Module 1: Activities

Activity 1: Defining language shift

               This video describes how language shift occurs. The purpose of showing this video is to provide a brief description of the process of language shift across generations.

Activity 2: Language shift: Three-generation process

 This video attempts to give the visitors of this website a visual image of the three-generation process of language shift. The video shows through different charts and pictures how language shift occurs across generations.

Activity 3: Questionnaire of language shift 

             This activity provides a few questions on language shift. Its purpose is to help visitors of the website to identify if they are going through the process of language shift.

Questions:

1. Do you speak your native language in your informal gatherings?
2. Are you able to communicate with your previous generations in your native language?
3. Do you think that the use of your native language helps you to become part of the dominant culture?
4. Are you able to communicate with the older generations without the necessity of using the meditation of someone else in your family?
5. Do you consider that your native language is very necessary for transmitting your ethnic culture to the next generations?
6. Do you believe that language shift has negative effects on your family interactions and your personal cultural identity?
7. Would you like to be able to know more about your native language?

            If you respond No to the first four questions, you may be going through the process of language shift. Also, if your answers were yes to the last three questions, it may be possible that you might be considering revitalizing your native language to reverse the language shift that has occurred across generations.

Activity 4: What the experts say about language shift- 1 of 4 Joshua Fishman and Elliot Sperling video

With this video, the visitors of this website can see an important researcher, Joshua Fishman, in the field of linguistics expressing his opinion about language shift in minority communities. The goal of this activity is to provide information on a scholar’s point of view about combating language shift in order to help visitors of the website to get a better understanding on the topic.