What Is Language Endangerment Pdf

What is Language Endangerment? A Comprehensive Guide (with PDF Resources)

Introduction:

Are you fascinated by the intricate tapestry of human languages? Have you ever considered that some of these unique and irreplaceable voices are fading into silence? This comprehensive guide delves into the critical issue of language endangerment. We'll explore what constitutes a threatened language, the factors contributing to its decline, and the crucial efforts underway to preserve linguistic diversity. We'll also provide you with access to valuable PDF resources to further your understanding. Understanding language endangerment isn't just about linguistics; it's about preserving cultural heritage, cognitive diversity, and a vital part of our shared human story. This post will cover the definition of language endangerment, its causes, consequences, and preservation strategies, all while providing links to relevant PDFs where available.

What is Language Endangerment?

Language endangerment refers to the process by which a language loses speakers, ultimately leading to its extinction. It's not a simple decline in usage; it's a complex process involving societal, political, and economic factors. A language is considered endangered when its transmission to younger generations is significantly disrupted, resulting in a shrinking number of fluent speakers. This doesn't necessarily mean the language is completely unusable; it might still be used in limited contexts, but its future is uncertain unless significant intervention occurs. UNESCO's classification system provides a framework for assessing the level of endangerment, categorizing languages as vulnerable, definitely endangered, severely endangered, critically endangered, or extinct.

Factors Contributing to Language Endangerment:

Several interconnected factors contribute to language endangerment. These include:

Globalization and Language Dominance: The rise of global languages like English, Mandarin, and Spanish often overshadows smaller languages, leading to their decreased use in education, media, and government. The perceived economic advantages of learning a dominant language can incentivize individuals to abandon their native tongue.

Political and Economic Marginalization: Governments' language policies can significantly influence the survival of a language. Policies that favor dominant languages often marginalize minority languages, leading to their disuse in formal settings. Economic disparity can also contribute; speakers of endangered languages may migrate to urban centers where dominant languages are prevalent, leading to intergenerational language shift.

Loss of Traditional Practices and Intergenerational Transmission: Many endangered languages are deeply intertwined with specific cultural practices, traditions, and knowledge systems. When these practices are abandoned or marginalized, the language associated with them loses its relevance and functionality, impacting its transmission to younger generations.

Discrimination and Social Stigma: Negative attitudes and discrimination towards speakers of minority languages can lead to language shift. Children may feel ashamed to speak their native language, opting instead for a language associated with higher social status or economic opportunity.

Natural Disasters and Conflict: Large-scale events such as natural disasters, war, or displacement can dramatically affect language communities, leading to the disruption of language transmission and even the complete loss of linguistic knowledge.

Consequences of Language Endangerment:

The consequences of language endangerment extend beyond the loss of a language itself. They include:

Loss of Cultural Heritage: Languages are repositories of cultural knowledge, traditions, and history. Their extinction represents an irreplaceable loss of valuable cultural heritage. Indigenous knowledge systems, traditional medicine, and storytelling traditions are often intimately tied to specific languages.

Reduced Cognitive Diversity: Linguistic diversity is linked to cognitive diversity. Each language offers unique ways of perceiving and understanding the world, and their loss limits our collective cognitive capacity.

Erosion of Biodiversity: Studies suggest a link between linguistic and biological diversity. Areas with high linguistic diversity often also exhibit high biological diversity. The loss of one might indicate a threat to the other.

Social and Economic Inequality: Language endangerment often reflects and exacerbates existing social and economic inequalities. The loss of a language can limit access to education, employment, and political participation for its speakers.

Language Preservation Efforts:

Despite the challenges, various efforts are underway to preserve endangered languages:

Language Revitalization Programs: These programs involve community-based initiatives aimed at increasing the number of speakers, promoting language use in education and media, and documenting endangered languages.

Language Documentation Projects: Linguists and anthropologists are working tirelessly to document endangered languages through audio and video recordings, dictionaries, and grammars. This documentation preserves linguistic knowledge even if the language itself becomes extinct.

Language Nest Programs: These programs create immersive environments for children to learn and use their endangered language, often involving traditional storytelling, songs, and games.

Digital Archives and Technology: Technology plays an increasingly important role in language preservation, with online resources, digital dictionaries, and language-learning apps providing access to endangered languages.

A Sample PDF Outline: "Preserving Linguistic Diversity: A Global Perspective"

I. Introduction:

Defining language endangerment and its global scope.
The urgency of preservation efforts.
Overview of the chapters.

II. Causes of Language Endangerment:

Globalization and language dominance.
Political and economic factors.
Social and cultural influences.

