LD&C Special Publication No. 20: Collaborative Approaches to the Challenges of Language Documentation and Conservation
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ItemSP20 Whole Volume(University of Hawai'i Press, 2018)
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ItemSP20 Front Matter(University of Hawai'i Press, 2018)
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ItemSP20 Cover(University of Hawai'i Press, 2018)
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ItemA language vitality survey of Macuxi, Wapichana, and English in Serra da Lua, Roraima (Brazil)(University of Hawai'i Press, 2018)Serra da Lua is a multilingual region in the state of Roraima (Brazil) where Macuxi (Carib), Wapichana (Arawak), Brazilian Portuguese and Guyanese English are all spoken. Based on a self-reported language survey we present an assessment of the vitality of the languages spoken in this region and the attitudes of the speakers to-wards these languages. While previous literature has reported the existence of English speakers in this region, the literature does not provide more details about domains of use and the attitudes towards the English language in contrast with Portuguese and the Indigenous languages. This paper helps to address this gap. In sum, the goals of this paper are twofold: first, in light of the results of the survey, to discuss the vitality of the Macuxi and Wapichana languages in the Serra da Lua communities according to the criteria set out by UNESCO’s “Nine Factors” for assessing language vitality; and second, to provide insight about the use of English in this region.
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ItemKeeping Haida alive through film and drama(University of Hawai'i Press, 2018)The Haida language, of the northwest coast of Canada and Southern Alaska, has been endangered for most of the 20th century. Historically, orthography has been a difficult issue for anyone studying the language, since no standardized orthography existed. In spite of the orthographical issues, current efforts in Canada at revitalizing Haida lan-guage and culture have culminated in the theatrical production of Sinxii’gangu, a tradi-tional Haida story dramatized and performed completely in Haida. The most recent effort is Edge of the Knife, a film about a Haida man transforming into a gaagiid (wild man) as a result of losing a child. The story line addresses his restoration back into the community, and as a result, affords not just a resource for two Haida dialects, but also for history and culture. With regards to language, actors participated in two weeks of immersion to prepare and struggled through issues with Haida pronunciation during filming. Using the Haida language exclusively, not just in oral narratives (though there are some in the drama and the film) but in actual dialogue, provides learners with great context for developing strategies for pronunciation and conversation rather than only learning and hearing lexical items and short phrases. Capturing the storyline on film not only supports efforts at revitalization, but provides tangible documentation of both Canadian dialects of the Haida language.
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ItemThe Online Terminology Forum for East Cree and Innu: A collaborative approach to multi-format terminology development(University of Hawai'i Press, 2018)For Indigenous languages to thrive, it is essential for speakers to be able to talk about their present reality in relevant and meaningful ways. In this paper, we report on our work in terminology development through workshops and the creation and use of modern digital tools including online dictionaries and terminology forums, and by working with speakers in the creation and ongoing discussion of new words. We describe the technology required to make this possible and the necessity of producing various formats, such as interactive images, booklets, and multimedia apps. We dis-cuss the tools we have developed with and for East Cree and Innu speakers, transla-tors, and linguists and the challenges of quality terminology creation, including con-text, clarity, dialectal variation, multiple submissions, and the specificity of the struc-ture of Algonquian languages. We explain how videos can complement and support terminology development and diffusion and the importance of providing searchable, translated texts for models and context. We stress the importance of allowing oral, visual, and written submissions to interactive terminology databases. We also report on two Online Terminology Forum training workshops with Innu translators. We demonstrate the advantages of building a pan-Algonquian terminology database to combine, strengthen, and expand communities’ (re)vitalization efforts across thematic domains such as health, justice, environment, education, and technology.
