scholarly journals Languages in Danger: How Can Linguistic Diversity Be Preserved and Promoted in Nepal?

2020 ◽  
pp. 503-511
Author(s):  
Min Pun ◽  
Kamal Gurung
Keyword(s):  
Policy Development ◽  
Linguistic Diversity ◽  
Indigenous Communities ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Indigenous Languages ◽  
Indigenous Language ◽  
Education Policies ◽  
Native Languages ◽  
Language Groups ◽  
The Government

This paper focuses on the decline and death of indigenous languages with special reference to sampled languages used by indigenous communities in Kaski district, arguing that the indigenous language communities should be supported by the government for giving official status to their native languages, focused on formulation and implementation of education policies, and encouraged to insist on speaking their native languages. Together, the indigenous language communities need to collaborate with the government to curb all the issues related to preserving and promoting linguistic diversity in Nepal. Based on the findings and discussion of the study, the following recommendations have been made to preserve and promote linguistic diversity in Nepal: 1) The findings of the study concluded that documentation is one of the most important ways to preserve and promote indigenous languages; 2) The findings of this study concluded that both formal and informal languages classes can be effective to cover all types of age group indigenous language speakers; 3) It is recommended that language teachers should be provided with appropriate trainings to be good indigenous language teachers; 4) It is recommended that indigenous language groups should put pressure on the government for policy development and political advocacy for the preservation of indigenous languages; 5) The study suggested that indigenous language groups should be given language awareness programs occasionally in order to motivate them to use their native languages and then to preserve the linguistic diversity in Nepal; and 6) The study suggested that indigenous language communities need to get help of language researchers to address the issues related to indigenous language revitalization strategies.

scholarly journals INDIGENOUS LANGUAGES OF NEPAL: A STUDY OF PREVENTION BARRIERS AND PRESERVATION STRATEGIES

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 663-675
Author(s):  
Min Pun ◽  
Kamal Gurung
Keyword(s):  
Group Discussion ◽  
Indigenous Communities ◽  
Indigenous Languages ◽  
Indigenous Language ◽  
Heritage Languages ◽  
Secondary Sources ◽  
Language Groups ◽  
Inclusive Language ◽  
Language Revival ◽  
The Government

Purpose of the study: In Nepal, indigenous languages are in danger of disappearing and if the situation does not improve, the dying trend will continue to increase in the future. Thus, this paper aims to explore barriers to indigenous language activities and strategies for revitalizing these dying languages of Nepal. Methodology: To address this objective, the study adopted the qualitative research method, using the data collected from the Focus Group Discussion (FGD) and secondary sources such as the existing literature through print and online sources. The results were presented thematically and discussed for qualitative analysis. Main findings: The overall results of the study indicated that an inclusive language policy should be adopted by the government to accommodate indigenous languages of Nepal, indigenous language communities should be encouraged by the government to insist on speaking their languages, and language communities are also required to collaborate with the government to address the issues related to improving the preservation and promotion of indigenous languages of Nepal. Applications of this study: The outcome of this particular research can be a beneficial act for engaging indigenous communities of Nepal in language revival and protecting threatened languages from extinction. It is the responsibility of the researchers that are expected by each of various indigenous language communities in particular and the Nepali society at large. Novelty/Originality of this Study: Indigenous languages are often considered by many as 'heritage languages' and are used to describe languages that are often in the endangered list. No studies are found on the use of indigenous languages and language revival efforts in the study area such as barriers that prevented indigenous language groups from participating in language activities and ways that can preserve and promote such dying languages in the study area.

Towards an Understanding of Knowledge Sharing in Indigenous Communities of Practice

2020 ◽  
pp. 208-232
Author(s):  
Esabel Maisiri
Keyword(s):  
Communities Of Practice ◽  
Knowledge Sharing ◽  
Indigenous Knowledge ◽  
Indigenous Communities ◽  
Indigenous Languages ◽  
Indigenous Language ◽  
Communication Tool ◽  
Cultural Symbol ◽  
Personal Experiences ◽  
Practice Knowledge

Knowledge sharing is broadly an act of communication, and in indigenous communities of practice, knowledge sharing can be viewed as a cultural symbol making process. This process is facilitated by indigenous language as the communication tool. The characteristics of indigenous languages that include being dynamic, constantly changing as people adjust to their life circumstances and being personal, tacit, and experiential renders it closely tied down to the person who knows the language. Thus, the most appropriate way to understand the use and exchange of such knowledge, that is, the communication phenomenon of indigenous knowledge, would be to extricate the personal experiences of individuals involved in the use and exchange of the indigenous knowledge. This can be done using van Manen's phenomenology of practice.

scholarly journals Two approaches to reversing language shift and the Soviet publication program for indigenous minorities

2006 ◽  
Vol 29 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 131-147 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nikolai Vakhtin
Keyword(s):  
State Policy ◽  
Indigenous Communities ◽  
The State ◽  
Indigenous Languages ◽  
Native Languages ◽  
Language Endangerment ◽  
Soviet State ◽  
Publication Program ◽  
Publishing Policy ◽  
Indigenous Minorities

