Field notes on dialects, design, and the apps that teach them
Slow updates from the people building Dialect Atlas — why we made a choice, what we found in the data, and where the project is heading.
- ·4 min read
From Romanes to Dialect Atlas — How One App Became a Bigger Mission
A small personal project to learn Romanes turned into something much bigger. The challenges facing Romanes were not unique — and Dialect Atlas grew out of that realization.
Christian Rajab ZadehRead article - ·4 min read
Inside the Romanes App: Building a Multi-Dialect Learning Experience
Romanes is not a single standardized language — it is a living network of dialects. Building a learning app around that reality required rethinking how language technology is usually designed.
Christian Rajab ZadehRead article - ·4 min read
What It Means to Learn a Heritage Language as an Adult
Learning a heritage language as an adult is rarely just about grammar. It is about reconnecting with something that always belonged to you — even if it was kept quiet for a long time.
Christian Rajab ZadehRead article - ·3 min read
How Technology Can Help Preserve Endangered Languages
Technology cannot save a language on its own. But it can lower barriers, support dialect diversity, and help the people who keep these languages alive.
Christian Rajab ZadehRead article - ·3 min read
Why Romanes Is Not Just One Language — Understanding Dialects in the Roma World
Romanes is not a single uniform language. It is a network of dialects spoken across countries, communities, and generations — and that diversity is the whole point.
Christian Rajab ZadehRead article - ·3 min read
The Story Behind Dialect Atlas — Why I Started Building the Romanes App
How a personal wish to learn the language of my heritage grew into the Romanes app and, eventually, into Dialect Atlas.
Christian Rajab ZadehRead article