Now Live: DG2, Language Revitalization

Dear linguists,
We have officially launched a YouTube channel to host videos of our events, and we’re thrilled to share our first: the recording of our second discussion group in the Endangered Languages series!

Last Thursday, members gathered for a conversation about the complexities of language revitalization. We talked about how how languages get revived when intergenerational transmission is fading, as well as what gets negotiated along the way.

We focused on three case studies:
1. Hawaiian – a community-led model centered around cultural immersion
2. Welsh – a state-backed bilingual project with wide reach
3. Hebrew – one of the most famous (and fraught) examples of full-scale revival

We asked: What counts as success in revitalization? What has become of our own ancestral languages, and why? And of course—where do we, as linguists, fit in?

Watch the first 50 minutes
View the slides and topic overview

We’ll be back soon with more recordings. Our next meeting—April 1st at 6:30 PM—will focus on forensic linguistics: how experts use linguistic analysis to help solve crimes and exonerate innocent suspects. We hope to see you there!

All best,
NYU LoL