Linguistic Vitality (AILDI 2012)

Language VitalityRolando Coto, AILDI June 2012. University of Arizona

How many languages are there in the world?

A. Two thousandB. Six thousandC. Ten thousand

How many languages are there in the world?

A. Two thousandB. Six thousandC. Ten thousand

Actually, there are about 6309 languages

(SIL, 2009)

How many languages are there in the world?

A. Two thousandB. Six thousandC. Ten thousand

Fuente: Harrison (2007:14)See final slide for copyright disclaimer

Fuente: Harrison (2007:12)See final slide for copyright disclaimer

Fuente: Harrison (2007:12)See final slide for copyright disclaimer

Fuente: Harrison (2007:13)See final slide for copyright disclaimer

There are many languages, and yet not all of them are used for the same

things

There are many languages, and yet not all of them are used for the same

things

What does it mean for a language to be

used?

What does it mean for a language to be

used?

Is it used…

- In cultural ceremonies?

- At home, when children speak with their parents?

- In town, when people converse and do business?

- To write letters and personal messages?

- To write newspapers and publish media?

- As a vehicle of new knowledge and culture?

- As a means of entertainment? (Jokes, shows, movies)

- To communicate with the regional or national government?

- For communication that uses new technologies (Internet)?

Language Loss

Voluntary change

Forced change

Loss of population

Source: Nettle & Romaine (2000)

Why are languages lost?

Source: Nettle & Romaine (2000)

Why are languages lost?

Language Loss

Voluntary change

Forced change

Loss of population

- Discriminatory laws- Scholarization aimed at reducing the use of the minority language- Explicit prohibitions

Speakers of Occitan:

1860 39% of France1920 26%~36%1993 7%Source: Ministère de la Culture et de la Communication (2007) >>

Source: Nettle & Romaine (2000)

Why are languages lost?

Language Loss

Voluntary change

Forced change

Loss of population

- Change attitudes towards the language- Parents think it’s better not to teach the language

Is it used…

- In cultural ceremonies?

- At home, when children speak with their parents?

- In town, when people converse and do business?

- To write letters and personal messages?

- To write newspapers and publish media?

- As a vehicle of new knowledge and culture?

- As a means of entertainment? (Jokes, shows, movies)

- To communicate with the regional or national government?

- For communication that uses new technologies (Internet)?

The result is that, one by one, these usage contexts are

lost….

Class A: All generations speak the language, even small children

Class B: The language is spoken only by parents and

grandparents

Class C: The language is spoken only by the

grandparents

Class D: The language is used

only by a few elders (70+ years)

Michael Krauss’ Scale to measure the degree of endngered of a language (1998):

What is lost when a language loses all its

speakers?

Knowledge about our planet

Traditional Ecological Knowledge

Source: Harrison (2007:30)See final slide for copyright disclaimer

Alternative ways for the human brain to express information

John eats breadSubject Verb Object

In English, the order of most sentences is:

(i) Subject first(ii) Then a verb(iii) Finally, the object

Therefore, the most common order in English is “Subject Verb Object”. Other languages, however, how different word orders.

Some word orders, like “Object Verb Subject” and “Object Subject Verb” are very exotic.

Source: WALS Database, Max Plank Institute >>

Source: WALS Database, Max Plank Institute >>

Source: WALS Database, Max Plank Institute >>

The world has many verb-initial or subject-initial languages, but very few object-initial languages.

Before these languages were studied, linguists believed that object-first languages were impossible for humans to speak.

Cultural diversity

Cultural diversity

Sovereignty and knowledge of one’s

own history

The Indian people used a kind of characters or letters to write their ancient science and knowledge in their books. With these figures and signals, they understood their things and taught them to each other. We found a great number of books with theses letters and, since they didn't contain anything in them that wasn't superstition or falsehoods from the devil, we burned them all. They felt great sorrow for this.

