The ecology of language: New imperatives in linguistics curricula

Abstract

Language endangerment is undoubtedly among the most current topics in linguistics today. My review of the literature suggests a number of shortcomings in the way linguists have discussed the subject matter and some inadequacies in the kinds of remedies that have been recommended for the problem. I conclude that compared to our counterparts in ecology, who have been concerned with endangered species, we in linguistics have done little basic research about the life of a language and are therefore ill-prepared to recommend adequate solutions to the problem. We should do more research on the subject matter and offer more courses in our curricula to prepare future generations of linguists better for the question of language endangerment. The 1990s will undoubtedly be remembered in the history of linguistics as the period during which awareness of language endangerment and death increased among linguists. It will also be remembered by the kinds of concerns expressed over this state of affairs; chief among these is linguists ' primary focus on

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