Elisabeth Scheller, University of Tromsø

Capacity buildingand

revitalization in practice II

Revitalization models ?

…

Revitalization People

A language disappears – What does it mean?

- the younger generation do not learn the language anymore

- the older and middle aged generations with good language command do not transfer the language to the younger generation anymore

- people with good language command do not use the language actively anymore

Revitalization => to turn this process

To get the young generation:

to learn the language

to use the language actively

to transfer the language to their children

What do the youth want?

Example: Kildin Saami

The older and middle aged generations –

reasons for, that their language is disappearing:- low status

- discrimination and stigmatization

- no legal language rights

- no support from the government

- the officials “work against” the Saami language

- no support from the Saami leaders

- no money for teaching materials

- no money for language courses

“The youth is not interested in learning and using the language.”

Ignorance of the fact that:

The older and middle aged generation

do not transfer the language

to their children and grandchildren

???

Excuses to divert the attention from the own

personal responsibility:

The responsibility is put on:- the state / government

- the school and day nursery

- language courses

- media and literature

The language is owned by a group of older and middle aged “language specialists”

-drive language maintenance

-work out and publish teaching materials

-work out language teaching methods

-teach the language on courses and at school

-write and publish literature

-do radio programs and transmissions

Almost all measures to maintain the language

are done from the perspective of

the middle aged and older generation.

- teaching materials and teaching methods: only for children

- literature: poems, traditional folklore, fairy tales

- radio programs: for middle aged and older generations

- language used mainly in folklore performances and in traditional domains (reindeer herding, handycraft)

No focus on

teenagers

and

people younger than 35 years old!

Criticism

1) The older generation criticises:-the youth (no lang. command, no interest to learn the lang., passive)

-the middle aged generation (bad lang. command, no interest to use the lang., passive)

2) The middle aged generation criticises:-the youth (no lang. command, no interest to learn the lang., passive)

-the older generation (to critical, no interest to teach and to transfer the lang., passive)

3) The youth criticises:-the older generation (to critical, no interest to teach and to transfer the lang.,

passive)

-the middle aged generation (to critical, no interest to teach and to transfer the lang.,

passive)

No communication

and

No cooperation

between the generations

myths and prejudices

Additionally:

*Problems of a minority community:

-personal conflicts

-nepotism

-complex hierarchy of power

*Social and economic problems

-rivalry / competition about the resources / money

Language revitalization:for the Kola Saami community – a completely new matter

A new group of language activists:

- no “traditional specialists”

- middle aged potential language users

- most of them have no higher education

- most of them do not work professional with the language (no teachers)

- work actively also without earning money

- alternative methods of language transmission

- teaching materials for youth and adults

- mobilization of the active and passive language users

- trying to brake the barriers between the generations – establish cooperation and understanding

- trying to find ways to come over the psychological barriers to speak and use the language actively

- cooperation with the schools, day nurseries, officials

Focus on:

- the youth – not only children

- teaching for beginners

- teaching for people with passive language knowledge

- training in active language use

(functional bi-/multilingualism)

Challenge:

Natural active language use and language transmission to future generations

To find modern domains there the language can be used naturally

To “sell” the language to the youth.

plans to establish a language centre

The researcher in a language community

ethical matters

A language does not exist isolated.

Already

the presence of a researcher

in a language community

will affect the community

Researcher <=> Community member

outsider insider

not natural? involvement in language revitalization natural?

not enough? knowledge about the language community enough?

How to behave as a researcher

in a language community?

Researcher’s responsibility:

• to do their work and their results accessible for the language community

• compensate the work of their informants

• protect the informants and eventually sensitive information

But how can we do this in a right way?

Paying the informants for their work –

is that ethical correct?

What consequences could this have for

the future documentation- and

revitalization work?

If not money – what should the researcher give back to the language community?

• materials (copies of recordings, photos, etc.)

• research results - accessible and understandable for “normal” people (articles, booklets, presentations etc.)

• competency: courses and seminaries – but: special designed for the language community and their interests!

The researcher should never forget:

We work with and for people!

How can the researcher help the language community to build up language

revitalization competency?

=> find out:

• What do the people / the community members want?

• Do they really want to revitalize their language?

• If “yes”, how do they want to revitalize it?

• What barriers and problems does exist? (Why people don’t not speak? Why people don’t want to write? Why

people don't like the language specialists?)

• What knowledge do the language community need from the researcher?

It is not possible to revitalize a language without the wish and activity of the

members of the language community!

=> Responsibility of the outsiders who try to help

• ”western” revitalization models have to be adapted to the local conditions and to the conditions of the language community

• people have to revitalize their language by themselves and establish their own institutions adapted to the local conditions

• good intentions to help can get a negative influence on the language revitalization process

• if a project is started – important to follow it up and to finish it