Foundation for Endangered Languages

Today's world-maps, political and linguistic, were laid out through human population movements, some ancient but some of them very recent. In this year's conference we want to address the effects of these
movements on language communities: how they dissolve communities, and change their status; how communities may re-form in foreign places, and the relations between incomers and the established populations, whichever has the upper hand; the impact of empires, mass immigration, population loss from emigration. Remembered migration histories may be relevant to the modern self-image of communities. Internal migration by dominant-language speakers into the territories of minorities may lead to the marginalization of others in situ/; and minorities often decamp to the dominant centres under various pressures.

The UN has declared a second International Decade of the World's Indigenous Peoples. The languages we talk about will be very varied, and likely to include the languages of communities all over the world. Some
of them are spoken by indigenous communities, which have become a minority on their own original territory due to the immigration of a dominant majority group. This kind of marginalization is very common, and notable examples include the San languages in South Africa, the Ainu language in Japan or the American Indian languages in California. It plays a major role in the current civil disorder in Nepal. In some cases, endangered languages may have gone into their own world-wide diapora: such is the case of Plautdietsch, language of the Mennonites, who emigrated to many places (Siberia, Canada, Mexico, Paraguay), where often their language became marginalised.

Marginalization can, however, result from a variety of causes: a state policy of forced assimilation, military domination, religious conversion, the wish for social betterment, attendance at boarding schools, etc. We shall look at how both the State and communities can address the causes of marginalization, and of course its effects on the survival and development of languages.

Besides the international dimension, this year's location in South Africa will give members an opportunity to get acquainted with many of the local linguistic issues, among them the position of Khoe and San, but also the Makhuwa-speaking ex-slaves from Durban, the Phuthi speakers from Eastern Cape, etc.

Issues that may arise include:

• Why are migration histories so treasured as sources of language identity?
• Do language-communities always (or ever) have better prospects of survival in their home territories than when transplanted?
• Can language-communities on their home ground and in diaspora give each other effective support?
• Can small language-communities create new identities in remote territories?
• Can new communities resulting from migration or deportation establish a new quasi-indigenous identity based on a shared language?
• What is the value of cultural resources for maintenance of status and active language use within endangered language communities?
• Do technical media have a significant role in combatting or reinforcing marginalization?
• Is it possible to reconcile the recognition of official languages with respect for a much larger number of indigenous languages?
• Can minority and even endangered languages play an active role in a state’s policy of multilingualism?
  

Local Site:

The University of Stellenbosch is in South Africa's Western Cape, close to Cape Town. It has had a Department of African Languages for more than half a century (http://academic.sun.ac.za/african_languages); it has a Department of General Linguistics and a Language Centre.