Diego de Landa; A Relation of the Things in Yucatán

Video: Cracking the Maya Code (Minute 49) >>

Have languages ever been revitalized?

¡Sí!

Have languages ever been revitalized?

Yes!

Hebrew

Hebrew

Hebrew

Maori

Maori

Maori

Maori

Amthem 1, Anthem 2Maori

Hawaiian

Hawaiian

Hawaiian

Hawaiian

Wampanoag

Wampanoag

Wampanoag

Wampanoag Source for the 3rd illustration:Makepeace Productions 2010 >>

See final slide for full copyright disclaimer

Wampanoag Fuente:Makepeace Productions 2010 >>See final slide for full copyright disclaimer

Video 1, Video 2

Source:MacArthur FoundationSee final slide for full copyright disclaimer

Wampanoag

Wampanoag Source:Makepeace Productions 2010 >>See final slide for full copyright disclaimer

Video 1, Video 2

Stages of Reversing Language Shift: Attaining diglossia (Fishman 1991:395)

8. Document and reconstruct the language and create materials for the adult acquisition.

Stages of Reversing Language Shift: Attaining diglossia (Fishman 1991:395)

8. Document and reconstruct the language and create materials for the adult acquisition.

7. Cultural interaction in the language, primarily involving the older generation

Stages of Reversing Language Shift: Attaining diglossia (Fishman 1991:395)

8. Document and reconstruct the language and create materials for the adult acquisition.

7. Cultural interaction in the language, primarily involving the older generation

6. Communication in the intergenerational and demographically concentrated home-family-neighborhood; the basis of mother-tongue transmission.

Stages of Reversing Language Shift: Attaining diglossia (Fishman 1991:395)

8. Document and reconstruct the language and create materials for the adult acquisition.

7. Cultural interaction in the language, primarily involving the older generation

6. Communication in the intergenerational and demographically concentrated home-family-neighborhood; the basis of mother-tongue transmission.

5. Schools for literacy acquisition, for the old and for the young, and not in lieu with compulsory education.

Stages of Reversing Language Shift: Trascending diglossia (Fishman 1991:395)

4. Usage in schools in lieu with compulsory education and substancially under curricular and staffing control of the Native group.

Stages of Reversing Language Shift: Trascending diglossia (Fishman 1991:395)

4. Usage in schools in lieu with compulsory education and substancially under curricular and staffing control of the Native group.

3. Usage in local/regional (non-neighborhood) work sphere, both among people in the community and people outside the community.

Stages of Reversing Language Shift: Trascending diglossia (Fishman 1991:395)

4. Usage in schools in lieu with compulsory education and substancially under curricular and staffing control of the Native group.

3. Usage in local/regional (non-neighborhood) work sphere, both among people in the community and people outside the community.

2. Usage in local/regional media and government services.

Stages of Reversing Language Shift: Trascending diglossia (Fishman 1991:395)

4. Usage in schools in lieu with compulsory education and substancially under curricular and staffing control of the Native group.

3. Usage in local/regional (non-neighborhood) work sphere, both among people in the community and people outside the community.

2. Usage in local/regional media and government services.

1. Usage in education, work sphere, media and government at regional/national levels.

Read More:

UNESCO’s Language Vitality and Endangerment(1) http

://www.unesco.org/new/en/culture/themes/endangered-languages/language-vitality/

(2) http://www.unesco.org/culture/ich/doc/src/00120-EN.pdf (Free)

Fishman, Joshua. 1991. Reversing language shift : theoretical and empirical foundations of assistance to threatened languages Full text (through the UofA library) Full text (EBSCOHost)