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ItemSupporting rich and meaningful interaction in language teaching for revitalization: Lessons from Macuiltianguis Zapotec(University of Hawai'i Press, 2018)Many language revitalization programs aimed at teaching Indigenous languages are small, informal efforts with limited time and resources. Even in communities that still have proficient speakers, students in revitalization programs often struggle to gain proficiency in the language. This paper offers an illustration of how one language revitalization program has tried to make teaching more effective by adapting commu-nicative language teaching strategies to be more useful and appropriate for their particular context. Having gained empirical support in the field of second language acquisition (SLA), communicative language teaching emphasizes the importance of rich and meaningful interaction for language learning to take place. “Rich” refers to the availability of target-like input that is not oversimplified. “Meaningful” refers to the type of interaction that takes place in real-life situations that necessitate communi-cation. However, existing research on these topics has largely ignored language revi-talization contexts, where providing learners with rich and meaningful interaction can be particularly challenging. This paper presents strategies for promoting rich and meaningful interaction in instructed language revitalization settings, as demonstrated through teacher practices at a Zapotec revitalization program in San Pablo Macuiltian-guis, Oaxaca, Mexico. The focus is on shifting from Spanish language use to Zapotec language use in specific, everyday social spaces, then supporting interaction within these spaces.
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ItemThe Kawaiwete pedagogical grammar: Linguistic theory, collaborative language documentation, and the production of pedagogical materials(University of Hawai'i Press, 2018)This paper describes the intersection between linguistic theory and collaborative language documentation as a fundamental step in developing pedagogical materials for Indigenous communities. More specifically, we discuss the process of writing a monolingual pedagogical grammar of the Kawaiwete language (a Brazilian Indigenous language). This material was intended to motivate L1 speakers of Kawaiwete to think about language as researchers: by exploring linguistic datasets through the production and revision of hypotheses, testing predictions empirically and assessing the con-sistency of hypotheses through logical reasoning. By means of linguistic workshops in Kawaiwete communities, linguistic training of Indigenous researchers and production of pedagogical materials, we intended to motivate younger generations of Kawaiwete speakers to become researchers of their own language.
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Item“Data is Nice:” Theoretical and pedagogical implications of an Eastern Cherokee corpus(University of Hawai'i Press, 2018)This paper serves as a proof of concept for the usefulness of corpus creation in Cherokee language revitalization. It details the initial collection of a digital corpus of Cherokee/English texts and enumerates how corpus material can augment contemporary language revitalization efforts rather than simply preserving language for future analysis. By collecting and analyzing corpus material, we can quickly create new classroom materials and media products, and answer deeper theoretical linguistic questions. With a large enough corpus, we can even implement machine translation systems to facilitate the production of new texts. Although the vast majority of print material in Cherokee is in the Western dialect, this corpus has focused on Eastern texts. Expanding the dataset to include both dialects, however, will allow for comparison and facilitate generalizations about the Cherokee language as a whole. A corpus of Cherokee data can answer second language learners’ questions about the structure of the language and provide patterns for more effective, targeted learning of Cherokee. It can also provide teachers with ready access to accurate representations of the language produced by native speakers. By combining documentation and technology, we can leverage the power of databases to expedite and facilitate language revitalization.
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ItemIndigenous universities and language reclamation: Lessons in balancing Linguistics, L2 teaching, and language frameworks from Blue Quills University(University of Hawai'i Press, 2018)This article describes Dene and Cree language programs at University nuhelot'įne thaiyots'į nistameyimâkanak Blue Quills, a First Nations-owned university in Canada created in a former residential school building in the decades following a 1969 sit-in by concerned parents. The history of UnBQ and its role in language and cultural revitalization are situated in the context of the North American tribal college and university movement, as is the author's integration of the challenge by Leonard (2017, 2018) to explore Indigenous frameworks for language in his teaching of introductory linguistics. Follow-up interviews with students, a department head and the UnBQ president include their ideas for a possible Cree-based framework for linguistic analy-sis. Translation and co-creation of linguistic terminology into Plains Cree and Denesųłiné support language use in the classroom and students' understanding. Practi-cal challenges facing UnBQ are discussed.