Mar 29, 2024  
OHIO University Undergraduate Catalog 2022-23 
    
OHIO University Undergraduate Catalog 2022-23 [Archived Catalog]

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LING 2850 - Sustaining the Mother Tongue: An Introduction to Language Endangerment and Language Revitalization


This course provides an introduction to the causes of language endangerment and death and how languages can be revitalized and sustained. The course explores what constitutes an endangered language and which languages out of the 7,000 languages spoken in the world are most under threat. It focuses on the most endangered languages: the indigenous languages spoken by the national and tribal minorities of the Americas, Africa, Asia, and Oceania, and the marginalized European languages of the Irish and the Basques, and explores the factors that contribute to their endangerment and the ways in which we can help these languages survive and thrive.

Credit Hours: 3
OHIO BRICKS Arch: Connected World
General Education Code (students who entered prior to Fall 2021-22): 2CP
Repeat/Retake Information: May be retaken two times excluding withdrawals, but only last course taken counts.
Lecture/Lab Hours: 3.0 lecture
Grades: Eligible Grades: A-F,WP,WF,WN,FN,AU,I
Learning Outcomes:  

  • Students will be able to argue the case for language diversity based on the importance of cultural sovereignty, human rights, and maintaining linguistic variety, and how this knowledge contributes to becoming an informed citizen.
  • Students will be able to explain the current status and trends in language endangerment using appropriate disciplinary terminology.
  • Students will be able to describe the major causes of language endangerment.
  • Students will be able to identify the major strategies of language revitalization.
  • Students will be able to describe and critically evaluate research into the causes and revitalization strategies of at least one endangered language community.
  • Students will be able to describe how the attitudes of researchers towards endangered languages and their resulting findings are influenced by their social identities.
  • Students will be able to work effectively in teams by making appropriate contributions, engaging respectfully with teammates, and managing team conflict.
  • Students will be able to gather, interpret, evaluate, and synthesize information about an endangered language.
  • Students will be able to systematically and methodically analyze their assumptions about endangered languages and carefully evaluate the relevance of contexts when presenting a position.
  • Students will be able to logically state a position with respect to what society can do to revitalize languages and the consequences that is thoughtful, recognizes complexities, and acknowledges limitations.



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