Ensuring the Teaching of Research Skills for the Documentation of Endangered Languages

FAIN: CH-50150-05

Linguistic Society of America (Washington, DC 20007-2631)
Gregory Ward (Project Director: May 2004 to April 2009)

An endowed professorship in field research skills for the documentation of endangered languages, a course in such skills to be taught at each biennial Linguistic Institute.

At least 3000 of the approximately 7000 languages presently spoken will disappear in this century. Linguists, with field methods training, are uniquely prepared to document these endangered languages and to help communities preserve them. Since many departments do not offer such training, the LSA will endow a professorship, to be awarded to a distinguished scholar, to teach field methods at the biennial summer linguistic institute beginning in 2005. The LSA requests a matching grant to fund the Hale Professorship and the attendance of a native speaker of the endangered language to be studied. This will ensure students have access to the special training and tools to work effectively with communities whose language and culture is threatened.