AbstractThe present paper discusses the interplay between the Soviet state policy towards indigenous languages of "Northern Minorities" and the attitudes of the indigenous communities to their languages and to language endangerment. The author uses statistics on the Soviet state program of publishing books (primarily school books) in indigenous languages that was launched in the late 1920s and underwent considerable changes in the course of the decades to follow. It is argued that the publishing policy for all languages of indigenous minorities of the Far North followed the same consistent pattern that included several phases: "a glorious beginning" in the 1930s interrupted by the war, then a strong continuation in the 1950s, then a drop in the 1960-70s, and a resurrection in the 1980s, interrupted by the economic crisis of the early 1990s. The most interesting and the least clear period is the two and a half decades between mid-1950s and late 1970s where changes of the state policy may be connected with changes in community attitudes towards their native languages. A successful policy of language preservation and revitalization is possible only if it is supported simultaneously by the state and the indigenous community.

scholarly journals Educational Reforms and Language Planning Quandary in Algeria: An Illustration with Arabization

2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 27-47
Author(s):  
Ikhlas Gherzouli
Keyword(s):  
Language Policy ◽  
Policy Development ◽  
Linguistic Diversity ◽  
Language Planning ◽  
Educational Reforms ◽  
Language Planning And Policy ◽  
Current State ◽  
The Government ◽  
Policy And Planning ◽  
The Impact

Summary The paper aims to present a critical review of language policy development in Algeria since its independence (1962) to present time. It takes the policy of Arabization, an important turning point in Algerian history that was troubled with serious problems, as an example of language planning in the country. Data was gathered from policy documents, laws, and newspaper articles. It was then coded into themes before it was analysed employing a documentary research method. To provide a methodical discussion, the first part of the paper explores language policy and planning in Algeria. The second part discusses the impact of Arabization on the country’s current state of policy development in light of the debates over the national educational reforms of 2003. The third part highlights the quandary that language planners face during the processes of language planning and policy making. Lastly, the paper concludes with an evaluation of the process of language policy development in the country. The paper argues that in order to foster sustainable multilingualism and achieve effective educational reforms, a keener recognition of Algerian linguistic diversity by the government is imperative.

scholarly journals PANDEMIC, LAW, AND INDIGENOUS LANGUAGES IN PAKISTAN

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 10-16
Author(s):  
Muhammad Hassan Abbasi ◽  
Maya David
Keyword(s):  
Police Officers ◽  
Linguistic Diversity ◽  
Mother Tongue ◽  
Indigenous Communities ◽  
Indigenous Languages ◽  
National Language ◽  
Community Members ◽  
Speech Communities ◽  
The Law ◽  
Local Languages

Pakistan is a multilingual state with 74 languages (Siddiqui, 2019), with Urdu being its national language while English is its official language (Article 251 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan). However, the linguistic diversity, as per the law, has not been given proper status in Pakistan (Rahman, 2002). In the wake of Covid-19 pandemic, the role of medical health professionals, local police officers, media persons and educationists to create an awareness about the precautionary measures to fight Covid-19 among the indigenous communities in different regions of Pakistan is important. However, there is no practice prescribed in the law, to disseminate awareness in the local languages. Moreover, as most of the lexical items regarding the pandemic have been borrowed, the shift to local languages is more than challenging. In urban areas, indigenous communities are aware of the precautions to be taken during this pandemic as they use the mainstream languages (Ali, 2017 & Abbasi, 2019.) However, in the rural and northern areas of Pakistan this is not so prevalent. Some language activists and concerned members of the community in different parts of the state took this opportunity to educate the masses and started an awareness campaign about coronavirus pandemic in local languages (posters in local languages and short video messages on social media and YouTube). Yet, linguists and community members have not been able to work with many indigenous languages, which Rahman (2004) lists in his study, and these speech communities urgently need the required information in their respective heritage languages. Such small steps by community members and NGOs in providing necessary information in local languages suggest that proper education in the mother tongue can protect communities in times like this. The government has to protect endangered and indigenous languages by an effective law-making process that actively encourages the use of local languages and helps provide information in their respective languages in such situations as this pandemic.

Sámi language teachers’ professional identities explained through narratives about language acquisition

2019 ◽  
Vol 49 (1) ◽  
pp. 89-97
Author(s):  
Madoka Hammine ◽  
Pigga Keskitalo ◽  
Erika Katjaana Sarivaara
Keyword(s):  
Language Acquisition ◽  
Professional Identity ◽  
Language Education ◽  
Indigenous Communities ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Indigenous Language ◽  
Professional Identities ◽  
Multilingual Education ◽  
The Future ◽  
Indigenous Teachers

AbstractConducted in northern Finland, this study examines Sámi language teachers’ professional identities through their narratives of language acquisition. We focus on how teachers’ professional identities are shaped by their language acquisition process. The results are based on the narratives of nine North, Inari and Skolt Sámi language teachers. Two aspects of teachers’ narratives were significantly linked to their identities as Sámi language teachers: (1) their backgrounds (indigenous/non-indigenous) and (2) their language acquisition experiences (acquired Sámi language in childhood/adulthood). Indigenous teachers appeared to express their professional identities strongly despite their challenging acquisition experiences and were inclined to work towards the future of Sámi languages. In addition, non-indigenous teachers were willing to further the development of Sámi languages although they are not indigenous, which perhaps contributes towards the future of Sámi languages. Teachers narrated complex thoughts about language acquisition and their professional identity and helped develop indigenous language education in their respective indigenous communities. We recommend that teachers’ in pre-service and service education should prepare and support indigenous language teachers by sharing knowledge about multilingual education practices and coping skills, particularly to help the latter manage varied tasks and heterogeneous contexts. Thus, this research study shows that both teachers’ language acquisition experiences and their current work situations shape their professional identity.

