations and shared their impressions.

RA Deputy Minister of Diaspora Serzh Srapionyan and Director of the Hrachya Atcharyan Language Institute of the NAS RA Victor Katvalyan answered questions from the participants.

RA Minister of Diaspora Hranush Hakobyan gave a closing speech in which she expressed gratitude to the participants of the conference for accepting the invitation, coming to participate in this significant event with the willingness to put in their efforts, invest their potential and share their experiences and for actively participating in the discussions with their proposals, observations and new ideas.

The minister mentioned that this was the beginning and, perhaps the first practical step that was taken for the convergence between the two ramifications of the Armenian language. The minister added that the next step will be to create three different committees through the use of modern information technologies. The committees will work in different ways. They will hold sessions, organize discussions, publish articles, make specific proposals and present the ways to solve the issues.