The purpose of this essay is to expand the conceptual content of folkloric performance as a communicative phenomenon, as spoken art. Performance is seen as representing an interpretive frame, whose nature may vary. This framing is accomplished through the use of culturally conventionalized metacommunication (communication about communication),…

The purpose of this paper is to determine whether the sounds, ?, h, y, and w function as a natural class by investigating the following languages that have a metathesis rule affecting these sounds: Yagua, Zoque, classical Greek, Mandaic, Akkadian, Hanunoo, Tubatulabal, Twana, and Hungarian. The paper is divided into four parts. Section 1 briefly…

A field study of Cherokee Indians in Eastern Oklahoma revealed the following information: (1) educators were ignorant of and indifferent to the language, values, and cultural traditions of the Tribal (rural) Cherokee; (2) the Tribal Cherokees were an impoverished people; (3) both adults and children were educationally disadvantaged; and (4) Tribal…

This course is designed with one primary goal in view: to encourage and lead the learner to communicate in Navaho in and out of class. Each of the 13 units has a "preparation stage" which consists of a self-instructional program on various grammatical points together with other activities for the student preparatory to meeting with the instructor…

The author argues that the modern computer is well suited to performing the data compiling searching, modifying, and copying involved in linguistic field work, thus leaving the linguist more time for the "creative work of recognizing significant examples and formulating rules." Work is already under way at the University of Chicago to develop…

This bibliography consists of materials in Yup'ik and English prepared for levels K-3. Most of the entries are books, primarily fiction suitable for the primary grades. The nonfiction books are teachers' handbooks, instructional materials, and other teaching aids. In addition there is a list of newly completed or reprinted instructional or testing…

The Alaska State Operated School System (ASOSS) has now completed its second full year of experimental bilingual education. In an area where Yupik Eskimo is often the first and only language spoken by the native citizens, a decision was made to experiment with teaching the early primary grades in the Native language, introducing English as a…

The Bethel Agency, Bureau of Indian Affairs, has now completed its 3rd year of experimental bilingual education. Beginning in 1970 with 3 pilot schools and adding 4 schools the following year, 3 grade levels in 17 Kuskokwim River village classrooms have been reached by the Primary Eskimo Program. To determine the validity of this approach, an…

Spokan is the dialect of Salishan spoken in the westernmost section of the area extending east from the Columbia River in Washington to the foothills of the Rockies in Montana. The present study is an overall treatment of its grammar, presented in three parts--phonology, morphology, and grammar. Extensive illustrations and charts are provided. A…

Theorizes that most or all varieties of the Tubatulabal language are currently undergoing enough grammatical degeneration to conclude that it is a dying language. The article states that de-acquisition research has been neglected and will have great relevance in future studies of degenerating grammars. (NCR)

Illustrates how major Cree language instruction books are not idiomatically and syntactically correct. Believes problems could be overcome if native speakers using spontaneous, everyday Cree would develop appropriate teaching materials based on traditional and contemporary family life and community activities. (NEC)

Even though Nahuatl is the most widely spoken indigenous language in Mexico, it is endangered. Threats include poor support for Nahuatl-speaking communities, migration of Nahuatl speakers to cities where English and Spanish are spoken, prejudicial attitudes toward indigenous languages, lack of contact between small communities of different…

During the 20th century there has been a widespread pattern of language shift among the indigenous communities of the United States and Canada. The language-of-work hypothesis posits that if the national language is used as the language of work for virtually all jobs in a minority-language community, the national language will, within a few…

This paper presents personal reflections on factors in the preservation and stabilization of North American indigenous languages. All indigenous languages in North America are in danger of being lost. Linguistic and cultural minority communities must control the institutions that affect their lives if there is to be significant and sustainable…

This paper discusses the use of technology in instruction. It begins by examining research on technology and indigenous languages, focusing on the use of technology to get community attention for an indigenous language, improve the quantity of quality language, document spoken language, create sociocultural learning contexts, improve study skills,…