The Status of the World’s Endangered Languages

Belew, Anna; Simpson, Sean

doi:10.1093/oxfordhb/9780190610029.013.4

Cited by 8 publications

(12 citation statements)

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“…As noted by Henke and Berez-Kroeker (2016) and Berez-Kroeker et al (2017), data accessible in language archives is important for enabling indigenous language revitalization, as it typically includes audio-visual materials and their transcriptions, translations and linguistic annotations for languages facing extinction. These languages are categorized as vulnerable, threatened, endangered, severely endangered and critically endangered on metrics, such as the Language Endangerment Index , based on factors, such as transmission from generation to generation, current language speaker numbers and related trends, and domains of language use (Belew and Simpson, 2018; Lee and Van Way, 2016).…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Using existing metadata standards and tools for a digital language archive: a balancing act

Burke

Tarver

Phillips

et al. 2022

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Purpose Building a digital language archive requires a number of steps to ensure collecting, describing, preserving and providing access to language data in effective and efficient ways. The purpose of this paper is to describe how the Computational Resource for South Asian Languages (CoRSAL) group has partnered with the University of North Texas (UNT) Digital Library to build a series of interconnected digital collections that leverage existing UNT technical and metadata infrastructure to provide access to data from and for various language communities. Design/methodology/approach This paper introduces the reader to the background of this project and discusses some of the areas important for representing language materials where both University of North Texas Libraries (UNTL) metadata and CoRSAL metadata practices were adapted to better fit the needs of intended audiences. Findings We discuss a workflow for standardized language representation (the Language field), defining roles for persons related to the item (Creator and Contributor fields) and including subject representation for language materials (Subjects and Keywords fields). Practical implications Although further work is needed to improve language data representation in the CoRSAL digital language archive, the model adopted by the team and lessons learned could benefit others in the language archiving community. Originality/value This paper is a significantly extended version of the presentation made at the 1st International Workshop on Digital Language Archives in 2021.

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Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Using existing metadata standards and tools for a digital language archive: a balancing act

Burke

Tarver

Phillips

et al. 2022

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“…Africa is home to nearly one-third of the world's languages (an estimated number of 2,140 [Eberhard et al 2020]), and 28.3% of these languages are considered to be endangered (Belew and Simpson 2018). In many cases, the population is shifting from their native language to a majority language (i.e., the former colonial language, or the language of a major powerful indigenous language) (Batibo 2009).…”

Section: The Vitality Of Languages In São Tomé and Príncipementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Positive attitudes are one of the social factors that drive language maintenance. This factor is considered central in the maintenance or loss of a language (Austin and Sallabank 2014;Belew and Simpson 2018;Sallabank 2013). To investigate the dynamics that sustain the vitality of Forro, I explore how the perceptions Santomeans have about this language have changed in terms of value and identity marking.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Redefining Forro as a marker of identity: Language contact as a driving force for language maintenance among Santomeans in Portugal

Bouchard

2020

Multilingua

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In São Tomé and Príncipe, the language shift toward Portuguese is resulting in the endangerment of the native creoles of the island. These languages have been considered of low value in Santomean society since the mid-twentieth century. But when Santomeans are members of a diaspora, their perceptions of these languages, especially Forro, change in terms of value and identity-marking. It is possible to observe such changes among the Santomeans who learn Forro when they are abroad, who use it as an in-group code, and start to value it more. In this article, I address the role of language contact in the maintenance and expansion of Forro. I investigate the mechanisms of language maintenance by focusing on the shifts in community members’ attitudes and beliefs regarding their languages, as a result of contact. The changing attitudes and beliefs have led to a redefinition of the role of Forro in the speech community. This qualitative study is based on semistructured interviews conducted on São Tomé Island and in Portugal. Findings suggest that the change in value attributed to Forro by Santomeans as a result of contact contribute to the valorization of the language.

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“…At the most conservative estimate, 34% of the world’s languages are endangered (Belew and Simpson, 2018). 1 Language endangerment is caused by combinations of political, environmental, economic, and sociolinguistic factors.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…See Lee and Van Way (2016) for more information on the LEI. See Belew and Simpson (2018) for a discussion of the vitality of the world’s languages.…”

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confidence: 99%

Health information behavior of speakers of endangered languages

Burke

2020

Journal of Librarianship and Information Science

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With the advent of increased attention towards language endangerment comes the need for a better understanding of how speakers of endangered languages interact with information, specifically health information resources. This paper builds on health information behavior literature and participatory research models with indigenous communities to develop strategies for future work with indigenous communities of speakers of endangered languages, proposing a participatory methodology for future work with these communities related to health, using ethnographic interviews and focus groups. Lack of infrastructure, multilingualism, and distrust of outsiders are found to be major barriers between this population and health information resources. Approaching health information behavior research with an interdisciplinary and participatory model incorporating ethnographic and linguistic field methods into traditional information behavior methodologies can mitigate the challenges these barriers present. Understanding the health information behavior of speakers of endangered languages will aid in future efforts to make health information resources accessible to wider audiences and to document indigenous knowledge. Currently, fieldwork with speakers of endangered languages is confined to linguistic and anthropological investigation. Through the proposed methodology, community members can work alongside linguists and information professionals to create culturally appropriate health information resources in their native language.

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The Status of the World’s Endangered Languages

Cited by 8 publications

References 0 publications

Using existing metadata standards and tools for a digital language archive: a balancing act

Using existing metadata standards and tools for a digital language archive: a balancing act

Redefining Forro as a marker of identity: Language contact as a driving force for language maintenance among Santomeans in Portugal

Health information behavior of speakers of endangered languages

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