My brother and I are both trying to revitalize our grandmother's indigenous language before the last fluent speakers in our community pass away, but we're approaching it completely differently — he wants formal classes, I want immersion with elders — and our arguments about method are becoming arguments about cultural authenticity and family responsibility.
More people experience this than they realize.
Two family members are discovering that language revitalization efforts can become proxy battles for deeper questions about cultural identity, learning methodology, and intergenerational obligation.
“Where Are You with Second language acquisition theory?”
If this sounds familiar, the Library can help you find the bigger picture.