On Wednesday June 5, 2024, the first occupant of the CIPL/CIPSH Chair Ethnolinguistic Vitality and Diversity in the World, Felix K. Ameka, is organizing a symposium at Leiden University on the theme ‘The value of languages (to speakers and communities)’. The main motivation for this symposium is to get some people around the table to discuss the value of languages, particularly the economic value of languages to speakers, especially in marginalized communities. Some of the issues to be discussed include: Why do languages matter economically, and why should they matter to investors and industry who engage in economic activities in endangered and minority language speaking communities? What benefits are there for investors in promoting languages, especially those used in areas where they plant their factories? Even though languages are thought of as social and human capital, many of the minority and endangered languages are disadvantaged as their users find it difficult to make explicit the economic value of their languages. Moreover, these languages have no access to the formal economies within which they are used. They are extensively used in the informal economies, e.g. in local markets. Do investors need these languages then? It is hoped that some arguments can be assembled to use in approaching businesses (and industry) in arguing for the importance of languages for their activities in various communities around the world.
The importance of languages for the history, identity, and cultural expression of their speakers has been acknowledged and discussed. There is also a growing interest in the importance of languages for the well-being of language users and communities. But the well-being focused on is emotional well-being, health and in particular mental health. Little research exists on language and wealth or socio-economic well-being. The topic has been broached from the other side of the relationship between language and poverty, but the field of linguistics had not yet determined under what socio-economic conditions a language can be maintained “without being a liability or an unnecessary burden to its speakers” (Mufwene 2010 Mufwene, Salikoko S. The role of mother-tongue schooling in eradicating poverty: A response to Language and poverty. Language 86.4 (2010): 910-932). There is a growing discussion about the relations between linguistics and economics and also between languages and diverse economies. A key factor that affects ethnolinguistic vitality is language shift. To understand the value of languages we need to explore the socio-economic factors that play a role in language shift. In short we will discuss the relationships between language shift, language vitality and well-being of speakers, especially socio-economic well-being and intersections between languages and economies.
Confirmed speakers so far include: Anne Pauwels (SOAS & Melbourne), Mariam Klamer (Leiden), Nancy Kula (Leiden), Frieda Steurs (INT, Leiden).
