What is Language Documentation for the purpose of language revitalization?

Language Documentation: the creation, collection, and organization of durable materials (texts, audio, or video) that reflect the patterns, uses, contexts, and meanings of a language.

Communities who want to invest in language documentation often do so because there is currently—or has been in the past—an interruption of transmission of language or when contexts of use of the language is restricted.

Language Documentation is needed:

• When intergenerational transmission^ⓘ The transmission of language from one generation to the next as the primary language is interrupted or limited
• When context of use^ⓘThe contexts in which language is spoken or used; shrinkage occurs when the language is no longer the primary (or only) language used shrinks
• When changes in context of use result in a language shift^ⓘTaking up of an external, colonializing, or majority language instead of the traditional community language
• Or possible language loss^ⓘWhen a community no longer has access or use to the traditional language
• When a community would like to develop language technologies^ⓘTechnologies can aid in preservation, maintenance, or creation of resources to support language teaching and learning. Some can support your community’s work better than others to support the use and teaching of the language

This workshop series will help you to determine how language documentation and technologies may fit alongside your language goals and needs.

Language Revitalization: the process of creating opportunities and resources by which a community can use, learn, and connect with their heritage language and culture.

Contexts of Documentation for Revitalization
Occurs in communities where:

• language is still being used by people of all ages
• language is only used by a few elders or knowledge holders
• language is not currently used by anyone

Documentation and Revitalization will look different in each community since 'language' can be understood and transmitted differently in any community. In addition to what we may think of as ‘spoken’ or ‘signed’ language, language is inextricably linked and part of a community’s culture—embodying traditional knowledge, practices, relationships, and patterns. Nevertheless, living languages are always changing and expanding to talk about new things or being used differently by new generations of speakers. Understanding these characteristics may help determine your documentation goals or project.

Documentation that is driven by the needs, priorities, and goals expressed by language community members and not by external standards or requirements that come from academia, granting agencies, external experts, or other external forces. Our focus here in this series will be on community-based documentation and understanding how to plan, implement, and support a documentation project that may draw on examples and support from outside resources but will ultimately put community goals and priorities first.