Santiago Lozano conducted a research internship with the Mayan Languages Preservation Project during the summer of 2024. He chose to focus his research on the importance of language revitalization for minority languages. Please read his thoughts below.
“The research I conducted with the Mayan Languages Preservation and Digitalization Project explores how minority languages are revitalized and why it is important to revitalize them whether it be due to the economic repercussions of language loss or the effect on minority language speakers’ wellbeing. I then also explore how Mayan languages specifically are revitalized. My research is focused on the question “To what extent have revitalization efforts addressed the importance of preserving minority languages, and how can this be seen in Mayan languages?” My paper can aid those who do not know much about minority languages or language revitalization in understanding minority language revitalization, and help people understand why the Mayan Languages Preservation and Digitization Project is so important. I conducted this research to help readers understand the importance of the world’s current efforts in language revitalization while exploring my own Mexican culture and identity. “
A small excerpt of his paper:
A minority language is typically seen as a language that less than half of the people in a city, region, state, or country speak. However, minority languages are not simply defined by the number of speakers. The European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages, which was adopted in 1992 by the Council of Europe, defines minority languages based on two benchmarks: a numerically small population of speakers and a lack of official status, such as representation in government, hospitals, and transportation (Grenoble & Singerman, 2014), Mayan languages happen to be minority languages. To revitalize a language the factors that make the language a minority language and that cause language loss must be addressed.
To learn more about language revitalization, read Santiago Lozano’s full paper here.
Santiago Lozano, a senior at The Village High School, Houston, TX, is very passionate about research. He is from Monterrey, Mexico, but has had the opportunity to live all over the world in countries, such as Egypt and Colombia.