Revitalising Indigenous Languages

Download or read book Revitalising Indigenous Languages written by Marja-Liisa Olthuis and published by Multilingual Matters. This book was released on 2013-01-23 with total page 264 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The book tells the story of the Indigenous Aanaar Saami language (around 350 speakers) and cultural revitalisation in Finland. It offers a new language revitalisation method that can be used with Indigenous and minority languages, especially in cases where the native language has been lost among people of a working age. The book gives practical examples as well as a theoretical frame of reference for how to plan, organise and implement an intensive language programme for adults who already have professional training. It is the first time that a process of revitalisation of a very small language has been systematically described from the beginning; it is a small-scale success story. The book finishes with self-reflection and cautious recommendations for Indigenous peoples and minorities who want to revive or revitalise their languages.