The Annual Conference of the Foundation for Endangered Languages, FEL XXVI (2022)

Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA, 02-04 November 2022

Community ownership of language education for endangered language revitalization 

Indigenous and minority language communities have experienced many types and styles of external control and intentional manipulation of their language use. In order to reverse the language shift that has resulted from these practices, communities increasingly turn to different  approaches for language learning, looking both to indigenous or traditional methods and to innovative ideas. Making such choices demands community ownership, not just of methods of language learning, but also of the entire infrastructure of language education. In many cases this option is not freely available and is even hindered by those in control (governments, institutions); communities will, in addition, seek ways of successfully enacting their choices. 

This radical change will naturally lead to innovative descriptions of language, as well, and these will inevitably change linguistic description and theory. 

The conference will address community owned, and alternative forms of, language education and community initiatives which aim at, or have successfully reversed, language shift resulting from external control of educational methods and systems.

More about the theme ....

Joel Isaak, Kenaitze Indian Trip, Kenai, Alaska 

“Teaching Dena'ina Literacy Through Culture” 

Melvatha Chee, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico

“The Documentation of Indigenous Child speech and Child-Directed Speech”

• Local organizers: Siri Tuttle and Wafa Hozien, Navajo Technical University 
  s.tuttle@navajotech.edu
• Sponsors: Navajo Technical University and the University of New Mexico

• University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States
• Albuquerque is one of the largest cities in the sparsely populated, but stunningly beautiful, state of New Mexico. This state is home to 23 Indigenous tribes: nineteen Pueblos, three Apache tribes and the Navajo Nation. Indigenous languages spoken in these communities belong to the Keresan, Kiowa-Tanoan, and Dene (Athabaskan) language families and also include Zuni and the unique variety of Spanish spoken by descendants of early European immigrants. 

• Detailed programme is now accessible HERE

• Siri Tuttle, Navajo Technical University 
• Nicholas Ostler, Foundation for Endangered Languages 

• Chris Moseley
• David Nash
• Eda Derhemi
• Edmond Cane
• Fazal Hadi
• Gerald Roche
• Greville Corbett
• Hakim Elnazarov
• Ichchha Purna Rai
• Jakelin Troy
• Joseph Babasola Osoba
• Keren Rice
• Lily Okalani Kahn
• Mahendra Verma
• Maya David
• Mujahid Torwali
• Natalie Uomini
• Nigel Vincent
• Rob Amery
• Salem Mezhoud
• Tjeerd de Graaf