III. Consequences of Language Loss:

Loss of cultural heritage and knowledge.
Reduced cognitive diversity.
Social and economic implications.

IV. Strategies for Language Preservation:

Language revitalization programs.
Language documentation projects.
Community-based initiatives.
The role of technology.

V. Conclusion:

Summarizing the key challenges and opportunities.
The importance of international cooperation.
A call to action for language preservation.

(Note: A downloadable PDF with this detailed outline and further content could be created and linked here. This is a placeholder for the actual PDF creation.)

Explaining the PDF Outline Points:

Each point in the above PDF outline would be elaborated upon in the hypothetical PDF. For instance, the section on "Globalization and Language Dominance" would delve into specific examples of how global languages are supplanting smaller languages, discussing the economic pressures faced by speakers of endangered languages and the impact of media and education systems. The section on "Language Revitalization Programs" would provide case studies of successful programs, detailing their methodologies and demonstrating their effectiveness. Similarly, each section would be thoroughly developed, providing supporting evidence and examples.

FAQs:

1. What is the difference between language endangerment and language death? Language endangerment is the process of decline, while language death is the complete extinction of a language.

2. How many languages are endangered globally? Thousands of languages are currently endangered, with estimates varying depending on the criteria used.

3. What is UNESCO's role in language preservation? UNESCO works to raise awareness about language endangerment, supports language preservation projects, and promotes linguistic diversity.

4. Can language endangerment be reversed? While complete reversal is difficult, with sustained effort, language revitalization programs can significantly slow the decline and even lead to language revival in some cases.

5. How can I help preserve endangered languages? You can support language preservation organizations, learn about endangered languages, advocate for linguistic diversity, and participate in community-based language initiatives.

6. What are the ethical considerations surrounding language endangerment? Ethical considerations include respecting the rights of indigenous communities to maintain and use their languages, acknowledging the cultural importance of language, and avoiding exploitative practices in research and documentation.

7. What is the impact of technology on language endangerment? Technology offers both challenges (through the dominance of global languages online) and opportunities (through language documentation, creation of digital resources, and online language learning platforms).

8. Are all endangered languages indigenous languages? While many endangered languages are indigenous, many non-indigenous languages are also at risk.

9. Where can I find more information on endangered languages? Numerous organizations, including UNESCO, Endangered Language Alliance, and various universities with linguistics departments, provide extensive information and resources.

Related Articles:

1. The Role of Technology in Language Revitalization: Explores how digital tools are being used to support language preservation efforts.

2. Case Studies in Successful Language Revitalization: Examines successful examples of community-led initiatives to revive endangered languages.

3. UNESCO's Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger: Provides a comprehensive overview of the global state of language endangerment.

4. The Sociolinguistic Factors Contributing to Language Shift: Delves into the social and cultural factors that drive language change and endangerment.

5. The Economic Impact of Language Loss: Examines the economic consequences of losing linguistic diversity.

6. Indigenous Knowledge and Language Preservation: Focuses on the connection between indigenous knowledge systems and the languages that encode them.

7. The Cognitive Benefits of Linguistic Diversity: Explores the impact of multilingualism and linguistic diversity on cognitive development.

8. Language Documentation: Methods and Best Practices: Provides an in-depth look at the techniques used to document endangered languages.

9. The Legal and Policy Frameworks for Language Protection: Analyzes the legal and policy measures implemented to protect endangered languages worldwide.

