Endangered Languages and Languages in Danger

“This collection of papers brings together world-class established scholars and rising stars from a range of language-related disciplines to address key issues in the field of endangered language studies. The book includes a wide range of geographical contexts including Africa, South America, Asia and the Middle East. It does not shy away from discussing issues of language rights, inequality and injustice, as well as language communities’ responses to both endangerment and dominant research paradigms. The papers include not only standard documentary and descriptive linguistics, but also ecology-focused approaches which take into account social and cultural factors as well as language contact. Rather than simply jumping on a fashionable bandwagon, however, the book examines assumptions and issues within ecological approaches to language endangerment and maintenance. It also juxtaposes a ‘rationalist’ instrumental approach with ‘romantic’ viewpoints which link languages, identities, and self-expression. Relationships between these theoretical models and linguistic usage are also examined. I recommend this book especially for early-career researchers and students who want an overview of the wide range of scholarship in this field.”

“This volume is a welcome addition to the fast-growing literature on language endangerment. The editors have collected a set of excellent papers that cover the most important areas of the general topic: causes of and responses to language endangerment; language documentation and revitalization; the interconnected issues of ideology, language policy, and language rights; and issues in assessing language vitality. An especially appealing feature of the book is its coverage of case studies from widely varying locations and situations – British Sign Language, languages of Oceania and of the Amazon, several East African languages, and Jewish languages. This feature sets the book apart from most previous books on endangered languages. The book also includes papers with a broader perspective on major issues in this field, among them the role(s) of colonialism and colonial languages in language endangerment, the emergence of the field of documentary linguistics, and even the question of whether language death should be considered a problem. The book should be of interest to general readers concerned about language endangerment as well as scholars.”