SIL linguist documents endangered languages in Papua New Guinea (June 2012) Because every language and culture is part of the mosaic of humanity, SIL is concerned for endangered languages and the communities that speak those languages. SIL linguist Dr. Ken McElhanon recently undertook a project entitled, "Comparative dictionary and digital recordings for Huon Peninsula languages." The research was funded by a Documenting Endangered Languages (DEL) fellowship provided by the US National Endowment for the Humanities and the National Science Foundation. McElhanon serves as a senior professor at the Graduate Institute of Applied Linguistics. Read more about SIL linguist documents endangered languages in Papua New Guinea
Journal highlights research on social dynamics of language in Melanesia (May 2012) The South Pacific region of Melanesia contains roughly nineteen percent of the world’s living languages—the highest concentration of languages per square kilometer in the world. However, surprisingly little research has focused on the social dynamics of language use in the region. “Language Use in Melanesia,” a recent special issue of the International Journal of the Sociology of Language (IJSL), examines a variety of topics, including language vitality and endangerment. SIL linguists Dr. M. Lynn Landweer and Dr. Read more about Journal highlights research on social dynamics of language in Melanesia
Pioneering study on endangered language families co-authored by SIL researcher (April 2012) Groundbreaking research on the vitality of language families is the subject of an article recently published in Language by Dr. Douglas Whalen, Vice President of Research for Haskins Laboratories and Distinguished Professor at The City University of New York, and Dr. Gary Simons, Chief Research Officer for SIL International. With every language that ceases to be spoken, the richness of the world’s linguistic diversity decreases, cultural heritage is weakened and important knowledge is lost forever. Read more about Pioneering study on endangered language families co-authored by SIL researcher
Net.Lang: Pursuing a linguistically equitable Internet (March 2012) The Maaya World Network for Linguistic Diversity has released a new collection of articles on the topic of multilingualism and the Internet. Net.Lang: Towards the Multilingual Cyberspace aims to raise awareness and explores strategies for improving Internet accessibility for speakers of all languages. Among the contributing researchers is Dr. Maik Gibson of SIL. Read more about Net.Lang: Pursuing a linguistically equitable Internet
SIL's Annual Update: a snapshot of language development in 2011 (February 2012) SIL’s 2011 Update highlights a few of the past year’s service opportunities, with a special focus on partnerships and the development of technology that directly benefits language communities. Read more about SIL's Annual Update: a snapshot of language development in 2011
