Teaching about endangered languages in the undergraduate curriculum

This paper is a case study of the development and teaching of a course on language endangerment and death, including related topics like language preservation, language revitalization and revival, and the historical, socio-cultural, economic, and political factors behind the recent exacerbation of the depletion of global linguistic diversity. This case study also demonstrates how students can learn to apply methods of evaluating primary and secondary sources towards constructing a web-based, digital exhibit that explores the story behind endangerment of a specific language. Underlying this case study is the argument that such a course is equally as critical to undergraduate linguistics and general education. It builds on critical discipline-specific skills and also offers opportunities for broader cross-disciplinary inquiry and acquisition of professional skills for undergraduate students as young global citizens.