Language Lifecycle: Genesis, Expansion, and Loss

Description

Languages are not static systems, but exhibit a lifecycle just as living organisms do. They are brought into being through pidginization and creolization, grow and change as their function changes and they attain status, and they disappear (presently at an alarming rate). In this course, we'll examine these stages in some detail, acquiring a toolset along the way that will allow participants to understand the linguistic factors involved, and to appreciate the policy issues in play.