Dr. Maximilijana Barançic, Albanian linguist born in Zara, Croatia today visited AAB College where she met with students and teaching staff of the Faculty of Foreign Languages. During her visit, she delivered a lecture on the Arbënesh dialect, a dialect of Albanian that was brought to the Zara region in the early 18th century. She pointed to the challenges facing the Arabic language, including assimilation and intermarriage, which have contributed to its decline. Today, there are fewer than 200 speakers and only up to 500 people who can understand it.

Dr. Barançic completed her PhD in the Arbënesh lexicon in Zara in 2014. Inspired by her passion for the preservation of the mother tongue, she started teaching courses on speaking Arbënesh that same year. She expressed her sincere hope that the language will survive for future generations.

As part of her efforts to revive the Albanian language, Dr. Barančić wrote a comprehensive textbook, which includes an Arbenesh-Croatian and Croatian-Arbenesh dictionary. In addition, she worked diligently on the publication of the Croatian-Arbenesh dictionary.

During her visit to AAB College, she shared stories and poems translated from Arbenesh to Croatian, captivating the audience with the beauty of the language. Dr. Barançiq excitedly read some excerpts of Albanian stories to students and staff, further emphasizing the richness of Albanian culture and literature. Her visit left an extraordinary impression, inspiring everyone present to join the mission of preserving this unique linguistic heritage.