Language Revival

How can we revitalize a language that is important to our community?

Grades
6-12
Subjects
ELA, Social Studies, World Languages
Key Content
linguistics, cultural competency, advocacy, presentational communication
An Inuit mother and her daughter on the tundra of Baffin Island in late spring. They are interacting with each other. Background is rock, ice and distant mountains.

Students explore the process of reviving a threatened, endangered, or dormant language and connect this important endeavor to the broader concept of cultural preservation and diversity. Students investigate, compare, and reflect on the nature of the target language and culture they are studying in relation to the dominant language and culture in the region. They engage in real-world language use and set personal goals for language acquisition and cultural understanding.

This project is designed to be implemented in schools and programs that are focused on revitalizing indigenous or endangered languages and cultures, rather than in a typical World Languages (e.g., French or Spanish) classroom. To find projects for a more typical World Language context, see Welcome to Our School, What in the World?, or Global Market.