Language Maintenance LING 345/640G Yuko Otsuka

Language Loss Potentially endangered Potentially endangered Endangered Endangered Seriously endangered Seriously endangered Moribund Moribund Extinct Extinct (Wurm 1998)

Potentially Endangered Socially and economically disadvantaged Socially and economically disadvantaged Under heavy pressure from a larger language Under heavy pressure from a larger language Beginning to lose child speakers Beginning to lose child speakers

Endangered Languages Few or no children learning the language Few or no children learning the language The youngest good speakers are young adults. The youngest good speakers are young adults.

And Toward Extinction Seriously endangered Seriously endangered Moribund Moribund Extinct Extinct The youngest good speakers age 50 or older The youngest good speakers age 50 or older Only a handful of good speakers Only a handful of good speakers No speaker No speaker

Language Loss Factors leading to language loss Factors leading to language loss Death of speakers Death of speakers Social Social Cultural Cultural Economic Economic Political Political

Death of Speakers Natural disasters Natural disasters Famine and drought Famine and drought Diseases Diseases Genocides Genocides

Social Factors Young men moving to urban center Young men moving to urban center Intermarriage Intermarriage Aging population in the community Aging population in the community

Cultural Factors Cultural contact affects language attitude Cultural contact affects language attitude Culturally more aggressive dominant language Culturally more aggressive dominant language –Religion –Modern metropolitan culture –Technology

Economic Factors Economic advantage associated with dominant language Economic advantage associated with dominant language –Job opportunity –Material wealth

Political Factors Political influences Political influences Conquest Conquest Language policy: official language Language policy: official language Recommendations and laws Recommendations and laws Assimilatory education Assimilatory education

Language Shift Forced language shift Forced language shift Voluntary language shift Voluntary language shift Language shift Language loss

Why Should We Care? Loss of a language is a loss of a culture Loss of a language is a loss of a culture “Every language reflects a unique world- view and culture complex” (Wurm 1991) Any other reasons? Any other reasons?

Incentives to Speak Indigenous Languages Secret language that their oppressors cannot speak Secret language that their oppressors cannot speak Rallying symbol of a political and/or cultural movement Rallying symbol of a political and/or cultural movement Self- and Group identity Self- and Group identity Any other incentives? Any other incentives?

Preventing Language Loss Documentation and archivization Documentation and archivization Intergenerational transmission Intergenerational transmission Vernacularization Vernacularization Changing the society Changing the society Language Use Not only traditional, but also modern context Not only in the classroom, but outside the classroom