ELL: Strategies for Language Revitalization

[Joan Smith/Kocamahhul]

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Date: Tue, 27 Jul 1999 18:24:17 +1200
From: j.smith at ling.canterbury.ac.nz (Joan Smith/Kocamahhul)
Subject: ELL: Strategies for Language Revitalization
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Dear language revitalization/endangered language colleague(s),

We are writing both to seek help and to offer help.  We have a small
three-year grant to survey research and applied programs on language
revitalization (project title:  "Strategies for Language Revitalization").
The goal is to assemble a basic resource/reference on strategies,
techniques, and methods used to revitalize endangered languages or to help
speakers and communities in language maintenance and in resisting language
shift.  In many instances, appropriate strategies require an understanding
of causes of language shift and language endangerment, and therefore part
of the project is also addressed to these causes.   We hope also to
determine,  at least in part, which strategies/techniques are more valuable
and which are less fruitful in general.
        We would like to ask help with our project.  We would be very
	grateful to you for any information you could send us of the following
	sort:
	(1) About language revitalization (and related) projects you know
	about
	(anywhere in the world).
	(2) About the various methods, techniques, strategies utilized to
	resist
	language loss and to strengthen or revitalize the language.
	(3) About things attempted that have been successful and also things
	not so
	useful.
	(4) About causes of language shift and language endangerment in the
	situation(s) you are aware of, or factors favoring maintenance.
	(5) Names of other people, projects, organizations, publications,
	websites,
	and the like which we may not know about which are relevant to the
	project.
	        In return, we will be happy to share with you the final
		product -
		the compilation and evaluation of resources and techniques in
		language
		revitalization -- when we have finished the project.   We
		anticipate it
		being a valuable general resource/reference for individuals
		and
		organizations concerned with this problem.
		If you want to send information in French, German, or Spanish,
		we don't
		mind (or in Finnish or Turkish, too, for that matter).  We
		prefer e-mail,
		but regular mail and fax are also fine; some contact details
		are:
		j.smith at ling.canterbury.ac.nz (Joan Smith/Kocamahhul)
		l.campbell at ling.canterbury.ac.nz (Lyle Campbell)
		Linguistics Department
		University of Canterbury
		Private Bag 4800
		Christchurch, New Zealand
		Fax:  64-3-364-2969

		Thank you in advance,

		Lyle Campbell and Joan Smith/Kocamahhul

		Professor Lyle Campbell
		Dept. of Linguistics
		University of Canterbury
		Private Bag 4800
		Christchurch, New Zealand
		Fax:   64-3-364-2969
		Phone: 64-3-364-2242

		Joan Smith/Kocamahhul
		Linguistics Dept
		University of Canterbury
		Private Bag 4800
		Christchurch
		New Zealand

		fax: 00-64-3-3642969


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