Developing Curriculum Materials for Endangered Language Education: Lessons from the Field

Abstract

With the gloomy prospect of massive language extinction over the next 100 years, efforts by applied linguists, educational anthropologists, and multilingual educators to reverse the trends in language loss are increasing. Education in minority languages seems to be a key to maintaining endangered languages and cultures. One often cited challenge to effecticve minority language education in multilingual settings is the difficulty of developing curriculum and instructional material in many languages. In this paper, current efforts in minority language education are described and patterns analysed. Minority language communities themselves are a major source of what is necessary – but rarely sufficient – educationally. Endangered language communities cannot go it alone. The author suggests several key collaborations between the minority communities and outside organisations and agencies. In addition, a generalised curriculum development resource is suggested as facilitative of community-based education programmes that result in effective, culturally appropriate instruction.