News on the Web

Facebook, YouTube and even texting will be the salvation of many of the world's endangered languages, it is suggested. Examples here from Tuvan (Turkic, Siberia) and Siletz Dee-ni (Salishan, NW America) better known as Tillamook.

Facebook, YouTube and even texting will be the salvation of many of the world's endangered languages, scientists believe.

The writer published a full-length novel in Manx, a language that only 200 people can read.

Encounter the distinct cultures and peoples of West Africa, Asia and the Middle East in the three-part documentary On the Road with Bob Holman and discover ancient languages on the brink of extinction: Timbuktu, Dogon, Palestine, Israel.

A series of articles celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Welsh language pressure group Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg (The Welsh Language Society).

Jessie Little Doe Baird and the revival of the Wampanoag language of Massachusetts

Learning tools and community initiatives in cross-cultural discussion

300 widely spoken languages provide motivation for providers of digital services and devices because this group accounts for 95% of all people on earth. Google's plan to sample 300 languages from around the world to help improve its Voice Search product.

Lecture by Prof Anvita Abbi at SOAS (London) on 17 November 2011

Whole functions can be endangered, even in a language that is undergoing no threat.

Regional FEL Conference: ‘Multilingualism and Language Learning in China, Mongolia and Russia’ at Lake Baikal

The State Library in Australia’s New South Wales is putting forth a new project to preserve forgotten or endangered Aboriginal languages.

Announcement of the New Grants from NSF: the DEL program for Endangered Language Research, round 7

Sample from the program of the Foundation for Siberian Cultures

We see the onset of Language Archives, Typological DBs, Lexical-Semantic Resources, Multi-layer Annotations. New sources of data online suggest new ways to link linguistic data and metadata. Abstract deadline 14 August 2011.

A new initiative, designed to provide accurate, up-to-date information on the endangered languages of the world, i.e., a definitive catalog of languages at risk. It will correct errors in existing databases and provide new data not available.

Start of a joint program for cooperation in the field of minority languages in Europe and Siberia

Care2 (online network for green values, human rights and animal welfare) attends to Endangered Languages...

An interesting array of different approaches to this concerning issue.

Now pentaglossic - in 5 metropolitan languages: in het Nederlands, in English, en español, em português brasileiro, и на русском языке.

ScriptSource is a dynamic, collaborative reference to the writing systems of the world, with detailed information on scripts, characters, languages - and the remaining needs for supporting them in the computing realm.

A catalog and online archive of the indigenous languages of California, western North America, and the Americas

Discusses the growing popularity of the music against developing language policy (and language consciousness) in Wales.

MAINTAINING AND REVITALISING MINORITY LANGUAGES IN THEIR ‘HEARTLANDS` 31 August - 3 September 2011 at Sabhal Mòr Ostaig UHI, Sleat, Isle of Skye, Scotland. Abstract Deadline 25 June 2011.

One of the award winning films by Anne Makepeace that tell stories of struggle, resilience and transformation

Part of a film festival in the Amsterdam Tropentheater, Friday, 11 June, 14.00 followed by a discussion with the film producer (see program).

The latest web publication of the Mercator European Center on Multilingualism and Language Learning with news from the five Mercator Network partners.

The Finno-Ugric contribution to international research on folklore, myth and cultural identity. University of Groningen, 7 to 9 June 2011

A recently released website for self-teaching (Canadian) Inuit languages, focuing on teaching Inuktitut as it is spoken in everyday situations.

Raising funds to save what is dear to them, they note that language suppression in schools may do greater long-term damage even than child abuse.

A short video on the Achuar environment, and a chance to sign a petition, for submission to Talisman Energy. The organization sponsoring the petition is Amazon Watch. The Achuar will feature in this year's FEL XV conference in Quito.

A week of talks, displays, discussions, films, lectures and workshops. Open day (12 May) includes over 15 exhibitors (including FEL).

Expert Seminar on “Cultural Education and Civil Society: How can Languages contribute?” 26 – 28 May 2011, Leeuwarden, The Netherlands

The School will take place from the 27th of June until the 8th of July 2011 at the Philological Faculty of St.-Petersburg State University

FEL Regional Conference at Lake Baikal on Multilingualism and Language Learning in China, Mongolia and Russia

Held 19 November 2011, Udine, Italy. The only song contest for singers and bands who sing in a European minority language.

Apparently the last two fluent speakers refuse to talk to each other

A brief history of documentary linguistics, as current tensions arise between different approaches

Cultivating Burushaski in Gilgit, and in Denton, Texas

Find out all the skeet from the world of the Manx Gael at this new blog

Manx Gaelic News