Bill Gates speaks K'ichee'! The corporatization of linguistic revitalization in Guatemala

Why save a minority language? Meänkieli and rationales of language revitalization

“…(Group 3) In addition to humor, it was also discussed how modern communication technologies can be used for the purpose of language work. While Romero (2016), among others, perceives modern communication technologies as a threat to language revitalization, in the group discussions, the case appeared to be that, via Facebook discussion forums, Meänkieli speakers all around Sweden have been able to sustain and rediscover their identity and shared feeling of belonging. Meänkieli is a regional language, but it is spoken in a marginal region, where the number of inhabitants is continuously decreasing.…”

“…In the early 1990s, it was argued that globalization has brought along a so called 'reversing language shift' (Fishman 1991). This premise is present for instance in studies in which global communication corporations, such as Microsoft and Facebook, are perceived as a threat to language revitalization (Romero 2016). Although globalization has done more harm than good to minority languages, some studies have focused on how modern information technologies could be used, or developed, for the benefit of minority language education (e.g.…”

Open Education and Second Language Learning and Teaching

“…Digital technology and the internet have been hailed as critical innovations that could substantially improve the conditions under which indigenous languages are transmitted, revitalized and preserved. Long affl icted by a lack of aff ordable, accessible pedagogical materials, many indigenous language activists have turned to open, digital platforms as key resources for teachers, students and intellectuals (Bischoff & Fountain, 2013;Nicholas, 2009;Romero, 2016). Digital platforms have been argued to enhance the capacities of indigenous communities to access, design and disseminate materials in their own languages.…”

“…Digital platforms have been argued to enhance the capacities of indigenous communities to access, design and disseminate materials in their own languages. Some scholars, however, have also criticized the role that corporations have played as gatekeepers, as well as the language ideologies undergirding their interventions, which have proved damaging to community consensus on language policy (Romero, 2018(Romero, , 2016Tan & Rubdy, 2008;Whiteside, 2007). The teaching of indigenous languages as second or third languages, in particular, has seen a substantial expansion in the last decade, both in the United States and Latin America.…”

“…Indigenous language activists are not of one mind concerning the ways traditional knowledge, especially native languages, should be shared, if at all, with non-natives. Nevertheless, it is undeniable that an increase in the number of learners aff ords visibility, more committed scholars trained in fi elds relevant to language revitalization and more students of indigenous background acquiring for the fi rst time or recovering fl uency in their native language (Maxwell, 2012;Romero, 2018Romero, , 2016.…”