what is language endangerment pdf: Endangered Languages and Languages in Danger Luna Filipović, Martin Pütz, 2016-10-03 This peer-reviewed collection brings together the latest research on language endangerment and language rights. It creates a vibrant, interdisciplinary platform for the discussion of the most pertinent and urgent topics central to vitality and equality of languages in today’s globalised world. The novelty of the volume lies in the multifaceted view on the variety of dangers that languages face today, such as extinction through dwindling speaker populations and lack of adequate preservation policies or inequality in different social contexts (e.g. access to justice, education and research resources). There are examples of both loss and survival, and discussion of multiple factors that condition these two different outcomes. We pose and answer difficult questions such as whether forced interventions in preventing loss are always warranted or indeed viable. The emerging shared perspective is that of hope to inspire action towards improving the position of different languages and their speakers through research of this kind.
what is language endangerment pdf: Language Endangerment and Language Revitalization Tasaku Tsunoda, 2013-02-06 In almost every part of the world, minority languages are threatened with extinction. At the same time, dedicated efforts are being made to document endangered languages, to maintain them, and even to revive once-extinct languages. The present volume examines a wide range of issues that concern language endangerment andlanguage revitalization. Among other things, it is shown that languages may be endangered to different degrees, endangerment situations in selected areas of the world are surveyed and definitions of language death and types of language death presented. The book also examines causes of language endangerment, speech behaviour in a language endangerment situation, structural changes in endangered languages, as well as types of speakers encountered in a language endangerment situation. In addition, methods of documentation and of training for linguists are proposed which will enable scholars to play an active role in the documentation of endangered languages and in language revitalization. The book presents a comprehensive overview of the field. It is clearly written and contains ample references to the relevant literature, thus providing useful guidance for further research. The author often draws on his own experience of documenting endangered languages and of language revival activities in Australia. The volume is of interest to a wide readership, including linguists, anthropologists, sociologists, and educators.
what is language endangerment pdf: The Cambridge Handbook of Endangered Languages Peter K. Austin, Julia Sallabank, 2011-03-24 It is generally agreed that about 7,000 languages are spoken across the world today and at least half may no longer be spoken by the end of this century. This state-of-the-art Handbook examines the reasons behind this dramatic loss of linguistic diversity, why it matters, and what can be done to document and support endangered languages. The volume is relevant not only to researchers in language endangerment, language shift and language death, but to anyone interested in the languages and cultures of the world. It is accessible both to specialists and non-specialists: researchers will find cutting-edge contributions from acknowledged experts in their fields, while students, activists and other interested readers will find a wealth of readable yet thorough and up-to-date information.
what is language endangerment pdf: Endangered Languages Lenore A. Grenoble, Lindsay J. Whaley, 1998-03-26 This book provides an overview of the issues surrounding language loss. It brings together work by theoretical linguists, field linguists, and non-linguist members of minority communities to provide an integrated view of how language is lost, from sociological and economic as well as from linguistic perspectives. The contributions to the volume fall into four categories. The chapters by Dorian and Grenoble and Whaley provide an overview of language endangerment. Grinevald, England, Jacobs, and Nora and Richard Dauenhauer describe the situation confronting threatened languages from both a linguistic and sociological perspective. The understudied issue of what (beyond a linguistic system) can be lost as a language ceases to be spoken is addressed by Mithun, Hale, Jocks, and Woodbury. In the last section, Kapanga, Myers-Scotton, and Vakhtin consider the linguistic processes which underlie language attrition.
what is language endangerment pdf: Attitudes to Endangered Languages Julia Sallabank, 2013-12-19 An in-depth study of endangered language revitalisation, which assesses the implications of changing language attitudes for language campaigners and policy-makers.
what is language endangerment pdf: Language Endangerment David Bradley, Maya Bradley, 2019-11-21 Investigates the endangerment of languages and the loss of traditional cultural diversity, and how to respond.
what is language endangerment pdf: Responses to Language Endangerment Elena Mihas, Bernard Perley, Gabriel Rei-Doval, Kathleen Wheatley, 2013-11-15 This volume further complicates and advances the contemporary perspective on language endangerment by examining the outcomes of the most commonly cited responses to language endangerment, i.e. language documentation, language revitalization, and training. The present collection takes stock of many complex and pressing issues, such as the assessment of the degree of language endangerment, the contribution of linguistic scholarship to language revitalization programs, the creation of successful language reclamation programs, the emergence of languages that arise as a result of revitalization efforts after interrupted transmission, the ethics of fieldwork, and the training of field linguists and language educators. The volume’s case studies provide detailed personal accounts of fieldworkers and language activists who are grappling with issues of language documentation and revitalization in the concrete physical and socio-cultural settings of native speaker communities in different regions of the world.
