Language Documentation and Revitalization in Latin American Contexts

Description

Up to now, the focus in the field of language documentation has been predominantly on North American and Australian languages. However, the greatest genetic diversity in languages is found in Latin America, home to over 100 distinct language families. This book gives the Latin American context the attention it requires by consolidating the work of field researchers experienced in the region into one volume for the first time. Table of contents 1. Introduction 2. Perspectives for the documentation of indigenous languages in Brazil 3. Accessibility to results and primary data of research on indigenous languages of Mexico 4. The revitalization of Wixárika: A community project in the midwest region of Mexico 5. Reclamation initiatives in non-speaker communities: The case of two Nahua communities in the south of Jalisco State, Mexico 6. Structural outcomes of obsolescence and revitalization: Documenting variation among the Kukama-Kukamirias 7. Addressing the gap between community beliefs and priorities and researchers’ language maintenance interests 8. The linguist gaining access to the indigenous populations: Sharing cultural and linguistic knowledge in South America 9. Life histories, language attitudes and linguistic variation: Navigating the micropolitics of language revitalization in an Otomí community in Mexico 10. Indigenous authenticity as a goal of language documentation and revitalization: Addressing the motivations in the Xinkan community 11. Language documentation in two communities with high migration rates 12. Linguistic ideologies as a crucial factor in language revitalization: A look at the Mayangna languages of Nicaragua Index