Museums and the language industry may not seem like they go hand in hand, however, that couldn’t be further from the truth. Museums play an integral role in educating the public about specific topics or themes. This can be seen through the growing number of museums dedicated to the world’s languages; with 59 language museums spread across the world in 31 countries, concentrated efforts to spread awareness of the important ways language plays a part in our everyday lives, both professional and personal, have never been greater. One such museum is America’s own Planet Word.
What Is Planet Word?
Founded in 2020 by retired English teacher Ann B. Friedman, Planet Word is located in Washington, D.C., and is one of the nation’s last remaining in-person language museums after the closure of The National Museum of Language’s exhibit hall. Planet Word is one of the world’s first museums to be strictly dedicated to the concept of words. Its mission is to promote not only English literacy rates, but also appreciation for every language. Recording an average of approximately 150,000 visitors a year, the free museum focuses on bringing language to life by giving visitors the ability to choose their own experience through the use of advanced technology.
How Does It Promote Language Education?
While there are a considerable number of similar museums around the world, Planet Word stands out in terms of education and active community change. The museum prides itself on showing how language is used rather than how others say it should be used, which is classified by linguists as a “descriptive” approach rather than a “prescriptive” one. To do this, the museum’s founder specifically created a staff and leadership team of experienced linguists, educators, journalists, and language professionals. The museum also commissions and collaborates with renowned professionals in similar fields to successfully create interactive exhibits to best reach a global audience.
The museum supports multilingual language education through engaging programs for every type of learner. Educator resources, educator-led sessions, in-person and virtual field-trips, and interactive workshops that are common-core aligned are all made available to visitors. Most notably, the museum’s Spoken Word Gallery allows visitors to explore 30 mini language lessons that highlight linguistic diversity across the world. Beacons are also made available, which are voice- and touch-activated displays that dive into topics like constructed languages, endangered languages, and dialects.
The museum’s most famous exhibit, called The Speaking Willow, is a sculpture that plays recordings of hundreds of languages as guests walk beneath it. Another exhibit features a display that answers questions about language learning, bilingualism, and the cognitive benefits of speaking more than one language. While these are only some of the most notable exhibits, all museum efforts are designed to deepen general public understanding of language and literacy through interactive experiences.
What Are Its Effects on the Language Industry?
Planet Word’s approach makes language learning fun and accessible, encouraging visitors to appreciate the richness of global communication. With a descriptive and interactive approach to spreading language awareness and increasing literacy rates, Planet Word is actively preparing the next generation of language professionals with fresh ideas and new ways to accommodate communicative needs. With continued uncertainty of language accessibility in the United States, the museum is a reminder that language will always remain an integral part of what makes us human and allows us to stay interconnected.