what is language endangerment pdf: Languages of the Pacific Islands Hiroko Sato, 2017-08-04 This introductory textbook on languages of the Pacific Islands was first compiled to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Department of Linguistics at the University of Hawaii at Manoa in 2013-2014. The target audience is undergraduate students with no prior coursework in linguistics and little knowledge of the Pacific Islands. All chapters have been refereed and revised. The current edition includes new chapters on Hawaiian and early Polynesian pidgins.
what is language endangerment pdf: Revitalizing Endangered Languages Justyna Olko, Julia Sallabank, 2021-04-29 Written by leading international scholars and activists, this guidebook provides ideas and strategies to support language revitalization.
what is language endangerment pdf: Language Death and Language Maintenance Mark Janse, Sijmen Tol, 2003-03-13 Languages are dying at an alarming rate all over the world. Estimates range from 50% to as much as 90% by the end of the century. This collection of original papers tries to strike a balance between theoretical, practical and descriptive approaches to language death and language maintenance. It provides overviews of language endangerment in Africa, Eurasia, and the Greater Pacific Area. It also presents case studies of endangered languages from various language families. These descriptive case studies not only provide data on the degree of endangerment and the causes of language death, but also provide a general sociolinguistic and typological characterization the language(s) under discussion and the prospects of language maintenance (if any). The volume will be of interest to all those concerned with the ongoing extinction of the world’s linguistic diversity.
what is language endangerment pdf: Language Diversity Endangered Matthias Brenzinger, 2015-07-31 This book presents a comprehensive overview of endangered languages with a global coverage. It features such well-known specialists as Michael Krauss, Willem F. H. Adelaar, Denny Moore, Colette Grinevald, Akira Yamamoto, Roger Blench, Bruce Connell, Tapani Salminen, Olga Kazakevich, Aleksandr Kibrik, Jonathan Owens, David Bradley, George van Driem, Nicholas Evans, Stephen A. Wurm, Darrell Tryon and Matthias Brenzinger. The contributions are unique in analysing the present extent and the various kinds of language endangerment by applying shared general indicators for the assessment of language endangerment. Apart from presenting the specific situations of language endangerment at the sub-continental level, the volume discusses major issues that bear universally on language endangerment. The actual study of endangered languages is carefully examined, for example, against the ethics and pragmatics of fieldwork. Practical aspects of community involvement in language documentation are discussed, such as the setting up of local archives and the training of local linguists. Numerous case studies illustrate different language shift environments with specific replacing factors, such as colonial and religious conquests, migrations and governmental language education. The book is of interest to students and scholars of linguistics with particular focus on endangered languages (and their documentation), typology, and sociolinguistics as well as to anthropologists and language activists.
what is language endangerment pdf: Pacific Languages John Lynch, 2016-06-01 Almost one-quarter of the world's languages are (or were) spoken in the Pacific, making it linguistically the most complex region in the world. Although numerous technical books on groups of Pacific or Australian languages have been published, and descriptions of individual languages are available, until now there has been no single book that attempts a wide regional coverage for a general audience. Pacific Languages introduces readers to the grammatical features of Oceanic, Papuan, and Australian languages as well as to the semantic structures of these languages. For readers without a formal linguistic background, a brief introduction to descriptive linguistics is provided. In addition to describing the structure of Pacific languages, this volume places them in their historical and geographical context, discusses the linguistic evidence for the settlement of the Pacific, and speculates on the reason for the region's many languages. It devotes considerable attention to the effects of contact between speakers of different languages and to the development of pidgin and creole languages in the Pacific. Throughout, technical language is kept to a minimum without oversimplifying the concepts or the issues involved. A glossary of technical terms, maps, and diagrams help identify a language geographically or genetically; reading lists and a language index guide the researcher interested in a particular language or group to other sources of information. Here at last is a clear and straightforward overview of Pacific languages for linguists and anyone interested in the history of sociology of the Pacific.
what is language endangerment pdf: Sustaining Linguistic Diversity Kendall A. King, Natalie Schilling, Lyn Wright Fogle, Jia Jackie Lou, Barbara Soukup, 2008-03-06 In the last three decades the field of endangered and minority languages has evolved rapidly, moving from the initial dire warnings of linguists to a swift increase in the number of organizations, funding programs, and community-based efforts dedicated to documentation, maintenance, and revitalization. Sustaining Linguistic Diversity brings together cutting-edge theoretical and empirical work from leading researchers and practitioners in the field. Together, these contributions provide a state-of-the-art overview of current work in defining, documenting, and developing the world's smaller languages and language varieties. The book begins by grappling with how we define endangerment—how languages and language varieties are best classified, what the implications of such classifications are, and who should have the final say in making them. The contributors then turn to the documentation and description of endangered languages and focus on best practices, methods and goals in documentation, and on current field reports from around the globe. The latter part of the book analyzes current practices in developing endangered languages and dialects and particular language revitalization efforts and outcomes in specific locations. Concluding with critical calls from leading researchers in the field to consider the human lives at stake, Sustaining Linguistic Diversity reminds scholars, researchers, practitioners, and educators that linguistic diversity can only be sustained in a world where diversity in all its forms is valued.