Mobile Learning as a Tool for Indigenous Language Revitalization and Sustainability in Canada

2020 ◽  
pp. 520-532
Author(s):  
Marguerite Koole ◽  
Kevin wâsakâyâsiw Lewis
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Mobile Learning ◽  
Language Revitalization ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Indigenous Languages ◽  
Indigenous Language ◽  
Learning Tools ◽  
Indigenous Language Revitalization ◽  
Indigenous Groups ◽  
The University

In this article, the authors explore how mobile learning can complement the Certificate of Indigenous Languages program at the University of Saskatchewan in Western Canada. Through the FRAME model analysis, the authors extract salient cultural, pedagogical, environmental, and technological characteristics that should be considered in the development of mobile learning tools and approaches for Cree language teachers. It is hoped that this article will stimulate a dialogue amongst designers and Indigenous groups regarding language sustainability through mobile learning. The article concludes with key findings: the need to follow protocols, to establish good relationships, and to design for areas of low/no bandwidth. Finally, the examination of current Indigenous language learning methods provides ideas for the development of much needed “apps” appropriate for Cree learners and teachers.

scholarly journals The Representation of Indigenous Languages of Oceania in Academic Publications

Publications ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 20
Author(s):  
Eve Koller ◽  
Malayah Thompson
Keyword(s):  
Linguistic Diversity ◽  
Indigenous Languages ◽  
Indigenous Language ◽  
Pacific Island ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
The World ◽  
Academic Publications ◽  
Language Of Publication

Of the estimated 7117 languages in the world, approximately 1500 (21%) are indigenous to the Pacific. Despite composing approximately one-fourth of the world’s linguistic diversity, the representation of these languages in academic publication is scant, even in periodicals focused on Pacific Island studies. We investigated 34 periodicals that focus on research in Oceania. We report on (1) journal names; (2) how many are currently in circulation; (3) how many accept submissions in Indigenous Pacific languages; (4) what percent of the most recent articles were actually in Indigenous languages of the Pacific and (5) which languages those were. Five of the 34 journals allowed submissions written in Indigenous Pacific languages. Three of the five journals specified Hawaiian as an accepted language of publication; one Sāmoan and one Tahitian and any other Indigenous language of Polynesia. We were able to collect data on four of the five journals, which averaged 11% of recent publications in an Indigenous language. None accepted submissions in Indigenous languages from the Pacific outside of Polynesia.

scholarly journals 15. Indigenous Language Resurgence and the Living Earth Community

2020 ◽  
pp. 171-184
Author(s):  
Mark Turin
Keyword(s):  
Collaborative Work ◽  
Indigenous Communities ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Indigenous Languages ◽  
Indigenous Language ◽  
Cultural Revitalization

Drawing attention to the contemporary resurgence of indigenous languages, Mark Turin describes the collaborative work of linguistic and cultural revitalization in response to the destruction of indigenous communities in settler colonial nations. While recuperating the vitality of languages, this process also facilitates the recuperation of the well-being of indigenous communities as well as the lands within which those languages and communities are embedded.

scholarly journals Consequences and Remedies of Indigenous Language Loss in Canada

Societies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 89
Author(s):  
Masud Khawaja
Keyword(s):  
First Nations ◽  
Historical Context ◽  
Indigenous Communities ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Good Health ◽  
Careful Analysis ◽  
Indigenous Languages ◽  
Indigenous Language ◽  
Language Loss ◽  
Intergenerational Knowledge

Many Indigenous languages in Canada are facing the threat of extinction. While some languages remain in good health, others have already been lost completely. Immediate action must be taken to prevent further language loss. Throughout Canada’s unacceptable history of expunging First Nations’ ways of life, systemic methods such as residential schools attempted to eradicate Indigenous cultures and languages. These efforts were not entirely successful but Indigenous language and culture suffered greatly. For Indigenous communities, language loss impaired intergenerational knowledge transfer and compromised their personal identity. Additionally, the cumulative effects of assimilation have contributed to poor mental and physical health outcomes amongst Indigenous people. However, language reclamation has been found to improve well-being and sense of community. To this objective, this paper explores the historical context of this dilemma, the lasting effects of assimilation, and how this damage can be remediated. Additionally, we examine existing Indigenous language programs in Canada and the barriers that inhibit the programs’ widespread success. Through careful analysis, such barriers may be overcome to improve the efficacy of the programs. Institutions must quickly implement positive changes to preserve Indigenous languages as fluent populations are rapidly disappearing.

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