ANT-2 Chapter Notes - Chapter 1: Endangered Language, Linguistic Anthropology, Language Shift
Document Summary
The emergence of linguistic anthropology was prompted by the need to document disappearing indigenous languages in the. The task of documenting declining languages is urgent. Often accompanied by applied work aimed at preserving and reviving endangered and dying languages. Scholars have proposed 4 phases or degrees of language decline and loss. When speakers have a limited vocabulary in their native language and more often use a new language in which they may be semi- fluent or fluent. Exists when a language has fewer than 10,000 speakers. Situation in which only a few elderly speakers are still living. Occurs when the language has no competent speakers left. Estimates of the number of living languages today range between about 5000 and 7000. The largest number of languages of any world region is found on the island of new guinea. Over 1000 languages exist in this area, many from completely separate language families.
