Lang Endangerment Document

3 Credits · Level: Undergraduate

This course is an undergraduate class which focuses on a central problem in human culture which is the fast disappearance of the majority of the world’s languages. When languages die, the cultures, social structures, and unique windows on the human mind, die as well. There is an urgency to document and revitalize the many languages that are getting endangered and at the verge of extinction. Since the grim prediction about the extinction of half of the ~6000 languages by the end of this [twenty-first] century (Krauss, 1992:6), many linguists and anthropologists have been working on fast-tracking the documentation and revitalization effort of endangered languages. This class will examine the extent of language endangerment across the world, general and specific causes of language endangerment (per region) and processes that are helping, and/or will help with revitalization and documentary efforts. Students will also be exposed to the tools, methodologies and equipment that are available for language revitalization and documentation. Enrolled students will be required to actively participate in the class. There will be two quizzes, and a proposal for language documentation or revitalization which will involve students identifying an endangered language and developing plans that will support the revitalization or documentation of the language.