What Can We Learn from the Mocho’ Language Documentation Project?
University of California, Santa Barbara
In this presentation, I talk about strategies and methodologies that we have implemented in our community-based language documentation project dedicated to preserve and revitalize Mocho’, a highly endangered Mayan language. The project not only involved creating a comprehensive linguistic corpus but also engaged the local community in revitalization activities such as language and cultural workshops, and currently language classes in an official bilingual school. By fostering a deeper connection between the Mocho’ people and their linguistic heritage, these efforts have seen a resurgence of interest and participation in language learning among younger generations who are Mocho’ descendants and other non-descendants. The lessons learned from the Mocho’ language project can serve as a model for other language revitalization initiatives worldwide, highlighting the transformative impact of collaborative and culturally sensitive approaches.