what is language endangerment pdf: Language Death David Crystal, 2002-04-29 The rapid endangerment and death of many minority languages across the world is a matter of widespread concern, not only among linguists and anthropologists but among all concerned with issues of cultural identity in an increasingly globalized culture. By some counts, only 600 of the 6,000 or so languages in the world are 'safe' from the threat of extinction. A leading commentator and popular writer on language issues, David Crystal asks the fundamental question, 'Why is language death so important?', reviews the reasons for the current crisis, and investigates what is being done to reduce its impact. This 2002 book contains not only intelligent argument, but moving descriptions of the decline and demise of particular languages, and practical advice for anyone interested in pursuing the subject further.
what is language endangerment pdf: We Are Our Language Barbra A. Meek, 2012-02-01 For many communities around the world, the revitalization or at least the preservation of an indigenous language is a pressing concern. Understanding the issue involves far more than compiling simple usage statistics or documenting the grammar of a tongue—it requires examining the social practices and philosophies that affect indigenous language survival. In presenting the case of Kaska, an endangered language in an Athabascan community in the Yukon, Barbra A. Meek asserts that language revitalization requires more than just linguistic rehabilitation; it demands a social transformation. The process must mend rips and tears in the social fabric of the language community that result from an enduring colonial history focused on termination. These “disjunctures” include government policies conflicting with community goals, widely varying teaching methods and generational viewpoints, and even clashing ideologies within the language community. This book provides a detailed investigation of language revitalization based on more than two years of active participation in local language renewal efforts. Each chapter focuses on a different dimension, such as spelling and expertise, conversation and social status, family practices, and bureaucratic involvement in local language choices. Each situation illustrates the balance between the desire for linguistic continuity and the reality of disruption. We Are Our Language reveals the subtle ways in which different conceptions and practices—historical, material, and interactional—can variably affect the state of an indigenous language, and it offers a critical step toward redefining success and achieving revitalization.
what is language endangerment pdf: Saving Languages Lenore A. Grenoble, Lindsay J. Whaley, 2005-11-03 Language endangerment has been the focus of much attention and as a result, a wide range of people are working to revitalize and maintain local languages. This book serves as a general reference guide to language revitalization, written not only for linguists and anthropologists, but also for language activists and community members who believe they should ensure the future use of their languages, despite their predicted loss. Drawing extensively on case studies, it sets out the necessary background and highlights central issues such as literacy, policy decisions, and allocation of resources. Its primary goal is to provide the essential tools for a successful language revitalization program, such as setting and achieving realistic goals, and anticipating and resolving common obstacles. Clearly written and informative, Saving Languages will be an invaluable resource for all those interested in the fate of small language communities around the globe.
what is language endangerment pdf: When Languages Die K. David Harrison, 2008 It is commonly agreed by linguists and anthropologists that the majority of languages spoken now around the globe will likely disappear within our lifetime. This text focuses on the question: what is lost when a language dies?
what is language endangerment pdf: Endangered Languages Sarah G. Thomason, 2015-04-23 An introduction to language endangerment. What is it? How and why does it happen? Why should we care?
what is language endangerment pdf: The Indigenous Languages of South America Lyle Campbell, Verónica Grondona, 2012-01-27 The Indigenous Languages of South America: A Comprehensive Guide is a thorough guide to the indigenous languages of this part of the world. With more than a third of the linguistic diversity of the world (in terms of language families and isolates), South American languages contribute new findings in most areas of linguistics. Though formerly one of the linguistically least known areas of the world, extensive descriptive and historical linguistic research in recent years has expanded knowledge greatly. These advances are represented in this volume in indepth treatments by the foremost scholars in the field, with chapters on the history of investigation, language classification, language endangerment, language contact, typology, phonology and phonetics, and on major language families and regions of South America.
what is language endangerment pdf: Lessons from Documented Endangered Languages K. David Harrison, David S. Rood, Arienne M. Dwyer, 2008 This volume represents part of an unprecedented and still growing effort to advance, coordinate and disseminate the scientific documentation of endangered languages. As the pace of language extinction increases, linguists and native communities are accelerating their efforts to speak, remember, record, analyze and archive as much as possible of our common human heritage that is linguistic diversity. The window of opportunity for documentation is narrower than the actual lifetime of a language, and is now rapidly closing for many languages represented in this volume. The authors of these papers unveil newly collected data from previously poorly known and endangered languages. They organize highly complex linguistic facts - paradigms, affixes, vowel patterns - while pointing out the theoretically challenging aspects of these. Beyond this, they reflect on the social and human dimensions, discussing particular problems of nostalgia and modernity, memory and forgetting, and obsolescence and ethics, while viewing language as not merely data on a page but as a living creation in the minds and mouths of its speakers.
