Indigenous communities, linguists, teachers, and language activists have been developing methods to revitalise endangered languages over several decades. Not only are these methods diverse, they are usually implemented in various ways according to local needs and aspirations. Language revitalisation methods focus on proficiency, but there is also…

Technology has paved the way for new modalities in language learning; however, indigenous populations often lack access to these tools. This critical literature review examines how researchers have tried to overcome this hurdle by reaching out to marginalized indigenous populations and providing access to emerging technologies. We used 63 texts…

Community language schools provide language and cultural education to young people. Forming a key education sector worldwide with an estimated two million enrolments, these community-run, out-of-hours schools nonetheless tend to be marginalised by 'mainstream' education and 'mainstream' educational research. There has been a dramatic increase in…

This critical systematic review of Australian research literature provides insights into the aspirations of Indigenous communities to collaborate with schools in establishing local Indigenous language and cultural programmes. This systematic review investigates the body of Australian research into the cultural, social and educational impacts on…

Language and cultural preservation efforts among different communities of language speakers in the United States have received increasing attention as interest in linguistic rights and globalization continues to deepen. In addition to mounting evidence of the cognitive, psychological, and academic benefits of heritage language/community language…

A synthesis of research on the Franco-Ontarian school environment focuses on the maintenance of French by Franco-Ontarian students, their French language proficiency, and their native language instruction. The relevance of these issues in other French language minority settings is discussed. (MSE)

Describes ongoing developments in the education of Inuit Native language teachers in Quebec and discusses the extremely broad range of cultural and linguistic contexts in both mainstream and non-assimilative Native education situations. (CB)

Reviews the literature to determine the importance of immersion in language restoration or preservation. Defines immersion and its goals, and discusses effects on students' English cognitive ability. Examines the success of Indian nations in retaining/restoring Native languages and concludes that, if nothing is done, additional Native languages…

This paper develops a speaker-centered view of language as an alternative to the monolithic decontextualized abstractions favored by modern linguistics, and suggests the application of the speaker-centered view to indigenous language renewal. The paper contends that the modern notion of languages as homogeneous stable "things" that are…

Schools in the United States that have always conducted classes in an ethnic language were studied in an attempt to correct a long-standing oversight in the development of bilingual education theory. Chapters are devoted to the critical examination of five of the assumptions that have guided ethnic communities in institutionalizing ethnic-language…

Describes a Navajo model by which individuals may assume responsibility for reversing Navajo language shift. Argues that reversing Navajo language shift requires that Navajos acknowledge the problem, that Navajo principles of balance and the natural order be applied to the problem, and that Navajo individuals and families make a commitment to…

Reviews the literature about preschool immersion education for Indigenous languages. Describes the two oldest and best known of such programs: Kohanga Reo ("language nests") in Aotearoa/New Zealand and Punana Leo in Hawaii. Looks at existing U.S. programs, particularly Arapaho preschools in Wyoming. Outlines major themes and issues in developing…

The literature on language diversity, linguistic human rights, and language renewal is reviewed, and Web sites dedicated to Aboriginal languages are examined. The Internet provides a resource center where grammars, lexicons, fonts, and other resources can be developed; a means of learning languages; and a medium for communicating in Aboriginal…

Discusses the progress made and problems still surrounding Greenland's Home Rule Act which established the roles of Greenlandic and Danish in the instructional arena, covering attempts to make Greenlandic the native language while also encouraging bilingualism through mastery of Danish. (Author/CB)

Data from three well-documented American Indian language immersion programs (teaching Navajo, Hawaiian, and Keres) and from an ongoing large comparative study of language shift/retention in six Indian school-community sites suggest that immersion schooling can serve the dual roles of promoting students' school success and revitalizing endangered…