SP30: Bridging Child Language Research to Practice for Indigenous Language Revitalization

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ISBN-13: 978-1-952460-07-4

Editors

Amalia Skilton, Ryan E. Henke, Melvatha R. Chee

Abstract

This volume was born from a conference session which we, along with Sophie Pierson and Tamera Yazzie, organized in New York City in January of 2024 with the support of the NSF/NEH Dynamic Language Infrastructure/Documenting Endangered Languages program (BCS-2331639). The session brought together two groups with overlapping interests: researchers who study how children learn the Indigenous languages of the Americas, and practitioners who work with children in Indigenous language revitalization programs. This volume brings together contributors from the session, as well as others who share the same goal – to create a feedback loop between Indigenous child language research and language revitalization practice.

Contents

Front Matter

Introduction
Amalia Skilton, Ryan E. Henke, Melvatha R. Chee. 9-12.

Comparing child and adult language use: Frequency, simplicity, and third-person verb versatility
Melvatha R. Chee, Tamera Yazzie. 13-44.

Diné child language revitalization and research at Saad K’idilyé
Warlance Chee, Tamera Yazzie, Cheryl Yazzie, Melvatha R. Chee. 45-62.

Properties of verbs in Northern East Cree child-directed speech: Insights for language science and revitalization
Ryan E. Henke. 63-88.

“We aren’t creating speakers…we are creating Cherokees”: Tracking health markers of parents and teachers in the Little Cherokee Seeds program
Melissa Lewis, Kathy Sierra, Phyllis Sixkiller, Bobbie Smith, Naomi Stone, Mary Rodriguez, Kenny Glass, Tom Belt, Ivy Blackmore, Jamie Smith. 89-116.

First language acquisition and language revitalization in Mayan languages
Pedro Mateo Pedro. 117-144.

Child language development: Questions and answers for Indigenous language nests
Naomi Shin, Kari A.B. Chew, Ryan E. Henke, Carlos Irizarry-Pérez, Melanie Kirk-Lente, Akasha L. Khalsa, Kendal Jacobson, Shanley E.M. Allen, Melvatha R. Chee. 145-186.

Creating a culturally grounded tool to support Inuktut language development: A collaborative project combining knowledge from Inuit and Western research perspectives
Shirley Tagalik, Catherine Dench, Shanley E.M. Allen, Nunia Anoee, Rhoda Karetak, Annie Novalinga, Maaji Putulik, Malaiya Weetaluktuk. 187-214.