Exploring pathways that may save endangered languages

 

8 February 2012

A world renowned linguist and expert on endangered languages, Israel’s Professor Michael Katz will explore the relationship between grammatical divisions in languages and their potential to help save endangered languages at a Canberra seminar early next week.

The lunch-time seminar will be hosted by the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies next Monday, February 13.

Announcing the seminar today, AIATSIS’s Principal, Mr Russell Taylor,

said that the Institute had long fostered international scholarly relationships that helped protect and potentially revitalize endangered languages.

“Professor Katz’s seminar will be of interest to anyone with an interest in endangered languages”.

AIATSIS’s Director of Research Indigenous Social and Cultural Wellbeing, Dr Jakelin Troy, said Professor Katz had held senior academic positions in the fields of psychology, education and mathematics at leading Israeli and international universities.

These included Israel’s Hebrew University, Haifa University and Bar Ilan Universit. He also held positions at Oxford University in England, Queens University in Canada and in the United States at the University of California, Berkley and San Francisco State University.

Dr Troy said Professor Katz would address how studies within the field of psycholinguistics had shown how divisions within grammar had impacted on strength and survival of languages.

“It is now known that in the past the impact of these divisions played a role in the revival of the Hebrew language.

“It is worth examining whether or not these types of divisions within grammar can still be applied to currently endangered languages”.

Dr Troy said linguists within AIATSIS’s newly established Centre for Australian Languages were constantly striving to share knowledge and encourage exchange programs.

“I know I’ve gained enormous benefit from a recent visit to Israel as a National Australia Bank Yachad Scholar,” Dr Troy said.