Hand Writing at 4 am (June Hong, CC 2.0 BY-NC-SA). People speaking different languages (Ericka Chaves, todos los derechos reservados). Map of the main languages of the world (bab.la, todos los derechos reservados). Pirámides de idiomas más hablados, mapas de continentes según lenguas y ciclos de vida del reno todzhu (David Harrison, 2007. All rights reserved. This use is thought of as being “fair use” in that: (i) The examples will be used for educational purposes, (ii) the illustrations are considerably less than 10% or one chapter of the book, and (iii) it does not affect the capability of the author to exploit his original work). Lenguajes de la internet (Internet World Stats, todos los derechos reservados). Dance Bot (Jenn and Tony Bot, CC 2.0 BY-NC). Dancing in the Dark (Mario Inoportuno, CC 2.0 BY-NC-ND). Libros de biología (Fergus Ray Murray, CC 2.0 BY-NC-SA). Tintin and friends greet Armstrong (Daniel Bowen, CC 2.0 BY-NC-SA). Billete de Guatemala (dominio público). Speak French (dominio público). Mapa del occitano (Norrin Strange, CC 3.0 BY-SA). Chiricahua Apaches (dominio público). Uncle Sam’s New Class (dominio público). Corn Diversity (Global Crop Diversity Trust, CC 2.0 BY-NC-SA). Thank you in languages (Gee Ranasinha, CC 2.0 BY-NC-ND). SVO Maps (WALS & Max Plank Digital Library, CC 2.0 BY-NC-ND). Kekionga Storytelling (rsteup, CC 2.0 BY-NC-ND). Maori Wood Carving (Sids1, CC 2.0 BY). Danza piede (eart threepointzero, CC 2.0 BY-NC-SA). Mayan Codex (Pietro Izzo, CC 2.0 BY-NC-SA). Hebrew Sacred Text (TikkunGer, CC 2.0 BY-NC-ND). Street Sign in Hebrew (FishHeadNed, CC 2.0 BY-NC-SA). Coca Cola in Hebrew (iainsimmons, CC 2.0 BY-NC-SA). Te Kura Kaupapa Maori O Nga Mokopuna (Tom Law, CC 2.0 BY). Maori lesson (unincorporated, CC 2.0 BY-ND). Sitio de la Biblioteca Nacional de Nueva Zelanda y de la Universidad de Auckland (todos los derechos reservados a sus respectivos dueños).

Créditos de fotografías:

All Blacks at the Tri-Nation 2010 (Prime Channel, All Rights Reserved. This use is thought of as being “fair use” in that: (i) The examples will be used for educational purposes, and (ii) it does not affect the capability of the author to exploit his original work). Tropas estadounidenses del USS Boston en Hawai’i (dominio público). Ka Lama Hawaii (dominio público). Isla Aquinnah, Massachussetts (dominio público), Squanto demostrando cómo cosechar maíz (dominio público). Biblia de John Eliot 1663 (dominio público). Escritos en Wampanoag, Mujer enseñando Wampanoag (Anne Makepeace, All Rights Reserved. This use is thought of as being “fair use” in that: (i) The examples will be used for educational purposes, (ii) the illustrations are considerably less than 10% or one chapter of the book, and (iii) it does not affect the capability of the author to exploit her original work). Diccionario Wampanoag (MacArthur Foundation, All Rights Reserved. This use is thought of as being “fair use” in that the example will be used for educational purposes). Estuario Onkaparinga (Magnus Manske, CC 3.0 BY-SA). Biblia y fotografías de Clamor Schürmann y Christian Teichelmann (Adelaide City Council Reconciliation Website, All Rights Reserved. This use is thought of as being “fair use” in that the examples will be used for non-profit educational purposes). Sitio Kaura Warra Pintyandi (Universidad de Adelaide, All Rights Reserved. This use is thought of as being “fair use” in that the examples will be used for non-profit educational purposes). Portada del libro "Sounds Good to Me!" (Rob Amery y el Kaura Warra Pintyandi de la Universidad de Adelaide, All rights reserved. This use is thought of as being “fair use” in that: (i) The examples will be used for non-profit educational purposes, (ii) the illustrations are considerably less than 10% or one chapter of the book, and (iii) it does not affect the capability of the author to exploit his original work).

Créditos de fotografías: