CoLang

The institute happens in even-numbered summers (opposite the Linguistic Society of America Summer Institute) at various American universities,{{Cite journal|last=Austin|first=Peter|date=2015-06-09|title=Language documentation 20 years on|url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/281939571|journal=Endangered Languages Across the Planet: Issues of Ecology, Policy and Documentation|doi=10.13140/RG.2.1.2712.6243}} but it has drawn participants and instructors from around the world, including Australia, Canada, Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria, Singapore and the United Kingdom. The first part of the institute consists of two weeks of workshops on topics like community archiving, linguistics, audio and video recording, language teaching, and activism.{{Cite journal|last=Miyashita|first=Mizuki and Annabelle Chatsis|date=2013|title=Collaborative Development of Blackfoot Language Courses|url=http://hl-128-171-57-22.library.manoa.hawaii.edu/bitstream/10125/4597/1/miyashita.pdf|journal=Language Documentation and Conservation}}{{Cite book|last=Thieberger|first=Nicholas|title=International Handbook of Modern Lexis and Lexicography |chapter=The lexicography of indigenous languages in Australia and the Pacific |date=2015|chapter-url=https://minerva-access.unimelb.edu.au/handle/11343/55705|pages=1–16|doi=10.1007/978-3-642-45369-4_92-1|hdl=11343/55705 |isbn=978-3-642-45369-4}}{{Cite journal|last=Combs|first=Mary Carol and Susan D. Penfield|date=2012|title=Language activism and language policy|url=https://www.coe.arizona.edu/sites/default/files/language_activism_and_language_policy.pdf|journal=The Cambridge Handbook of Language Policy|pages=461–474 |doi=10.1017/CBO9780511979026.028 |isbn=9780511979026 }} The workshops are followed by a three or four week practicum where participants work intensively with speakers of a language to document it.

While each individual institute is organized by one or two local director(s), CoLang as a whole is governed by its Advisory Circle, which includes Indigenous scholars, linguistics professors, language activists, students, and representatives from partner organizations.{{Cite web|url=https://www.alaska.edu/colang2016/charter/|title=CoLang Charter {{!}} CoLang 2016|website=www.alaska.edu|access-date=2016-06-30}} Each institute has been funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation's Dynamic Language Infrastructure (formerly called Documenting Endangered Languages) program.{{Cite web|url=https://linguistlist.org/issues/19/19-269/|title=Institute on Field Linguistics and Language Documentation|date=2008-01-22}}NSF Grant No. BCS-0924846 to Spike Gildea and Janne Underriner. Institute for Field Linguistics and Language Documentation (Infield 2010).{{Cite web|url=https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1065469|title=NSF Award Search: Award#1065469 - CoLang: Institute for Collaborative Language Research|website=www.nsf.gov|access-date=2016-06-30}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1263939|title=NSF Award Search: Award#1263939 - 2014 Institute on Collaborative Language Research (CoLang/InField)|website=www.nsf.gov|access-date=2016-06-30}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1500841&HistoricalAwards=false|title=NSF Award Search: Award#1500841 - CoLang 2016: Institute on Collaborative Language Research - ALASKA|website=www.nsf.gov|access-date=2016-06-30}}

The first InField in 2008 resulted in ongoing collaboration between Kennedy Bosire and Carlos Nash for the completion of the Ekegusii encyclopedia and a dissertation on tone in Ekegusii,{{Cite journal|last=Nash|first=Carlos M.|date=2011-01-01|title=Tone in Ekegusii: A Description of Nominal And Verbal Tonology|url=http://gradworks.umi.com/34/56/3456404.html|publisher=UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SANTA BARBARA}} while the fifth CoLang in 2016 resulted in the development of a thirty-year revitalization plan for Kristang in Singapore.{{cite web|last1=Wong|first1=Kevin Martens|title=Kodrah Kristang Kaminyu di Kodramintu: Kinyang Ngua (The Kristang Language Revitalization Plan, Phase One)|url=https://kodrahkristang.files.wordpress.com/2016/07/kaminyu-di-kodramintu-v1.pdf|website=Kodrah Kristang|access-date=August 12, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161013200854/https://kodrahkristang.files.wordpress.com/2016/07/kaminyu-di-kodramintu-v1.pdf|archive-date=October 13, 2016|url-status=dead}} InField/CoLang has also resulted in ongoing community-based linguistics work in Kwak'wala and Kari’nja, among others.

CoLang was founded in 2008 as InField, the Institute on Field Linguistics and Language Documentation, by Carol Genetti. The institute was renamed to CoLang and adopted a charter and Advisory Circle in 2012.{{Cite web|url=https://idrh.ku.edu/colang-charter |title=CoLang Charter {{!}} Institute for Digital Research in the Humanities |date=2015-04-24 |access-date=2016-06-30 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150424094644/https://idrh.ku.edu/colang-charter |archive-date=April 24, 2015 }} CoLang announced a long-term partnership with the Linguistic Society of America (LSA) in 2015.

InField 2008 was held at the University of California Santa Barbara.Rehg, Kenneth L. 2007. Chapter 2. The Language Documentation and Conservation Initiative at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa. In D. Victoria Rau and Margaret Florey (eds). 2007. Documenting and Revitalizing Austronesian Languages. 13-24. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press. The director was Carol Genetti. The practicum languages were Ekegusii,{{Cite web|url=http://ekegusiiencyclopedia.com/participants|archive-url=https://archive.today/20150117132124/http://ekegusiiencyclopedia.com/participants|url-status=usurped|archive-date=January 17, 2015|title=Participants - ekegusiiencyclopedia -Ekegusii {{!}} Mwanyagetinge {{!}} Language {{!}} culture|website=ekegusiiencyclopedia.com|access-date=2016-06-30}} Kwak'wala, and Mende.{{Cite web|url=http://www.linguistics.ucsb.edu/faculty/infield/|title=UCSB Linguistics: InField - Field Linguistics and Language Documentation|website=www.linguistics.ucsb.edu|access-date=2016-06-30}}

InField 2010 was held at the University of Oregon.{{Cite journal|last=Yamada|first=Racquel-María|date=2014|title=Training in the Community-Collaborative Context: A Case Study|journal=Language Documentation and Conservation|volume=8|hdl=10125/24611}} The director was Spike Gildea. The practicum languages were Northern Paiute, Uyghur, and Wapishana.{{Cite web|url=http://linguistics.uoregon.edu/infield2010/home/index.php|title=InField2010 at UO : Home|website=linguistics.uoregon.edu|access-date=2016-06-30}}

CoLang 2012 was held at the University of Kansas. The directors were Arienne Dwyer and Carlos Nash.{{Cite web|url=http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2012/jul/08/institute-aims-keep-languages-alive/|title=Institute aims to keep languages alive|website=LJWorld.com|access-date=2016-06-30}} The practicum languages were Amazigh, Cherokee, and Uda.{{Cite web|url=http://idrh.ku.edu/colang2012 |title=CoLang 2012 {{!}} Institute for Digital Research in the Humanities |date=2015-04-28 |access-date=2016-06-30 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150428151744/http://idrh.ku.edu/colang2012 |archive-date=April 28, 2015 }}

CoLang 2014 was held at the University of Texas Arlington.{{Cite web|url=http://www.nativetimes.com/index.php/culture/9988-ut-arlington-to-host-international-conference-on-native-american-language|title=UT Arlington to host international conference on Native American language|website=www.nativetimes.com|access-date=2016-06-30}} The director was Colleen Fitzgerald.{{Cite web|url=http://www.uta.edu/faculty/cmfitz/swnal/press/|title=KRLD/1080 AM (CBS Radio)}} The practicum languages were Alabama, Apoala Mixtec (course in Spanish), Innu, and Ngambai.{{Cite web|url=http://www.uta.edu/faculty/cmfitz/swnal/projects/CoLang/|title=CoLang{{!}} Projects with Native American Languages of the Southwest {{!}} Linguistics & TESOL {{!}} UT Arlington|website=www.uta.edu|access-date=2016-06-30}}

CoLang 2016 was held at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. The directors were Alice Taff and Siri Tuttle. The practicum languages were Han, Miyako, and Unangam Tunuu{{Cite web|url=https://www.alaska.edu/colang2016/|title=Home {{!}} CoLang 2016|website=www.alaska.edu|access-date=2016-06-30}}

CoLang 2018 was held at the University of Florida. The director was George Aaron Broadwell. The practicum languages were Timucua, Macuiltianguis Zapotec, and Nyangbo (Tutrugbu).

CoLang 2020 was to be held at the University of Montana, co-directed by Mizuki Miyashita and Susan Penfield. It was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but took place in 2022. The practicum languages were Northern Cheyenne and South Bolivian Quechua

The CoLang Advisory Circle provides long-term stewardship of the Institute and guidance to the Local Organizing Committee for each individual Institute; it also seeks to develop public awareness of CoLang and the institute's commitment toward preserving and sustaining language diversity.{{Cite web|url=http://www.uta.edu/faculty/cmfitz/swnal/projects/CoLang/charter.pdf|access-date=2017-03-15|title=CoLang Charter}}

Current as of February 2017

• Fakhruddin Akhunzada (2020)
• Aaron Broadwell (2020)
• Ewa Czaykowska-Higgins (2018) (co-convener)
• Susan Gehr (2018) (co-convener)
• Spike Gildea (2020)
• Seunghun J. Lee (2020)
• Megan Lukaniec (2018)
• Leroi Morgan (2020)
• Carolyn O'Meara (2020)
• Jean-Luc Pierite (2020)
• Heather Powell (2020)
• Keren Rice (2018)
• Kris Stenzel (2020)
• Alice Taff (2020)
• Adrienne Tsikewa (2018)
• Kevin Martens Wong (2018)

• Endangered language
• Language revitalization
• Language documentation

{{Reflist}}

• {{Official website|https://www.colang2024.org/|Colang 2024 official website}}
• {{Official website|http://hs.umt.edu/colang/organizing-committee.php|CoLang 2020 official website}}
• {{Official website|https://colang.lin.ufl.edu/|CoLang 2018 official website}}
• {{Official website|https://www.alaska.edu/colang2016/|CoLang 2016 official website}}
• {{Official website|http://www.uta.edu/faculty/cmfitz/swnal/projects/CoLang/|CoLang 2014 official website}}
• {{Official website|https://web.archive.org/web/20150428151744/http://idrh.ku.edu/colang2012|CoLang 2012 official website}}
• {{Official website|http://linguistics.uoregon.edu/infield2010/home/index.php|InField 2010 official website}}
• {{Official website|http://www.linguistics.ucsb.edu/faculty/infield/|InField 2008 official website}}

Category:Linguistic societies

Category:2008 establishments in the United States

Category:Language documentation