Revitalising Indigenous Languages

Abstract

Multilingual Matters Discount Order FormMahalo nui loa to the authors of this important book! Ancestral languages are crucial components of healthy indigenous communities. Yet once a language is lost among childbearing adults, it seems impossible to gain it back again. Developing a resource of fluent second language speaking adults is the answer. This work tells how to reach that crucial step -and with very small languages. E ola nā ʻōlelo ʻōiwi a kākou! Kauanoe Kamanā and William H. Wilson, founding members of the ʻAha Pūnana Leo, Hawaiʻi, USA This book is a wonder! -the uplifting story of a program that has made a very major difference in the revitalization of Aanaar Saami, through the empowerment of the Missing Generations of speakers -the adults who could, once they learn the language, teach or raise children in the endangered language. This account demonstrates how the vision and energy of a few can have a powerful effect on language and cultural survival. Three cheers for Marja-Liisa Olthuis and the brave women who worked with her! What a difference they have made. This is a must-read for all communities and their friends who are trying to revitalize their endangered languages. Founding member of the Advocates for Indigenous California Language Survival Chock-full of on-the-ground experience, Olthuis, Kivelä and Skutnabb-Kangas present a research-based model for language revitalization among a critical age group: professional adults. Meticulously detailed, the book takes readers inside the Aanaar Saami language education program, introducing its strategies, management and the dedicated learners and master teachers at its heart. The authors' message is clear: yes, it is possible to recover a 'small' minoritized language! Recognizing that every community must chart its own way, the authors offer a practical, hopeful account with invaluable language revitalization lessons.

Anxiety Sensitivity in Patients with Alcohol Dependence: A Cross-Sectional Case-Control Study

“…Consistent with previous data on the association between AS and alcohol consumption [3,11,12,13,15,16,24,25,26], findings showed that the AD group endorsed more severe Physical and Cognitive concerns than the other two groups.…”

“…Another interesting result was that patients with A-D reported stronger Social concerns relative to controls and patients with AD, and this result contrasted with a large body of literature indicating that Social concerns are mainly associated to AD, particularly social anxiety disorder, to the anxiety sphere in general [25], fear of negative evaluation and inhibited behavior in public [29], fear and avoidance of public situations and performances [26], anxiety in social interactions and diagnosis of social phobia [7]. It could be hypothesized that alcohol consumption may be a strategy to reduce physiological responses and to avoid fear of negative judgments, as reported by DeHaas and colleagues [15], who found that AS positively correlated with alcohol consumption as a coping strategy aimed to reduce negative emotions in unpleasant situations.…”

“…A recent study has shown that Cognitive concerns were a significant unique predictor of social anxiety symptoms [29]. Individuals with higher levels of Cognitive concerns may fear that loss of control of their mental faculties could result in the publicly implementation of strange behaviours that can lead to embarrassment [26]. In addition, some research has demonstrated that Cognitive concerns were strongly associated with avoidance behaviors typical of social anxiety rather than social fear [30], and this could explain the connection between social and cognitive dimensions of AS.…”

Sámi language teachers’ professional identities explained through narratives about language acquisition

“…Nonetheless, all Sámi languages are considered seriously endangered (see Svonni, 2008; Moseley, 2010). Sámi languages have been revitalised in the past decade in various decrees (Pietikäinen, 2008 a ; Olthuis et al ., 2013; Tanhua, 2014; Pasanen, 2015; Äärelä, 2016).…”

Why save a minority language? Meänkieli and rationales of language revitalization

“…2001); in these 'kohanga reo' ('language nests'), older Maori speakers transmitted the language to the children and, to some extent, to their parents as well. Today, several minority groups use similar systems of 'language nests' for the benefit of keeping their endangered languages alive through education (Ridanpää & Pasanen 2009;Olthuis et al 2013;Pasanen 2015). Behind all this work in New Zealand, there were a small number of people with an ideological commitment to speaking their native language and continuing the Maori cultural heritage (Fishman 1991, 230-250).…”