First-ever digitalized Macedonian-Albanian-Turkish-Serbian Fraza phrasebook launched by OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities

OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities (HCNM) Kairat Abdrakhmanov launched the expanded version of the first-ever Macedonian-Albanian-Turkish-Serbian digitalized phrasebook today in Skopje on 23 June 2022.

Following the success of the initial Macedonian-Albanian/Albanian-Macedonian phrasebook in 2020, the HCNM and Nansen Dialogue Centre, Skopje (NDC Skopje) extended the innovative digital tool FRAZA to further incorporate the Turkish and Serbian languages, two additional commonly spoken languages in the country. The expanded phrasebook is part of the HCNM’s ongoing support for policies aimed at overcoming language barriers and providing individuals in diverse societies, such as the one in North Macedonia, with the necessary tools to help facilitate communication with each other. This digital tool builds upon the earlier HCNM and NDC Skopje initiative to develop the first-ever illustrated children’s Macedonian-Albanian/Albanian-Macedonian dictionary for primary schools.

“Language is so much more than just a means of communication — it is central to a person’s identity and their sense of belonging,” said Abdrakhmanov. He explained that in countries with diverse societies like North Macedonia, the ability to learn and communicate in a multitude of languages is a key component of a cohesive and stable society, one that incorporates the rights of all its citizens.

The phrasebook contains 42 dialogues providing useful phrases and pronunciation. Through a user-friendly interface, the phrasebook covers the common activities which can enable people to communicate with one another in everyday scenarios.

The phrasebook is freely available online, with android and iOS applications with enriched audio recordings of pronunciations.