Abstract
Recent research within the field of language revitalization has shown that production of popular music (with its many genre disambiguations) can be a meaningful tool in the realm of language acquisition and ‘prestige planning’, or the development of a positive public image of language, for indigenous and endangered languages. However, such research in this area has specifically focused only on these efforts in individual regions of the world, and do not clearly characterize what is meant by ‘popular music’. As such, following a close analysis of what defines ‘popular music’ as a distinct form of media, as well as its positive applications for both passive and active second language acquisition, this study demonstrates how popular music has successfully aided language revitalization movements in various indigenous language communities worldwide, such as Inari Sámi, ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi, the Formosan languages of Taiwan, and beyond—spanning from the 1970s to the present day. Special attention is also given to addressing the ethical dilemmas presented within incorporating this form of modern media into the tradition of indigenous communities.
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
Communications and Linguistic Studies
KEYWORDS
Language Revitalization, Second Language Acquisition, Popular Music Studies, Music Production
