From Endangerment to (Re)Emergence: Child Language, Acquisition, and Reclamation

What does it mean to acquire an endangered language as a child? How does acquisition manifest across different endangered language scenarios? We propose a view of language acquisition and transmission that encompasses a broad range of language endangerment contexts beyond monolingual settings and thus reframes language endangerment through insights from children's speech, across learning contexts, and in relation to community ideologies. We consider how children's language practices affect and are affected by two interrelated projects: (a) institutional definitions of language endangerment and (b) community processes of self-determination. We conclude that attention to child language teases apart the socially constructed dimensions of languages and linguistic boundaries and highlights the vitalities that emerge through children's participation in acts of language reclamation.