Evaluating Contemporary Language Revitalization Rhetoric
Presentation Type
Oral Presentation
Category
Social Sciences/Humanities
Abstract/Artist Statement
Language endangerment is universally seen as a pressing and important issue by both Indigenous communities and academia: Indigenous groups are trying to develop educational programs that would help revive their languages, and linguists and anthropologists became allies in these efforts. With the interest from academia, the widespread interest arose. In the last decade, legacy and social media became an important tool for language advocacy, which changed the tone of the rhetoric used to discuss the issues surrounding Indigenous languages’ endangerment.
The new rhetoric surrounding language revitalization requires thorough analysis because it has the power to influence not only public perception, but also the decisions made by Indigenous communities regarding their languages. Contemporary media appears to be putting emphasis on the catastrophic consequences to inaction. The purpose of this study is to determine how and to what extent contemporary rhetoric around language revitalization influences the opinions, attitudes, and decision-making processes within Indigenous communities. Examining contemporary academic and non-academic media sources that address issues relating to language revitalization (such as journal articles and social media posts), I investigate the recurring themes that emerge. The patterns discussed include enumeration (Hill, 2002), sensationalizing, and catastrophizing.
This study is inspired by Hill (2002), Davis (2017), Greymorning (2018, 2022), among others. My approach builds on previous work by exploring additional sources not examined in previous studies (for example, online discourse), at least in written form. Indigenous perspective regarding this issue will be included through the interviews cited in Greymorning’s works as well as personal communication with Indigenous language educators, providing necessary insight into the perception of contemporary language revitalization rhetoric.
The research is significant in that it provides an update on the discussion of the ethics of discussing language endangerment issue, bringing new information regarding social media (including legacy media online) and its language of care.
Mentor Name
Leora Bar-el
Evaluating Contemporary Language Revitalization Rhetoric
UC 326
Language endangerment is universally seen as a pressing and important issue by both Indigenous communities and academia: Indigenous groups are trying to develop educational programs that would help revive their languages, and linguists and anthropologists became allies in these efforts. With the interest from academia, the widespread interest arose. In the last decade, legacy and social media became an important tool for language advocacy, which changed the tone of the rhetoric used to discuss the issues surrounding Indigenous languages’ endangerment.
The new rhetoric surrounding language revitalization requires thorough analysis because it has the power to influence not only public perception, but also the decisions made by Indigenous communities regarding their languages. Contemporary media appears to be putting emphasis on the catastrophic consequences to inaction. The purpose of this study is to determine how and to what extent contemporary rhetoric around language revitalization influences the opinions, attitudes, and decision-making processes within Indigenous communities. Examining contemporary academic and non-academic media sources that address issues relating to language revitalization (such as journal articles and social media posts), I investigate the recurring themes that emerge. The patterns discussed include enumeration (Hill, 2002), sensationalizing, and catastrophizing.
This study is inspired by Hill (2002), Davis (2017), Greymorning (2018, 2022), among others. My approach builds on previous work by exploring additional sources not examined in previous studies (for example, online discourse), at least in written form. Indigenous perspective regarding this issue will be included through the interviews cited in Greymorning’s works as well as personal communication with Indigenous language educators, providing necessary insight into the perception of contemporary language revitalization rhetoric.
The research is significant in that it provides an update on the discussion of the ethics of discussing language endangerment issue, bringing new information regarding social media (including legacy media online) and its language of care.