Grants
My research has been supported by internal and external grants through UBC and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) of Canada.
Digital technology use for First Nations language education and revitalization in British Columbia (funded by SSHRC) - 2017-current
According to the United Nations, more than 370 million Indigenous people live in 70 countries around the world. Of the estimated 7,000 languages spoken today, some (e.g., English) are spoken across broad geographic areas and used across a range of technology platforms by billions of people. Indigenous languages, on the contrary, have much smaller language communities in comparison, and the majority of Indigenous languages spoken today are endangered and at risk of extinction. Many Indigenous communities around the world have experienced language loss and shift due to genocide, colonization, assimilation, government policies, and disease. In this culturally diverse world, it is difficult to anticipate the survival of Indigenous languages without support from digital technologies, with their ability to record, preserve, analyze, manipulate and transmit languages in myriad ways. To date, we know little about how digital technologies are chosen and maintained in Indigenous communities for purposes of language revitalization. Without a solid understanding of which technologies have been adopted or abandoned, we lose the opportunity to effectively advance language efforts and development in ways that correspond with the needs of individual Indigenous communities. This is especially important to do now, when there is a rapid decline of fluent speakers in many Indigenous language communities. This study’s findings will enhance our knowledge about Indigenous language revitalization and education, technology-enhanced language learning, and computer-assisted language learning. This research will take place in British Columbia, home to 60% of First Nations languages across Canada.
Enhancing Indigenous language and culture education across the curriculum: Engagement of students and faculty through multimedia technology (funded by the UBC Teaching and Learning Enhancement Fund) - 2013-2014
Students frequently enter UBC with competency in various world and heritage languages, but often are unaware of the language diversity of First Nations communities across British Columbia. As a result, discussions in the classroom regarding Indigenous topics, specifically Indigenous languages, rarely move beyond an introductory level – even in upper-level undergraduate and graduate classes. This multimedia website will provide Indigenous and non-Indigenous students, instructors, researchers and the broader public with a starting point to their investigations of issues relevant to Indigenous languages both locally and internationally, engage the community with Indigenous language content by incorporating this into coursework, as well as offer concise and accurate information on core topics. This project’s goal is to respond meaningfully to the UBC Strategic Plan that advocates expanding “curriculum offerings focusing on Aboriginal issues and perspectives” and “professional development available to administrators, faculty, staff, and students in working with Aboriginal colleagues and discussing Aboriginal issues”.
Living Our Indigenous Languages in a Multimedia Technology Enhanced World (funded by UBC Faculty of Education Humanities & Social Sciences Seed Grant) - 2012-2013
The purpose of this research is to expand the literature review beyond the US which the researcher is most familiar with, and to synthesize projects, programs, workshops, classes, etc. that involve revitalizing Indigenous languages vis-à-vis multimedia technology (and its products). An area of particular interest includes technologies that allow language and culture to be practiced and experienced without having to be physically situated in the traditional territory of the Indigenous community. This includes mobile apps, web-based applications, video, TV, radio, telephone.
According to the United Nations, more than 370 million Indigenous people live in 70 countries around the world. Of the estimated 7,000 languages spoken today, some (e.g., English) are spoken across broad geographic areas and used across a range of technology platforms by billions of people. Indigenous languages, on the contrary, have much smaller language communities in comparison, and the majority of Indigenous languages spoken today are endangered and at risk of extinction. Many Indigenous communities around the world have experienced language loss and shift due to genocide, colonization, assimilation, government policies, and disease. In this culturally diverse world, it is difficult to anticipate the survival of Indigenous languages without support from digital technologies, with their ability to record, preserve, analyze, manipulate and transmit languages in myriad ways. To date, we know little about how digital technologies are chosen and maintained in Indigenous communities for purposes of language revitalization. Without a solid understanding of which technologies have been adopted or abandoned, we lose the opportunity to effectively advance language efforts and development in ways that correspond with the needs of individual Indigenous communities. This is especially important to do now, when there is a rapid decline of fluent speakers in many Indigenous language communities. This study’s findings will enhance our knowledge about Indigenous language revitalization and education, technology-enhanced language learning, and computer-assisted language learning. This research will take place in British Columbia, home to 60% of First Nations languages across Canada.
Enhancing Indigenous language and culture education across the curriculum: Engagement of students and faculty through multimedia technology (funded by the UBC Teaching and Learning Enhancement Fund) - 2013-2014
Students frequently enter UBC with competency in various world and heritage languages, but often are unaware of the language diversity of First Nations communities across British Columbia. As a result, discussions in the classroom regarding Indigenous topics, specifically Indigenous languages, rarely move beyond an introductory level – even in upper-level undergraduate and graduate classes. This multimedia website will provide Indigenous and non-Indigenous students, instructors, researchers and the broader public with a starting point to their investigations of issues relevant to Indigenous languages both locally and internationally, engage the community with Indigenous language content by incorporating this into coursework, as well as offer concise and accurate information on core topics. This project’s goal is to respond meaningfully to the UBC Strategic Plan that advocates expanding “curriculum offerings focusing on Aboriginal issues and perspectives” and “professional development available to administrators, faculty, staff, and students in working with Aboriginal colleagues and discussing Aboriginal issues”.
Living Our Indigenous Languages in a Multimedia Technology Enhanced World (funded by UBC Faculty of Education Humanities & Social Sciences Seed Grant) - 2012-2013
The purpose of this research is to expand the literature review beyond the US which the researcher is most familiar with, and to synthesize projects, programs, workshops, classes, etc. that involve revitalizing Indigenous languages vis-à-vis multimedia technology (and its products). An area of particular interest includes technologies that allow language and culture to be practiced and experienced without having to be physically situated in the traditional territory of the Indigenous community. This includes mobile apps, web-based applications, video, TV, radio, telephone.
