Heritage Languages in the Digital Age
The Case of Autochthonous Minority Languages in Western Europe
Gertrud Reershemius editor Birte Arendt editor
Format:Hardback
Publisher:Multilingual Matters
Published:16th Apr '24
Should be back in stock very soon
This insightful book examines the impact of digital communication on minority languages, advocating for updated teaching methods and policies. Heritage Languages in the Digital Age provides valuable strategies for preservation.
In Heritage Languages in the Digital Age, the author explores the evolving landscape of digital communication and its implications for heritage languages. As society shifts from oral traditions to written practices, the book highlights the emergence of new communities and communicative domains. This transition necessitates significant changes in language policy and teaching methodologies, especially concerning minority or indigenous languages. The text delves into how these languages, although facing challenges, continue to hold importance in identity formation and cultural commodification.
The book contextualizes its discussions within the framework of social media and internet usage, examining how these platforms influence communication and language preservation. Educators, language activists, and researchers are prompted to reevaluate their strategies and practices in light of these developments. Despite a decline in the number of speakers, many heritage languages still receive varying degrees of institutional, legal, and financial support, which the book emphasizes as crucial for their survival.
Ultimately, Heritage Languages in the Digital Age serves as a vital resource for understanding how endangered languages can not only survive but thrive in the digital world. The research presented underscores the potential for revitalization and growth, encouraging a rethinking of traditional approaches to language teaching and policy in an increasingly digital society.
This instructive volume unites case studies of a wide range of minority languages that give the reader an impressive overview of the opportunities that digital media and technologies provide. With its examination of communication practices, teaching tools and language ideologies, this volume will be of interest to linguists and graduate students in media linguistics, sociolinguistics and language didactics. * Evelyn Ziegler, Universität Duisburg-Essen, Germany *
This valuable and timely collection examines the critical relationship between endangered languages and digital media. Drawing on a range of European contexts, the case studies provide a rich variety of practical and theoretical perspectives on methodologies, ideologies, behaviours and interventions. While the case studies provide fascinating local insights, they also have implications for endangered languages worldwide. * Daniel Cunliffe, University of South Wales, UK *
ISBN: 9781800414228
Dimensions: 234mm x 156mm x 17mm
Weight: 510g
240 pages