Linguists gathered Thursday
for the International Institute
Conference
to
discuss
the
endangerment and revitalization
of Indigenous languages. The day-
long conference worked to build
a stronger relationship between
the University of Michigan and
the United Nations Permanent
Forum on Indigenous Issues by
reporting policy recommendation
discussions from the conference to
the forum.
Panelists
discussed
the
relationship between technology
and
the
endangerment
of
Indigenous languages and the
effects of colonial legacies on
languages, focusing on Indigenous
languages worldwide. Experts
in the Indigenous languages of
China, Siberia, Mexico, India and
the Middle East discussed their
work, their concerns and potential
solutions for the revitalization
of some languages and how to
maintain the strength of others.
Panelists debated the impact
of technology on how languages
survive
and
evolve.
Panelist
G.N. Devy, an Indian linguist,
emphasized the way technology
inhibits communication and alters
the language and culture of a
group.
“Having technology might lead
to less communication,” Devy said.
“(Languages) have defined the
character of life of those people
and the moment you take away
that life the definition changes,
(Indigenous
peoples)
become
different and somebody else.”
Devy said he sees young
children standing next to each
other,
texting
rather
than
speaking to one another. This
concerns him because he worries
this technology puts languages in
danger.
“I’m not against technology,”
Devy said. “But voice is language
and a lot of technology is silencing
voice.”
In order to maintain the
strength of Indigenous languages
and ensure their survival, Devy
proposed
imposing
monetary
punishments on countries to
encourage governments to work
to maintain Indigenous languages.
2019 was designated as the “Year
of Indigenous Languages”
by the United Nations, and
Devy proposed using this
year to begin measuring the
presence of languages in
countries.
With 7,000 languages
in the world, Devy said
he
understands
the
importance of language to
a community. He suggested
charging countries that lose
a language over 10 years.
“Observing the next year
as ‘Year of the Indigenous
Languages,’ if (a country)
loses any language in the
next 10 years, as recorded in
(the country’s) census, (the
country) has to pay,” Devy
said.
Devy’s
concern
contrasted with panelist
Colleen Fitzgerald, program
director for Documenting
Endangered
Languages
at the National Science
Foundation.
Fitzgerald
sees technology as a way
of benefitting relationships
and communication.
Fitzgerald discussed the
influence
of
Indigenous
languages in the technological
world. Social media platforms
including Facebook, Instagram,
Twitter
and
Whatsapp
have
worked to incorporate Indigenous
languages
into
their
digital
platforms. She said Cherokee
Nation has worked with Microsoft
and Google to have a team of
translators to incorporate the
Indigenous community.
“Technology can be a vehicle,”
Fitzgerald said. “There is a large
digital divide in the U.S. — not
to mention the rest of the world.
When I talk with language
programs that are trying to decide
what to do next, we think about
what you have at your realistic
disposal.”
Fitzgerald
also
said
video
conferencing and other forms
of technology can be helpful in
maintaining languages.
In reference to Devy’s proposal
to create governmental language
policies, Fitzgerald reflected on
the roots of language and how
there are natural incentives and
benefits to learning languages. She
referenced the role language plays
in the creation of community.
“When a community decides
to prioritize a language to keep
it going, it’s worth having some
thought to incentives,” Fitzgerald
said. “A language policy can do
some things, but when you talk
about communities that don’t
have the same kinds of resources
… there are ways that … languages
are integrated.”
Rackham
student
Shalmali
Jadhav found the correlation
between
technology
and
language survival discussed to be
particularly concerning.
“I am worried if we depend on
Facebook and Google to preserve
languages (in countries) where
capitalism is responsible (for
language loss, we give) some
languages a mode of survival more
than others, which is the problem
in the first place,” Jadhav said.
2 — Friday, October 26, 2018
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
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Linguists discuss relationship of tech
and languages in a changing world
Panelists convene as part of International Institute conference on indigenous languages
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