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Proposal
NWACC proposal
On-line Tool for Heritage Language Preservation and Learning
Introduction
This proposal describes a model of integrating language preservation
techniques with leading-edge technology to develop a web-based on-line
tool for heritage language preservation and learning. The model
will use the Chinuk Wawa language as its data source from which
to gather language samples, grammar descriptions, and other resources.
These will be integrated into an enhanced version of an existing
computer software package for adult ESL classroom research ('ClassAction').
ClassAction can store multi-media language clips which synchronize
audio, video and text (illustrating pronunciation, translation,
grammar explanations, etc.) and present these in an interactive
session using the common Web-interface for access by students, faculty,
and affiliated Heritage language communities. I will work with the
National Labsite at Portland State University (PSU) to advance an
on-line educational software package, which will directly benefit
the educational communities, researchers, and Heritage language
communities in the Northwest area.
Background: Language Preservation & Chinuk Wawa
This educational model will support Native American language revitalization
efforts. Many Native American languages are close to extinct 500
years after European contact. According to Michael Krause, only
20 Native American languages will be spoken by 2060. Language carries
valuable information about the society and culture of its speakers.
If the language disappears, important cultural knowledge will also
disappear. With the rise of social movements such as the Civil Rights
Movement, the Feminist Movement, and others in the United States
during the 60s and 70s, groups of scholars began to actively protect
and promote the teaching of Native American languages. At the same
time, many communities began to identify their language as a symbol
of Native identity and sovereignty. They understand language revitalization
movements to be activities that sustain Native American communities.
Even though language revitalization has started gaining attention,
revitalization activities still are moving slowly while their need
grows more urgent. Revitalization is an essential form of community
development, which itself has many socioeconomic obstacles to overcome.
The Native American communities in the Northwest are not exceptions
to this national trend of language decline. This project focuses
on Chinuk Wawa, one of community languages in the Northwest area.
Chinuk Wawa has been spoken as lingua franca of the old Pacific
Northwest and early became the dominant language of daily life at
Grand Ronde. There were still fluent elderly speakers alive in the
early 1980s, and the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde (CTGR) language
program is now trying to preserve and revive the language. Tony
Johnson*, Director of the language program in the CTGR plans to
use the outcome of this project to enhance learning experiences
for the Chinuk Wawa learners in his language program.
Software Program "Toolbox"
Toolbox is an extended version of ClassAction which will include
features specific to language learning. The Toolbox additions will
allow a user to see transcriptions and translations, synchronized
to their speech in the video, which will contain link-able words.
Every linkable word will direct the user to an indexed list of word
occurrences (for reference of its use in speech), more detailed
notes about the grammar and function of the word itself, and the
ability to hear an audio sample of the word (for pronunciation practice).
This feature will make the linguistic content more available and
easily navigable to academic and Heritage language communities,
including PSU students in my classes.
These same indexing features will be made available in ClassAction
as well. ClassAction has a web-based client interface which will
allow access from anywhere on the Internet. This grant will support
the programmatic extension of Toolbox and ClassAction, the import
of Chinuk Wawa language samples, and the associated curriculum which
will take advantage of the fresh accessibility to these linguistic
treasures.
Project Outcomes
A Characteristics of the on-line
software package
- This project will develop an on-line software package that
synchronizes multimedia language materials.
- The new software program could be used as tool both for language
preservation and for language learning.
- This project will produce a model package based on Chinuk Wawa.
B Software demonstrations
- The package will be demonstrated and used in Chinuk Wawa language
classes and university classes. Specifically, I will integrate
these newly developed electronic resources into my classes (such
as "Introduction to Native American Languages," and
"Heritage Language Revitalization").
- The package will be demonstrated at the National-lab site and
Native American Student and Community Center as workshops.
Implementation
This project will develop a library of linguistic knowledge in ClassAction.
These assets will help students become more familiar with field
research, linguistics, Native American languages, and Native American
culture. The developed program will be implemented through Heritage
language classes including Chinuk Wawa language classes, university
classes, the National-lab site, and the Native American Communities.
Applicability
This on-line tool will be developed and demonstrated as a model
and can be used widely. This will grant anyone with access an unprecedented
resource of materials, and will provide heritage learners more opportunities
to learn the language. Furthermore, the National-lab site has developed
policy rules for web access. The "owners" of the language
material may set permissions and determine access levels for individual
or classes of users. This will protect the rights of the materials
while also preserving them in a long-lasting electronic format.
Evaluation
A questionnaire will be distributed and collected regarding the
usefulness of the software program in the classes and at the workshops.
The questionnaire participants will include PSU faculty, students,
language researchers and learners of Chinuk Wawa or other languages.
Project Schedule
- 06/01/05 ~ 08/31/05 I will videotape conversations between
two speakers of Chinuk Wawa. This part is based on another grant
project (Foundation of Endangered Languages).
- 09/01/05 ~ 12/31/05 The videotaped conversations will be transcribed
and translated into English. The video clips, transcriptions and
translations will be synchronized by using the current Toolbox
program (Foundation of Endangered Languages).
- 06/01/05 ~ 12/31/05 I will work with a software programmer and
add new features to the current Toolbox program.
- 01/01/06 ~ 03/31/06 All of the features including the new ones
will be added and be synchronized with the all of the data.
- 04/01/06 ~ 05/ 31/06 The language files with the new program
will be introduced in spring classes. I will conduct a workshop
at the National-lab site as well as at the Native American Student
and Community Center.
Personnel
Nariyo Kono, Ph.D. Principal investigator. Assistant Professor in
Native American Studies Program and University Studies Program at
PSU. She will oversee the project, hire other personel and conduct
workshops.
Steve Reder, Ph.D. Professor and Department Chair of Applied Linguistics
at PSU. He will provide necessary information and equipments at
the National-lab site.
Chinuk Wawa speakers will be hired and conversations will be transcribed
and translated into English (by the FEL grant).
A software programmer will be hired.
Partnership Contact Information:
Tony Johnson. Director of Language Program in the CTGR. 1-800-422-0232.
Nariyo Kono(PI), Native
American Studies Program and Department
of Applied Linguistics , Portland State University
Copywright ©2005 Portland State University. All rights reserved.
This website is supported by a 2005 Northwest
Academic Computing Consortium (NWACC) grant.
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