what is language endangerment pdf: Language Endangerment and Language Maintenance David Bradley, Maya Bradley, 2002 Language endangerment is a fundamental issue for humanity. This volume comprises a general overview introduction, what happens during language shift, case studies of languages at risk, and strategies and resources for language maintenance.
what is language endangerment pdf: Africa's Endangered Languages Jason Kandybowicz, Harold Torrence, 2017 This book examines the endangered languages of Africa from both documentary and theoretical perspectives, highlighting the threats of extinction many of them face and the challenges and implications each bring to bear on linguistic theory. It focuses on the symbiosis between documentary and theoretical methodologies, and its consequences for the preservation of endangered languages, both in the African context and more broadly.
what is language endangerment pdf: The Last Speakers K. David Harrison, 2010-09-21 Part travelogue and part scientist's notebook, The Last Speakers is the poignant chronicle of author K. David Harrison's expeditions around the world to meet with last speakers of vanishing languages. The speakers' eloquent reflections and candid photographs reveal little-known lifeways as well as revitalization efforts to teach disappearing languages to younger generations. Thought-provoking and engaging, this unique book illuminates the global language-extinction crisis through photos, graphics, interviews, traditional wisdom never before translated into English, and first-person essays that thrillingly convey the adventure of science and exploration.
what is language endangerment pdf: The Oxford Handbook of Endangered Languages Kenneth L. Rehg, Lyle Campbell, 2018-07-18 The endangered languages crisis is widely acknowledged among scholars who deal with languages and indigenous peoples as one of the most pressing problems facing humanity, posing moral, practical, and scientific issues of enormous proportions. Simply put, no area of the world is immune from language endangerment. The Oxford Handbook of Endangered Languages, in 39 chapters, provides a comprehensive overview of the efforts that are being undertaken to deal with this crisis. A comprehensive reference reflecting the breadth of the field, the Handbook presents in detail both the range of thinking about language endangerment and the variety of responses to it, and broadens understanding of language endangerment, language documentation, and language revitalization, encouraging further research. The Handbook is organized into five parts. Part 1, Endangered Languages, addresses the fundamental issues that are essential to understanding the nature of the endangered languages crisis. Part 2, Language Documentation, provides an overview of the issues and activities of concern to linguists and others in their efforts to record and document endangered languages. Part 3, Language Revitalization, includes approaches, practices, and strategies for revitalizing endangered and sleeping (dormant) languages. Part 4, Endangered Languages and Biocultural Diversity, extends the discussion of language endangerment beyond its conventional boundaries to consider the interrelationship of language, culture, and environment, and the common forces that now threaten the sustainability of their diversity. Part 5, Looking to the Future, addresses a variety of topics that are certain to be of consequence in future efforts to document and revitalize endangered languages.
what is language endangerment pdf: Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger Christopher Moseley, 2010-01-01 Languages are not only tools of communication, they also reflect a view of the world. Languages are vehicles of value systems and cultural expressions and are an essential component of the living heritage of humanity. Yet, many of them are in danger of disappearing. UNESCO's Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger tries to raise awareness on language endangerment. This third edition has been completely revised and expanded to include new series of maps and new points of view.
what is language endangerment pdf: Atlas of the world's languages in danger of disappearing Wurm, Stephen A., 2001-07-17 Close to half of the 6,000 languges spoken in the world are doomed or likely to disappear in the foreseeable future. The disappearance of any language is an irreparable loss for the heritage of all humankind. This new edition of the Atlas, first published in 1996, is intended to give a graphic picture of the magnitude of the problem and a comprehensive list of languages in danger.
what is language endangerment pdf: Living Earth Community: Multiple Ways of Being and Knowing Sam Mickey, Mary Evelyn Tucker, John Grim, 2020-05-18 Living Earth Community: Multiple Ways of Being and Knowing is a celebration of the diversity of ways in which humans can relate to the world around them, and an invitation to its readers to partake in planetary coexistence. Innovative, informative, and highly accessible, this interdisciplinary anthology of essays brings together scholars, writers and educators across the sciences and humanities, in a collaborative effort to illuminate the different ways of being in the world and the different kinds of knowledge they entail – from the ecological knowledge of Indigenous communities, to the scientific knowledge of a biologist and the embodied knowledge communicated through storytelling. This anthology examines the interplay between Nature and Culture in the setting of our current age of ecological crisis, stressing the importance of addressing these ecological crises occurring around the planet through multiple perspectives. These perspectives are exemplified through diverse case studies – from the political and ethical implications of thinking with forests, to the capacity of storytelling to motivate action, to the worldview of the Indigenous Okanagan community in British Columbia. Living Earth Community: Multiple Ways of Being and Knowing synthesizes insights from across a range of academic fields, and highlights the potential for synergy between disciplinary approaches and inquiries. This anthology is essential reading not only for researchers and students, but for anyone interested in the ways in which humans interact with the community of life on Earth, especially during this current period of environmental emergency.
