Question on assessing technology for endangered language communities

Tue Nov 3 21:55:30 UTC 2009

This is an interesting thread and I am getting a lot out of it. Below are some
more references on the topic.

I think a main issue with this would be that for languages with very few
speakers, there may not be a computer equivalent of the written language, if
there is a written language, and there would not be terms for the 
technology in
the language.

Also there may be a big difference between technology for language 
preservation,
archival recordings of the last speakers, and how technology would be used to
teach the language to acquire more speakers.

Garry

Technology and Indigenous Language Revitalization: Analyzing the Experience of
Hawai'i
Journal	Canadian Modern Language Review/ La Revue canadienne des langues
vivantes
Publisher	University of Toronto Press
ISSN	0008-4506 (Print) 1710-1131 (Online)
Issue	Volume 55, Number 1 / October 1998
Pages	139-160
Online Date	Tuesday, September 19, 2006
http://utpjournals.metapress.com/content/mq61j741px875187/

Integrating Technology into Minority Language Preservation and Teaching 
Efforts:
An Inside Job
Journal article by Daniel J. Villa; Language, Learning & Technology, Vol. 6,
2002
http://llt.msu.edu/vol6num2/pdf/villa.pdf

The use of information and communication technology for the preservation of
Aboriginal culture: the Badimaya people of Western Australia
K. Michael_ L. Dunn, University of Wollongong
http://ro.uow.edu.au/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1375&context=infopapers

Gordon, A. C., Gordon, M., & Dorr, J. (2003). Native American 
technology access:
the Gates Foundation in Four Corners. The Electronic Library. 21 (5), 428-434.
http://universityofarizona.worldcat.org/oclc/437783001

Wilson, J. (1992). The Computers and Culture Project: A Multimedia Approach to
the Preservation of Native History, Language, and Culture. Canadian Journal of
Native Education. 19 (1), 7-19.
http://universityofarizona.worldcat.org/oclc/425496606

Quoting Susan Penfield <susan.penfield at gmail.com>:

>  Thanks to everyone who has contributed to this thread. As Garry points out,
> "There certainly is much written and used with technology and second
> language acquisition, so I see no reason why it would not be as effective
> for language preservation and revitalization."
>
> AND YET-- there is very little application of any recent SLA techniques,
> methods, strategies and research aimed at revitalization contexts.
> (particularly the latter -- research on second language learning in
> revitalization contexts is rare ....) -- Without it, it seems to me,
> communities will continue to struggle to find the best ways to teach
> indigenous languages (with or without technology).
>
> Susan
>
>
>
>
> On Mon, Nov 2, 2009 at 11:06 AM, Garry Forger 
> <gforger at email.arizona.edu>wrote:
>
>>  I can’t speak to the efficacy of this article but I did find 
>> this. Language,
>> Learning & Technology, Vol. 6, 2002, May 2002. Integrating Technology into
>> Minority Language Preservation and Teaching Efforts: An Inside Job. Daniel
>> J. Villa, New Mexico State University.
>> http://llt.msu.edu/vol6num2/pdf/villa.pdf There certainly is much written
>> and used with technology and second language acquisition, so I see no reason
>> why it would not be as effective for language preservation and
>> revitalization. It just appears that there has not been a lot published, so
>> a field waiting to be explored. I think that certainly technology and
>> language preservation would be important, but that the technology should not
>> replace the human interaction that is the most important for keeping the
>> language in context.   Garry Forger
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> *From:* Indigenous Languages and Technology [mailto:
>> ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU] *On Behalf Of *Richard Zane Smith
>> *Sent:* Saturday, October 31, 2009 5:27 PM
>>
>> *To:* ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU
>> *Subject:* Re: [ILAT] Question on assessing technology for endangered
>> language communities
>>
>>
>>
>> Susan,
>>
>> such a good question. I'm kinda waitin' for a good answer on this one too.
>>
>> and more specificly:
>>
>> Is there evidence yet, that all the high tech stuff is helping with
>> fluency?
>>
>>
>>
>> Richard,
>>
>> Wyandotte Oklahoma
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> On Fri, Oct 30, 2009 at 1:53 PM, Susan Penfield <susan.penfield at gmail.com>
>> wrote:
>>
>> QUESTION:
>>
>>
>>
>> Has anyone done any specific research addressing the question of how
>> technology (broadly) is impacting indigenous language communities?  And / or
>> how it is specifically being assessed, in terms of community involvement,
>>  as an instrument for either documenting or revitalizing endangered
>> languages?
>>
>>
>>
>> Any input appreciated!
>>
>>
>>
>> Susan
>>
>> --
>>
>> **********************************************************************************************
>> Susan D. Penfield, Ph.D.
>> (Currently on leave to the National Science Foundation.
>> E-mail: spenfiel at nsf.gov
>> Phone at NSF: 703-292-4535)
>>
>>
>> Department of English (Primary)
>> Faculty affiliate in Linguistics, Language, Reading and Culture,
>> Second Language Acquisition and Teaching (SLAT),
>> American Indian Language Development Institute (AILDI)
>> The Southwest Center
>> University of Arizona,
>> Tucson, Arizona 85721
>>
>>
>>
>
>
>
> --
> **********************************************************************************************
> Susan D. Penfield, Ph.D.
> (Currently on leave to the National Science Foundation.
> E-mail: spenfiel at nsf.gov
> Phone at NSF: 703-292-4535)
>
>
> Department of English (Primary)
> Faculty affiliate in Linguistics, Language, Reading and Culture,
> Second Language Acquisition and Teaching (SLAT),
> American Indian Language Development Institute (AILDI)
> The Southwest Center
> University of Arizona,
> Tucson, Arizona 85721

Garry J. Forger, MLS, MWS
(Santa Cruz Watershed)
Development and Grants Management Officer
for Learning Technologies
http://ltc.arizona.edu
and
Technology Manager for the Center for Educational
Resources in Culture, Language and Literacy
(CERCLL) http://cercll.arizona.edu
The University of Arizona
gforger at email.arizona.edu
520-626-3918
Fax 520-626-8220