Language endangerment: Using analytical methods from conservation biology to illuminate loss of linguistic diversity
Language diversity is under threat, with between a third to a half of all languages considered endangered, and predicted rates of loss equivalent to one language per month for the rest of the century. Rather than reviewing the extensive body of linguistic research on endangered languages, this revie...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Cambridge University Press
2023-01-01
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| Series: | Cambridge Prisms: Extinction |
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| Online Access: | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S2755095822000031/type/journal_article |
| _version_ | 1797799541688238080 |
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| author | Lindell Bromham |
| author_facet | Lindell Bromham |
| author_sort | Lindell Bromham |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Language diversity is under threat, with between a third to a half of all languages considered endangered, and predicted rates of loss equivalent to one language per month for the rest of the century. Rather than reviewing the extensive body of linguistic research on endangered languages, this review focuses specifically on the interdisciplinary transfer of methods developed in conservation biology, macroecology and macroevolution to the study of language endangerment and loss. While the causes of language endangerment and loss are different to those for species, studying patterns of diversity of species and languages involves similar analytical challenges, associated with testing hypotheses and identifying causal relationships. Solutions developed in biology can be adapted to illuminate patterns in language endangerment, such as statistical methods that explicitly model phylogenetic nonindependence, spatial autocorrelation and covariation between variables, which may otherwise derail the search for meaningful predictors of language endangerment. However, other tools from conservation biology may be much less use in understanding or predicting language endangerment, such as metrics based on International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) criteria, population viability analysis or niche modelling. This review highlights both the similarities and the differences in approaches to understanding the concurrent crises in loss of both linguistic diversity and biodiversity. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-13T04:20:26Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-1be5510b78ac4482997cbcdc2afeacf5 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2755-0958 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-13T04:20:26Z |
| publishDate | 2023-01-01 |
| publisher | Cambridge University Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Cambridge Prisms: Extinction |
| spelling | doaj.art-1be5510b78ac4482997cbcdc2afeacf52023-06-20T10:01:07ZengCambridge University PressCambridge Prisms: Extinction2755-09582023-01-01110.1017/ext.2022.3Language endangerment: Using analytical methods from conservation biology to illuminate loss of linguistic diversityLindell Bromham0https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2202-2609Macroevolution and Macroecology Group, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 0200, AustraliaLanguage diversity is under threat, with between a third to a half of all languages considered endangered, and predicted rates of loss equivalent to one language per month for the rest of the century. Rather than reviewing the extensive body of linguistic research on endangered languages, this review focuses specifically on the interdisciplinary transfer of methods developed in conservation biology, macroecology and macroevolution to the study of language endangerment and loss. While the causes of language endangerment and loss are different to those for species, studying patterns of diversity of species and languages involves similar analytical challenges, associated with testing hypotheses and identifying causal relationships. Solutions developed in biology can be adapted to illuminate patterns in language endangerment, such as statistical methods that explicitly model phylogenetic nonindependence, spatial autocorrelation and covariation between variables, which may otherwise derail the search for meaningful predictors of language endangerment. However, other tools from conservation biology may be much less use in understanding or predicting language endangerment, such as metrics based on International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) criteria, population viability analysis or niche modelling. This review highlights both the similarities and the differences in approaches to understanding the concurrent crises in loss of both linguistic diversity and biodiversity.https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S2755095822000031/type/journal_articleDiversity lossbiocultural diversityIndigenous languageslanguage revitalizationmacroecologyhotspots |
| spellingShingle | Lindell Bromham Language endangerment: Using analytical methods from conservation biology to illuminate loss of linguistic diversity Cambridge Prisms: Extinction Diversity loss biocultural diversity Indigenous languages language revitalization macroecology hotspots |
| title | Language endangerment: Using analytical methods from conservation biology to illuminate loss of linguistic diversity |
| title_full | Language endangerment: Using analytical methods from conservation biology to illuminate loss of linguistic diversity |
| title_fullStr | Language endangerment: Using analytical methods from conservation biology to illuminate loss of linguistic diversity |
| title_full_unstemmed | Language endangerment: Using analytical methods from conservation biology to illuminate loss of linguistic diversity |
| title_short | Language endangerment: Using analytical methods from conservation biology to illuminate loss of linguistic diversity |
| title_sort | language endangerment using analytical methods from conservation biology to illuminate loss of linguistic diversity |
| topic | Diversity loss biocultural diversity Indigenous languages language revitalization macroecology hotspots |
| url | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S2755095822000031/type/journal_article |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT lindellbromham languageendangermentusinganalyticalmethodsfromconservationbiologytoilluminatelossoflinguisticdiversity |