“Is this my language?”
-
James Essegbey
Abstract
It used to be taken for granted that language documenters would develop an orthography for the language which they document in cases where no writing system exists already. Such systems facilitate the production of materials for revitalization of the languages. Lately however questions have been raised as to whether the time and money expended in such endeavors are worth it. Two main reasons are that the orthographies are not often used anyway and, where they are successful, since they are often standard orthographies, they destroy variation in languages. In this paper, I argue that standardization goes with literacy development, and is desirable in situations where it is clear that such languages would be used in school situations. However, most languages of endangered communities do not have any prospect of being used in school. Because of this rather than focus on the development of a standard orthography system, documenters should rather develop systems that enable communities to write in the vernacular. Such systems use “orthographic transcription” which minimally ensures the association of sounds with letters. Beyond that, speakers are allowed to write as they speak. This means that colloquial expressions and dialectal differences would be incorporated into the system of writing. The advantage of this system is that adults particularly do not have to spend a long time learning to represent their languages in ways that may not necessarily be the same as the way they speak. I discuss the experience I had with Nyagbo where my development of a vernacular writing system proved more successful with the community than an attempt to develop a standard orthography.
Abstract
It used to be taken for granted that language documenters would develop an orthography for the language which they document in cases where no writing system exists already. Such systems facilitate the production of materials for revitalization of the languages. Lately however questions have been raised as to whether the time and money expended in such endeavors are worth it. Two main reasons are that the orthographies are not often used anyway and, where they are successful, since they are often standard orthographies, they destroy variation in languages. In this paper, I argue that standardization goes with literacy development, and is desirable in situations where it is clear that such languages would be used in school situations. However, most languages of endangered communities do not have any prospect of being used in school. Because of this rather than focus on the development of a standard orthography system, documenters should rather develop systems that enable communities to write in the vernacular. Such systems use “orthographic transcription” which minimally ensures the association of sounds with letters. Beyond that, speakers are allowed to write as they speak. This means that colloquial expressions and dialectal differences would be incorporated into the system of writing. The advantage of this system is that adults particularly do not have to spend a long time learning to represent their languages in ways that may not necessarily be the same as the way they speak. I discuss the experience I had with Nyagbo where my development of a vernacular writing system proved more successful with the community than an attempt to develop a standard orthography.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Introduction 1
-
Language endangerment and documentation
- Unintended consequences of methodological and practical responses to language endangerment in Africa 1
- Different cultures, different attitudes 37
- Ideologies and typologies of language endangerment in Africa 59
- The role of colonial languages in language endangerment in Africa 107
- Can a language endanger itself? 131
- “Is this my language?” 153
- Development, language revitalization, and culture 177
- Some challenges of language documentation in African multilingual settings 195
-
How to document particular domains or use documentary data to address specific issues
- Folk definitions in linguistic fieldwork 215
- Out of context 239
- Archaeological inspiration and historical inference 253
- Describing endangered languages 277
- Index 313
- Language index 317
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Introduction 1
-
Language endangerment and documentation
- Unintended consequences of methodological and practical responses to language endangerment in Africa 1
- Different cultures, different attitudes 37
- Ideologies and typologies of language endangerment in Africa 59
- The role of colonial languages in language endangerment in Africa 107
- Can a language endanger itself? 131
- “Is this my language?” 153
- Development, language revitalization, and culture 177
- Some challenges of language documentation in African multilingual settings 195
-
How to document particular domains or use documentary data to address specific issues
- Folk definitions in linguistic fieldwork 215
- Out of context 239
- Archaeological inspiration and historical inference 253
- Describing endangered languages 277
- Index 313
- Language index 317
