Chapter 9 indigenous languages Flashcards
Three political groupings of Indigenous peoples in Canada
First Nations, Metis, Inuit
How many indigenous language families spoken in Canada
7 First Nations families and 2 isolates plus a separate language family spoken by inuit and the mixed language of the metis (10 in total) 50-70 actual languages.
Which Indigenous families are just in BC
Salish, Wakashan, Tsimshianic and two isolates Haida and Ktunaxa
What are the six indigenous languages spoken on Vancouver Island
Kwak’wala (Wakashan) • Nuu-chah-nulth (Wakashan) • Ditidaht (Wakashan) • Northern Straits Salish (incl. SENĆOŦEN) • Hul’q’umi’num (Salish) • Comox/Sliammon (Salish)
The most extensively spoken Indigenous languages in Canada are
- Cree (Algonquian): 90K speakers in Canada +1K US
- Inuktitut (Eskimo-Aleut): 34K Canada+46K Greenland
- Ojibwe (Algonquian): 31K Canada+ 5K US
- Dëne Sųłiné (Athabaskan): 12K Canada
potlatches
an important vehicle for passing down Indigenous values and oral histories in a community’s language. were banned
How many indigenous languages are there in Canada?
It is estimated that at the time of contact there were 450 Aboriginal languages and dialects in Canada.
There are now approximately 50-70 Indigenous languages still spoken in Canada
All Indigenous languages in Canada are seriously endangered, which three are not at risk of extinction?
Cree, Inuktitut and Ojibwe
where has the greatest diversity of Indigenous languages in Canada?
BC, about 30 languages belonging to eight distinct language families.
When was the language revitalization movement was fully established?
The language revitalization movement was fully established by the 1980s–early 1990s.
What are the strategies for language revitalization?
Speaking the language at home Language classes Documentation and preservation Creation of resources Teacher training Policy and political advocacy Research Language engineering Bilingual schooling Immersion Immersion in Early Childhood
Speaking the language at home
The best way to transmit a language is for children to acquire it as a first language
A long-term plan, and strategies that involve the whole community, work best.
Language classes
Indigenous language is taught as a subject
most accessible option, but it tends not to produce fluent speakers
Documentation and preservation
Taping Elders speaking the language; creating dictionaries and interactive computer resources
Doesn’t directly create fluent speakers
Creation of resources
Creation of teaching resources such as books, audiotapes, CD-ROMs, videotapes and films.
Teacher training
A fluent speaker is not automatically a skillful language teacher.
Several institutions offer certified teacher- training programs supporting teaching and learning of Indigenous languages
Policy and political advocacy
Fundraising and strategizing at higher levels.
ex. federal Aboriginal Languages Initiative (begun in 1998)
Research
partnerships with linguistic scholars allow Indigenous investigators to learn about linguistic theory, to archive language materials, and to produce effective language- learning materials.
Language engineering
process of establishing language authorities to create and document new vocabulary.
allows the language to incorporate contemporary expressions for aspects of popular culture, such as rap music or snowboarding.
Bilingual schooling
first bilingual Cree-English school opened in Thompson, Manitoba in 2001.
bilingual schools have varying degrees of success
Immersion
Adult-specific: Master-Apprentice and small- group programs for regular conversations with Elders.
Early childhood programs (language nests) provide immersion for infants.
Immersion in Early Childhood
Within months of being born, babies begin to acquire language; by age five they have mastered the phonology, morphology and syntax of their native language.
Up to three years of age is a critical time for children to acquire the phonology of their first language(s).
Language nests
early childhood programs to immerse infants into indigenous language
