ELL: Re: language rescue projects

Nicholas Ostler nostler at chibcha.demon.co.uk
Mon Oct 18 22:28:19 UTC 1999


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	Date: Mon, 18 Oct 1999 23:28:19 +0100
	To: "Diaz Fernandez" <chalimin at cybersnet.com.ar>
	From: Nicholas Ostler <nostler at chibcha.demon.co.uk>
	Subject: ELL: Re: language rescue projects
	Cc: <endangered-languages-l at carmen.murdoch.edu.au>,
	        <Chris.Moseley at mon.bbc.co.uk>
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		At 6:55 am +0100 16/10/99, Diaz Fernandez wrote:
		>Dear Mr. Nicholas Ostler
		>Endangered Languages Foundation
		>
		>Dear Sir,
		>Some weeks ago I sent you a mail asking for information about
		support for
		>language rescue projects. I had already told you that I have
		been working
		>on vernacular languages of my region for thirteen years
		without any
		>support. I had published two books on lessons of a variety of
		the Mapuche
		>language still surviving in the province I live in. There is
		much to be
		>done yet about this language. All the varieties spoken in
		this province
		>have to be identified and described as well as prepare
		dictionaries of all
		>these varieties.
		>I had also told you about the urgency of rescuing Aonik'o
		'a'yin, the
		>language of the Aonik'enk people of which there may be six or
		seven aged
		>persons still knowing the language. I had the idea of working
		with this
		>language to prepare lessons of it similar to what I had done
		with the
		>Mapuche language. Besides my college training I am an inborn
		language
		>learner which is fundamental tool in this task. The few
		Aonik'enk people
		>still surviving live at about 1,600 km far from my home.
		>I work in high school to earn my living and for this reason I
		cannot leave
		>my work to devote to this rescue. It is really so urgent to
		undertake the
		>rescue of Aonik'o 'a'yin, if it is not helped it will
		disappear for ever as
		>it happened with other Patagonian languages which disappeared
		during the
		>last decades, such as G..a yaj.h, Shelknam, Haush and
		Tewshen.
		>You told me that you had already addressed my first e-mail to
		Chris Moseley
		>for him to send me some forms but I have never received any
		message.
		>Please, help this language, if your foundation cannot help me
		to help this
		>language, please contact me to other organizations or
		foundations that
		>could help me with this. Please consider that there is not
		much time to
		>save Aonik'o 'a'yin and also to save the variety of Mapuche
		language in a
		>dying process in this province of Chubut.
		>I am looking forward to hearing form you again.
		>Yours truly
		>
		>Lic. Antonio D.z-Fern.dez

		Sorry you have not had any luck with our postal replies.  Here
		is the call
		and the application form for the grants, anyway.  The deadline
		for the
		application (and references) to reach us is 31 October 1999.

		Regards
		Nicholas Ostler
		FEL President

		**********

The Foundation for Endangered Languages is now accepting proposals for
projects of work that will
	 support, enable or assist
	 	  the documentation, protection or promotion
		  of one or more endangered languages.

		  Please pass on this announcement to your friends and
		  colleagues in
		  endangered language communities who may not have access to
		  Ogmios, the
		  Internet or e-mail.

		  Form for Submissions
		  There is a form which defines the content of appropriate
		  proposals, which
		  is accessible at the Foundation.s web-site
		  http://www.bris.ac.uk/Depts/Philosophy/CTLL/FEL/
		   It may also may be obtained from Christopher Moseley,
		   <Chris_Moseley at mon.bbc.co.uk>
		   2 Wanbourne Lane, Nettlebed. Oxfordshire RG9 5AH England
		   fax +44-1491-641922

		   All proposals must be submitted in this form, to ensure
		   comparability
		   (although see note 4 below).

		   Deadline
		   The time-limit for proposals to be considered in the
		   current round will be
		   the 31st of October 1999.  By that date, proposals and
		   supporting
		   testimonials must reach Christopher Moseley, at the address
		   specified in
		   the form.

		   The FEL Committee will announce its decision before the
		   31st of December 1999.