what is language endangerment pdf: Discourses of Endangerment Alexandre Duchene, Monica Heller, 2008-05-22 Current academic discussions and public debates about language frequently focus on the importance of defending languages against various kinds of dangers. Many of these current debates attach great importance to linguistic diversity. The debates focus on defending institutionalized languages against multilingualism, or conversely defending minority languages against the incursion of larger ones, especially the spread of English. In both cases, languages are constructed as autonomous wholes, held to need defending against attack. This book challenges such a view of language, to argue that the discussions in question are not in fact about language itself. The internationally renowned contributors claim that we are witnessing ideological struggles which are taking place on the terrain of language. Discourses of Endangerment addresses such questions as: * What does language represent in discussions of multilingualism? * Why is it constituted as an organic whole?* In whose interest does it lie to construct language in this way?* Who has an interest in taking various positions for or against official languages?* In what way is the linguistic order tied to the social order? The book addresses these issues through a set of case studies which locate the terms of the discussion in broad discourses of language, identity and power. Covering a wide-range of languages including Catalan, Swedish, Corsican, Ukrainian and French, from different sociolinguistic perspectives, this book is essential reading for students and academics interested in language endangerment and sociolinguistics.
what is language endangerment pdf: Atlas of the World's Languages R.E. Asher, Christopher Moseley, 2018-04-19 Before the first appearance of the Atlas of the World's Languages in 1993, all the world's languages had never been accurately and completely mapped. The Atlas depicts the location of every known living language, including languages on the point of extinction. This fully revised edition of the Atlas offers: up-to-date research, some from fieldwork in early 2006 a general linguistic history of each section an overview of the genetic relations of the languages in each section statistical and sociolinguistic information a large number of new or completely updated maps further reading and a bibliography for each section a cross-referenced language index of over 6,000 languages. Presenting contributions from international scholars, covering over 6,000 languages and containing over 150 full-colour maps, the Atlas of the World's Languages is the definitive reference resource for every linguistic and reference library.
what is language endangerment pdf: Language Decline and Death in Africa Herman Batibo, 2005-01-01 The aim of this book is to inform both scholars and the public about the nature and extent of the problem of language decline and death in Africa. It resourcefully traces the main causes and circumstances of language endangerment, the processes and extent of language shift and death, and the consequences of language loss to the continent's rich linguistic and cultural heritage. The book outlines some of the challenges that have emerged out of the situation.
what is language endangerment pdf: Endangered Languages in Africa Matthias Brenzinger, 1998
what is language endangerment pdf: The Green Book of Language Revitalization in Practice Leanne Hinton, Kenneth Locke Hale, 2013 With world-wide environmental destruction and globalization of economy, a few languages, especially English, are spreading, while thousands others are disappearing, taking with them cultural, philosophical and environmental knowledge systems and oral literatures. This book serves as a manual of effective practices in language revitalization. This book was previously published by Academic Press under ISBN 978-01-23-49354-5.
what is language endangerment pdf: The Routledge Handbook of Language Revitalization Leanne Hinton, Leena Huss, Gerald Roche, 2018-03-05 The Routledge Handbook of Language Revitalization is the first comprehensive overview of the language revitalization movement, from the Arctic to the Amazon and across continents. Featuring 47 contributions from a global range of top scholars in the field, the handbook is divided into two parts, the first of which expands on language revitalization issues of theory and practice while the second covers regional perspectives in an effort to globalize and decolonize the field. The collection examines critical issues in language revitalization, including: language rights, language and well-being, and language policy; language in educational institutions and in the home; new methodologies and venues for language learning; and the roles of documentation, literacies, and the internet. The volume also contains chapters on the kinds of language that are less often researched such as the revitalization of music, of whistled languages and sign languages, and how languages change when they are being revitalized. The Routledge Handbook of Language Revitalization is the ideal resource for graduate students and researchers working in linguistic anthropology and language revitalization and endangerment.
