Language Endangerment and Language Revitalization: An IntroductionIn 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. |
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Contents
1 | 5 |
Typology of speakers | 9 |
Current state of language endangerment | 16 |
Languages of Central America | 22 |
3 | 26 |
2 | 30 |
5 | 35 |
5 | 36 |
4 | 73 |
9 | 107 |
2 | 134 |
10 | 148 |
maintenance and revival | 168 |
Role and ethics of researchers | 216 |
Method of documentation and training of fieldworkers | 229 |
14 | 253 |
3 | 47 |
External setting of language endangerment | 49 |
6 | 50 |
Summary of Chapter 6 | 64 |
7 | 65 |
288 | |
289 | |
11 | 293 |
299 | |
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Common terms and phrases
Aboriginal Aboriginal languages activities approach areas aspects Australia bilingual Brenzinger Campbell causes changes Chapter cited classification community members concerned considered culture dialect difficult discussed Dixon documentation dominant Dorian Dyirbal Edwards endangered languages English ergativity example extinct factors fieldwork Fishman fluent speakers function given grammar Grinevald guage Hill human important indigenous instance interest involved Island issue Jaru knowledge language death language endangerment language revitalization language shift linguistic listed look loss Maaori maintenance mentioned method minority names native North notes nouns possible present problems proficiency proposed question refer regarding relevant reports revival Schmidt seems seen sentences similar situation social speak speakers specific speech spoken Stage structural style suggests teach theory tion traditional Tsunoda University Warrungu writer