James Crippen's message

[Rudy Troike]

James Crippen's valuable message deserves to be widely disseminated among
communities interested in language preservation/revival/restoration. The
educational model which language teaching in schools has created, that 
learning
a language is just learning a few labels for "things", really militates 
against
the success of such efforts. It is unfortunate that interest too often 
devolves
into concern only for the availability of money. In the past, communities
receiving funding for schools from the BIA paid no attention to language until
special funding for bilingual education came along. When the special funds
declined or disappeared, so did interest and materials. As James points out,
the best way for a language to be preserved is the natural way of placing
young children with native speakers (grandparents where possible) for extended
periods. The cost would be minimal, compared to the large grants that 
have been
sought and used in other ways while children were being ignored and fluent
speakers were passing away. Of course situations may vary in different 
communi-
ties, so that this most natural and best resource may no longer be available,
or there is interest in learning on the part of adults (who have lost the
best language-learning years of their lives), or the language may need to be
restored altogether, but it is sad that inappropriate models of language
learning and teaching may doom well-intentioned efforts to meaninglessness.

    Rudy Troike