Endangered Languages and Languages in Danger

This peer-reviewed collection brings together the latest research on language endangerment and language rights. It creates a vibrant, interdisciplinary platform for the discussion of the most pertinent and urgent topics central to vitality and equality of languages in today’s globalised world. The novelty of the volume lies in the multifaceted view on the variety of dangers that languages face today, such as extinction through dwindling speaker populations and lack of adequate preservation policies or inequality in different social contexts (e.g. access to justice, education and research resources). There are examples of both loss and survival, and discussion of multiple factors that condition these two different outcomes. We pose and answer difficult questions such as whether forced interventions in preventing loss are always warranted or indeed viable. The emerging shared perspective is that of hope to inspire action towards improving the position of different languages and their speakers through research of this kind.

Julia Sallabank, SOAS, University of London:
This collection of papers brings together world-class established scholars and rising stars from a range of language-related disciplines to address key issues in the field of endangered language studies. The book includes a wide range of geographical contexts including Africa, South America, Asia and the Middle East. It does not shy away from discussing issues of language rights, inequality and injustice, as well as language communities’ responses to both endangerment and dominant research paradigms. The papers include not only standard documentary and descriptive linguistics, but also ecology-focused approaches which take into account social and cultural factors as well as language contact. Rather than simply jumping on a fashionable bandwagon, however, the book examines assumptions and issues within ecological approaches to language endangerment and maintenance. It also juxtaposes a ‘rationalist’ instrumental approach with ‘romantic’ viewpoints which link languages, identities, and self-expression. Relationships between these theoretical models and linguistic usage are also examined. I recommend this book especially for early-career researchers and students who want an overview of the wide range of scholarship in this field.