LING 105: Language Endangerment, Globalization, and Indigenous Peoples
Hear stories from the front lines of language revitalization work…
About the Instructor
Dr. Anna Belew is the program manager at the Endangered Languages Project, a nonprofit organization that supports the revitalization and promotion of endangered languages worldwide. Her research focuses on language endangerment and sociolinguistics (the ways language and social structures interact), especially in Iyasa, a language spoken by about 2,000 people on the coast of Cameroon. She applies her research to build networks of solidarity and support between Indigenous language communities, and help people access the knowledge they need to fight for their languages.
For inquiries, email: belew@hawaii.edu
Summer 1 / Summer 2 (Online)
Why are half of the world’s 7,000 languages currently falling silent – or being silenced? And why is it so much more important than just losing words or grammar? This course will explore how languages become endangered; how global language loss is tied to health, climate change, social injustice, and more; and how Indigenous communities around the world are fighting to keep their languages strong.
This may be the only summer course where you’ll get to meet Indigenous language activists from around the world, and hear stories from the front lines of language revitalization work on different continents. Plus, you’ll get to flex your social media content skills in an assignment to raise awareness about endangered languages.
Fulfills the general educational requirement: FGB
Updated 01/26/2023