Module 1 – Entry 3
Using technology to save languages
There are many Indigenous languages that are at risk of going extinct. The arrival of the Internet has made it possible to document and save some of these languages from going extinct. In her essay, “An Example of Excellence – Chickasaw Language Revitalization through Technology” Traci Morris (2017) talks about how technology is playing an important role in saving the Chickasaw language. She brings up some interesting ideas about how “technology holds great promise in stabilizing tribal languages, which are in danger of extinction, allowing connections between remote peoples and between young and old.” She draws attention to young people’s desire to be connected using technology that can be leveraged to save traditional languages. Connecting people using social media such as Facebook can provide opportunities to connect people that can speak the language and people that want to learn the language. Furthermore, she has found “the number of Tribal language apps in the iTunes and Android stores is constantly growing.” Morris does acknowledge that technology cannot replace in-person learning.
Therefore, this essay by Morris is a good example of how technology can save a culture through language preservation before it is lost forever.
Reference
Morris, T. L. (2017). An Example of Excellence: Chickasaw Language Revitalization through Technology. In Indigenous people and mobile technologies (pp. 293–304). essay, Routledge.