Yaeyama
[também conhecido como Yayeyama, Ryukyuan, Southern Ryukyuan]Classificação: Japonic
·em risco
The Ryukyuan languages, spoken in southern Japan, are all highly endangered, with almost all speakers above the age of 50. The situation is particularly dire in the southern Yaeyama Islands, where the vast majority of speakers are over 70. The current project focuses on the creation of digital resources (https://meeramuni.github.io/sakishima/) for Meeramuni, the Miyara variety of Yaeyaman. Our website consists of a number of language learning tools: language lessons for vocabulary, grammar, and conversation, stories and media for contextual learning, games for reviewing material, and a number of resources and tools, including a dictionary, conjugation tables, and a sound correspondence tool to aid users’ learning experience by teaching them to draw upon their knowledge of Japanese to infer Meeramuni words. Since most research in second language acquisition (SLA) focuses on global languages, such as English, there is a lack of research in the context of endangered and minoritized languages [2]. Because of this underdevelopment, this study aims at closing the gap. This lack of research is also reflected in the lack of learning materials developed for Yaeyaman, and Ryukyuan in general. While minoritized languages are often seen as “objects” in quantitative approaches to language research, we take a communicative approach in teaching these languages. We argue for endangered languages as complex and communicative systems for both new speakers and native speakers of the languages. To enhance the communicative competence [3] of new speakers of Yeayaman, we designed lessons using inductive teaching principles [4]. Inductive learning encourages users to combine their prior knowledge with contextual cues, forming stronger associations and encouraging learning through pattern recognition and application, rather than through translation and rote memorization. Following the lessons, the users have access to resources that explicitly explain the grammatical patterns and vocabulary. We employ a framework of participatory action research [5]. The participants of this research are new speakers of different varieties of Yaeyaman including Miyaran. The participants (N=10) have been learning and speaking Yaeyaman in a study group held once a week since April 2020.