A collection of selected papers presented at SIL International's Third International Language Assessment Conference in England (1997). Presents papers by leading scholars and SIL International language survey specialists that reflect various issues related to ethnolinguistic vitality and its assessment and present a variety of approaches to this study. Includes the sociology of language, anthropological grid/group model, social network theory, and motivations for ethnolinguistic vitality maintenance, power, and solidarity orientations. Is of interest to sociolinguists, sociologists, anthropological linguists, and those in language planning and language development. Is a source of information about a wide range of language situations, and an encouragement to those working among speakers of less commonly known languages.
Dr. Kindell earned a Ph.D. degree at Georgetown University in Linguistics in 1982. She did fieldwork among the Kaingang in Brazil and is currently on the faculty of the Graduate Institute of Applied Linguistics, Associate Editor of Notes on Sociolinguistics, and anInternational Sociolinguistics Consultant.
Dr. Lewis earned a Ph.D. degree at Georgetown University in Linguistics in 1994. He did fieldwork in Guatemala among the K'iche', Uspanteco, and Ixill and is currently the International Sociolinguistics Coordinator for SIL International and Editor of Notes on Sociolinguistics.