		   Four points to note especially:
		   1. The Foundation's funds are extremely limited and it is
		   not anticipated
		   that any award will be greater than  US$1,000. Smaller
		   proposals stand a
		   better chance of funding.
		   2. Where possible, work undertaken within endangered
		   language communities
		   themselves will be preferred.
		   3. The Foundation for Endangered Languages (FEL) is a
		   separate from the
		   Endangered Language Fund (ELF) <elf at haskins.yale.edu>,
		   which is also
		   announcing its request for proposals about now, but on a
		   somewhat different
		   timescale. It is perfectly possible (and has indeed
		   occurred in the past)
		   that the same project can be partially funded by both FEL
		   and ELF.
		   4. Those who have already submitted proposals to FEL
		   speculatively should
		   contact Chris Moseley to confirm what information, if any,
		   still needs to
		   be submitted.  The form should be used to submit this
		   additional
		   information.

		   APPLICATION FOR FINANCIAL SUPPORT FROM THE FOUNDATION OF
		   ENDANGERED LANGUAGES

		   Applicant's details:

		   Name

		   Date of birth:

		   Address:

		   Nationality:

		   Mother tongue:

		   Affiliation (institution):

		   Name of supervisor (if applicable):

		   Contact address for duration of research (if known):

		   ----------------------------------------------------------------

Description/Definition of the language(s)

(If you require more space, please continue on a separate sheet)

Known or presumed affiliation:

Geographical location:

Adjacent languages (genetically and geographically):

Number of known first-language speakers:

Number of known second-language speakers:

Is the language being passed on to younger generations?

If so, by what means?

Is the language viewed by its speakers as a distinct language or as a dialect?

Language(s) of communication with neighbouring communities:

Is this communication in other languages general or limited to certain
spheres of activity?

Has the language been documented before? (If so, please attach a bibliography)

Have sound recordings of the language been made, transcribed or analyzed?

Is the language written?

Is the orthography in general use by the speech community?

Was the orthography devised specifically for this language?

Does the community have literacy in other languages?

Describe the current spheres and range of use of the language. (media,
religious/ceremonial use, spoken
communication, &c.)


=============================

Nature of the threat

Please describe the nature of the current threat to the language, and the
process of attrition as far as is known, citing
statistical evidence wherever possible

.========================

Nature of the research

Describe the project you wish to undertake.

Will your research be conducted alone or in collaboration with others?

If with others, how many (excluding informants)

?Is your research part of a larger project?

Has research been done on the language previously? [If so, refer to
bibliography above]

In what way will your research supplement previous research?

Estimated duration of project:

(At the end of the term of the project you will be expected to submit a
report on your activities and to account for the
disbursement of funds)

In what way will your project help the speech community?

How much time will you need to spend:

- in the field?

- in other research, preparation and travel?

How will the results of your work be made public?

=======================

Applicant's qualifications

Describe your academic qualifications and/or previous experience in
linguistic or anthropological field-work.

=======================

Budget [including undertaking to prove use of funds at the end of the
agreed term of the project]

Please attach to this application an itemized list of the funds you will
require, giving documentary evidence of costs
wherever possible. Include such items as:

- travel within the country/language area (travel to the area may also be
budgeted, but allocation will be considered
separately);

- accommodation;

- materials (tape recording equipment &c.).

- payment of research assistants/informants.

If your project involves provision of materials for the speech community,
please itemize these separately, including
production costs.

Do you have/Have you been granted other sources of funding? If so, please
specify.

Other comments in support of your application:

=====================

Research on already extinct languages: notes for applicants

Funding may also be considered for archival research on languages which are
no longer spoken. Expenses involved
in the use of archives, and a study stipend for a fixed period may be made
available in some cases, where the
applicant can provide evidence that the archive material has not yet been
published or made generally available.

Applicant's Undertaking

The Foundation for Endangered Languages provides research funds as a
charitable body, and therefore the recipients
of its grants must be able to prove that their work is of public benefit,
and they must make the results of their work
publicly available. Before publication, permission should also be sought
from informants for the use of any materials
or statements they supply. Therefore applicants are obliged to sign the
following undertaking:

1. I undertake to provide full accounts of my disbursement of the funds
granted, and to return any unused funds to
the Foundation at the end of the period specified in this application. I
shall provide receipts and other documentary
evidence wherever possible.

2. I undertake to provide the Foundation with a list of recommendations for
further monitoring of the language after
the expiry of my grant.

3. I undertake to publish the results of my research and to make them
available to the Foundation for evaluation.
Before publication I will seek the permission of my informants for the use
of all statements or materials they have
supplied.

Signature:

Date:



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