Expressions of Intent for International Polar Year 2007-2008 Activities

Expression of Interest Details

PROPOSAL INFORMATION

‘Language Planning for Eskimo-Aleut languages as perceived by their speech communities’  (LPEAL)

Outline
The purpose of this project is to find out how members of the Aleut and Eskimo speech communities see the future of their local native language. How do they experience the relative importance of the local language and what role would they like the local language to play? What role do they see as realistic and how is this goal to be reached? We envision a project including speech communities in Alaska, Canada, Greenland, and perhaps Siberia, depending on interest among scholars and language users in those countries. We hope to learn about the views of ‘ordinary’ language users on the future role of their local native language. Few people are used to thinking and talking about these issues, however, and we will have to seek the assistance of local language experts and linguists. The following procedure is contemplated for eliciting language attitudes from speech communities in Alaska: (1) Aleut and Eskimo college students can be introduced to the basics of language planning in classes, where they will participate in discussions of the roles played by the local native language and English in the community. (2) Students will fill out questionnaires concerning language competence and usage, along with questions about age, sex, ancestry, occupation etc. (3) Students are given an assignment to describe (i) what the local native language means to them personally and to the community at large, (ii) the role they would want the language to play in the community in future, (iii) how that role is to be attained, and (iv) how the speech community can control such a planning process. (2) The project group identifies views and themes in the assignments and questionnaires and develops interview guides. (3) Students are interviewed in groups by a member of the project group and a local native partner. The interviews elicit discussions of (i) the relative importance of the local native language, (ii) its future role in the speech community, (iii) how that future role is to be achieved, and (iv) how the speech community can stay in control of such a process. Alternatively, students select a group of (non-academic) persons from their language community whom they interview about issues (i) to (iv). The interviewees should be ‘ordinary’ language users who are known to have views on these matters and are known to be able to put them into words. The interviewing student is supervised by a member of the project group.

What significant advance(s) in relation to the IPY themes and targets can be anticipated from this project?
The project will provide the speech communities studied with language planning competencies and aims to start local discussions of language status planning. Thus, the project seeks to enable Native communities to reflect on and gain control over language policy affecting their own communities.

What international collaboration is involved in this project?
We will seek collaboration in Greenland, Canada, and possibly Siberia.

FIELD ACTIVITY DETAILS

Geographical location(s) for the proposed field activities:
Eskimo-Aleut areas of Alaska and perhaps Inuit areas in other countries, if international collaboration is achieved.

Approximate timeframe(s) for proposed field activities:
Arctic: 03/2007 - 03/2008            
Antarctic: n/a

Significant facilities will be required for this project:

Will the project leave a legacy of infrastructure?

How is it envisaged that the required logistic support will be secured?

Has the project been "endorsed" at a national or international level?

PROJECT MANAGEMENT AND STRUCTURE

Is the project a short-term expansion (over the IPY 2007-2008 timeframe) of an existing plan, programme or initiative or is it a new autonomous proposal?
New

The project will be overseen by Lawrence Kaplan, Alaska Native Language Center, and Maria Hilden, Roskilde University Center, Denmark, in cooperation with international researchers and Native community members.

How will the project be organised and managed?
Ideally, we would have parallel projects in participating areas, Alaska, Nunavut Canada, Greenland, and possibly Siberia. Researchers in each country would organize and administer a project team, with loose coordination with teams in other countries. The results of these parallel investigations can be compared and compiled at the end of the project. Project management will of course depend on the participants and will be decided when project members are identified.

What are the initial plans of the project for addressing the education, outreach and communication issues outlined in the Framework document?
The project will provide local communities with language planning skills. Local partners will take part in data collection and members of the speech communities will be trained in addressing issues of language status planning. See Item 1.3.

What are the initial plans of the project to address data management issues (as outlined in the Framework document?

How is it proposed to fund the project?
Grant funds and possible funding as part of Ph.D. research.

Is there additional information you wish to provide?
We intend to seek collaborators to work on the Canadian and Greenlandic parts of the project, and also possibly a Siberian part.

PROPOSER DETAILS

Dr Lawrence Kaplan
Alaska Native Language Center - Box 7680
University of Alaska Fairbanks
Fairbanks, Alaska
99775-7680
USA

Tel: 1-907-474-6582
Mobile: no
Fax: 1-907-474-6586
Email:

Other project members and their affiliation