Perspectives on Language Endangerment: Zapotec Community Members Navigate the Future of their Language
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2016
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Swarthmore College. Dept. of Linguistics
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Thesis (B.A.)
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Abstract
Although the empirical process of language loss has been well documented
through statistical analysis and population demographics, the personal narratives of the
individuals who speak these dying languages are rarely taken into account. In order to
learn more about the personal and emotional effects of language loss, nineteen members
of the Zapotec community were interviewed with two simple questions: "What is
happening to your language?" and "What does your language mean to you?" Older
speakers, who have lived through fines and jail time for publicly speaking Zapotec, often
struggle with the grief and loneliness of being among the last generation of fluent
Zapotec speakers. Meanwhile, pervasive negative stereotypes that dismiss indigenous
languages as antiquated or unnecessary continue to alienate younger speakers. These
obstacles do not seem to diminish the deeply personal relationship that many interviewed
Zapotec speakers maintain in regards to their language, however. Often referring to their
language as a nurturing, anchoring presence in their lives, Zapotec is regarded by many
speakers in this collection of interviews as a family inheritance: a treasure passed from
parents or grandparents. In the face of a rapidly globalizing world, where hegemonic
languages like Spanish or English dominate, remaining speakers struggle to document not
only individual Zapotec words, but also the unique local knowledge these words often
encode.
The process of documenting and preserving an endangered language often
complicates the warm personal relationships many interviewees maintain with Zapotec.
In particular, each speaker's strong familial and personal ties the language provoke
questions about the appropriate role of technology in language preservation. Should
Zapotec be shared with global audiences through Y outube or Facebook, or should it
remain spoken in the local Oaxacan communities where it originated? The role of nonZapotec
linguists and academics are intensely involved in this debate as well. Although
linguists from outside of the community can bring with them access to resources, like
talking dictionaries, that can broadcast Zapotec to wider audiences, the goals of academia
are not always in accord with the wishes of the speaking community, particularly those
members who value local autonomy over global accessibility. There are no easy answers
for these debates. However, by embedding the interview of Zapotec community members
directly into the text, this thesis seeks to allow Zapotec speakers the space to freely
represent their own ideas with minimal academic bias. It is clear from this testimony that,
in order to be most effective, all language preservation efforts must be led primarily by
native speakers. While there is still much work to be done to ensure that the voices of
speakers of endangered languages are heard, the insightful comments in these interviews
give academic linguists a place to start working.