what is language endangerment pdf: Historical Linguistics and Endangered Languages Patience Epps, Danny Law, Na'ama Pat-El, 2021-07-28 This collection showcases the contributions of the study of endangered and understudied languages to historical linguistic analysis, and the broader relevance of diachronic approaches toward developing better informed approaches to language documentation and description. The volume brings together perspectives from both established and up-and-coming scholars and represents a globally and linguistically diverse range of languages.The collected papers demonstrate the ways in which endangered languages can challenge existing models of language change based on more commonly studied languages, and can generate innovative insights into linguistic phenomena such as pathways of grammaticalization, forms and dynamics of contact-driven change, and the diachronic relationship between lexical and grammatical categories. In so doing, the book highlights the idea that processes and outcomes of language change long held to be universally relevant may be more sensitive to cultural and typological variability than previously assumed. Taken as a whole, this collection brings together perspectives from language documentation and historical linguistics to point the way forward for richer understandings of both language change and documentary-descriptive approaches, making this key reading for scholars in these fields.
what is language endangerment pdf: The Cambridge Handbook of Language Policy Bernard Spolsky, 2012-03 This is the first Handbook to deal with language policy as a whole and is a complete 'state-of-the-field' survey, covering language practices, beliefs about language varieties, and methods and agencies for language management. It will be welcomed by students, researchers and language professionals in linguistics, education and politics.
what is language endangerment pdf: Cataloguing the World's Endangered Languages Lyle Campbell, Anna Belew, 2018-02-02 Cataloguing the World’s Endangered Languages brings together the results of the extensive and influential Catalogue of Endangered Languages (ELCat) project. Based on the findings from the most extensive endangered languages research project, this is the most comprehensive source of accurate information on endangered languages. The book presents the academic and scientific findings that underpin the online Catalogue, located at www.endangeredlanguages.com, making it an essential companion to the website for academics and researchers working in this area. While the online Catalogue displays much data from the ELCat project, this volume develops and emphasizes aspects of the research behind the data and includes topics of great interest in the field, not previously covered in a single volume. Cataloguing the World’s Endangered Languages is an important volume of particular interest to academics and researchers working with endangered languages.
what is language endangerment pdf: Language Death Matthias Brenzinger, 2012-10-25 CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE SOCIOLOGY OF LANGUAGE brings to students, researchers and practitioners in all of the social and language-related sciences carefully selected book-length publications dealing with sociolinguistic theory, methods, findings and applications. It approaches the study of language in society in its broadest sense, as a truly international and interdisciplinary field in which various approaches, theoretical and empirical, supplement and complement each other. The series invites the attention of linguists, language teachers of all interests, sociologists, political scientists, anthropologists, historians etc. to the development of the sociology of language.
what is language endangerment pdf: Vanishing Voices Daniel Nettle, Suzanne Romaine, 2000 Nettle and Romaine paint a breathtaking landscape that shows why so many of the world's languages are disappearing-and more importantly, why it matters. - BOOK JACKET.
what is language endangerment pdf: Documenting Endangered Languages Geoffrey Haig, Nicole Nau, Stefan Schnell, Claudia Wegener, 2011-11-30 The rapid decline in the world's linguistic diversity has prompted the emergence of documentary linguistics. While documentary linguistics aims primarily at creating a durable, accessible and comprehensive record of languages, it has also been a driving force in developing language annotation and analysis software, archiving architecture, improved fieldwork methodologies, and new standards in data accountability and accessibility. More recently, researchers have begun to recognize the immense potential available in the archived data as a source for linguistic analysis, so that the field has become of increasing importance for typologists, but also for neighbouring disciplines. The present volume contains contributions by practitioners of language documentation, most of whom have been involved in the Volkswagen Foundation's DoBeS programme (Dokumentation Bedrohter Sprachen). The topics covered in the volume reflect a field that has matured over the last decade and includes both retrospective accounts as well as those that address new challenges: linguistic annotation practice, fieldwork and interaction with speech communities, developments and challenges in archiving digital data, multimedia lexicon applications, corpora from endangered languages as a source for primary-data typology, as well as specific areas of linguistic analysis that are raised in documentary linguistics.
what is language endangerment pdf: New Perspectives on Endangered Languages José Antonio Flores Farfán, Fernando F. Ramallo, 2010 Understanding sociolinguistics as a theoretical and methodological framework hopefully could attempt to promote change and social development in human communities. Yet it still presents important political, epistemological, methodological and theoretical challenges. A sociolinguistics of development, in which the revitalization of linguistic communities is the priority, opens new perspectives for the emerging field of linguistic documentation, in which the societal aspects of research, stressed by sociolinguistics, have frequently been marginal. The need to focus on the documentation of linguistic communities to contribute to the revitalization of these communities requires an in-depth revision of a number of different perspectives. Especially regarding the links between commonly separated fields of enquiry such as sociolinguistics, documentation and revitalization. Instead of creating mere museum pieces of academic contemplation for the future, as has been the major trend up to now in language documentation and even sociolinguistics, there is a growing concern to join forces to revitalize the actual use of endangered languages in order to place languages as a main focus of a community s development which constitutes a major challenge for both scholars, civil society and speakers alike.