Her husband, Tomoyuki Sao, is fast to clarify that her pronunciation is all the time animated by a smile and tends to make fellow Shimamuni audio system noticeably extra glad. arigatouthe usual Japanese equal of claiming thanks.
Although Nami and Tomoyuki have been born on the island of Okinoerabu (which at the moment has solely 12,000 inhabitants), neither of them realized to talk fluent Shimamuni, a neighborhood number of the Kunigami language, as youngsters.
Kunigami has been added to Atlas of the World’s Endangered Languages, UNESCO in 2009 and categorised as “undoubtedly endangered” to boost consciousness that “youngsters are not studying the language as a mom tongue at residence”.
Residents of Okinoerabu Island acquire rubbish on a seashore.
A household takes motion
After studying that the island’s indigenous language of Okinoerabu was formally thought of endangered, the couple and their 4 youngsters determined to translate their love of the language into impactful actions which have since resonated far past the island.
The folks of Okinoerabu Island weren’t solely involved about shedding a language, but additionally more and more involved concerning the proliferation of marine particles. In what started as a faculty undertaking assigned throughout summer season trip, the kids of Sao determined they may deal with each issues directly by performing each day seashore cleanups whereas participating in language actions, similar to singing and holding a journal in Shimamuni to doc their each day progress.
Using the Shimamuni vernacular as a typical thread of shared native identification that connects folks from completely different walks of life, the Sao household has since expanded their conservation actions to incorporate cooking native delicacies, offering haircuts to nursing residence residents, studying arts and crafts on the group heart, and taking part in a “Shimamuni Salon” the place language classes are supplied and native environmental points are frequently mentioned. The objective is to domesticate the following technology of eco-conscious Shimamuni audio system.
“Without these community-led actions, the language would turn out to be extinct with the disappearance of its elder audio system,” mentioned Dr. Sumittra Suraratdecha, affiliate professor of linguistics on the Research Institute for Languages and Cultures of Asia (RILCA) in Thailand.
The folks of Okinoerabu Island put together native delicacies.
Linguistic Diversity and Sustainable Development
When requested concerning the underlying motivation for his household’s involvement in such a variety of actions, the considerate Tomoyuki cites the urgency of reaching the bold objective. Sustainable Development Goals (Sustainable Development Goals) by 2030.
He believed that moderately than passing on to his youngsters the data he himself had acquired by way of formal schooling 20 or 30 years earlier, it could be higher to help their studying by way of observe and thus facilitate the buildup of real-life experiences that might allow them to make a distinction.
Apparently, the Shimamuni language not solely serves as a automobile for transmitting native data, similar to conventional candy recipes, to the island’s youth, but additionally improves the effectiveness of communication about environmental points among the many island’s elders, a few of whom as soon as held the mistaken perception that marine particles ought to merely be left to degrade by itself.
Given the present world actuality of accelerating manufacturing of non-degradable waste and microplastics, the native language Shimamuni helps to convey the true extent of the issue extra instantly to aged residents.
Reflecting on the circumstances of the Sao household and their inventive response to native ecocultural challenges, Kyungah Kristy Bang, Multilingual Education Consultant on the UNESCO Regional Office in Bangkok and coordinator of the Asia-Pacific Multilingual Education Working Group, famous that “celebrating linguistic variety will be an efficient device and resolution to attain the Sustainable Development Goals on the native degree”.
The Sao household
Recognition on the world stage
In October 2023, the Sao household had the chance to current their inspiring story on the seventh International Conference on Language and Education in Bangkok, Thailand.
As representatives of Okinoerabu Island taking part in a significant worldwide convention co-hosted by UNESCOattended the occasion, which attracted over 450 language consultants and attendees from around the globe.
The Sao household has gained help from throughout the island, as the 2 essential cities have come collectively to assist put together the household’s presentation movies and canopy a number of the journey bills.
“While the convention brings collectively varied stakeholders, similar to coverage makers, practitioners and researchers who share their experiences with language in schooling, we frequently neglect that it’s extra typically a complete group or group, or on this case a household, that drives the sustainability of language variety,” mentioned Brandon Darr, advisor for multilingual schooling on the UNESCO regional workplace.
For Tomoyuki, gaining recognition on the worldwide stage has solely strengthened his household’s sense of belonging.
“Our objective is to stay a mentally wealthy life,” he mentioned.
The spouse agreed.
“When our youngsters develop up, they’ll stay anyplace,” she mentioned, “however I need them to maintain their language and tradition of their hearts.”
Launched in 1996 with practically 600 endangered languages mapped globally, the Atlas continues to thrive as we speak as an interactive on-line device primarily based on the idea that linguistic variety underpins sustainable improvement and fosters equitable and pluralistic societies.
Learn extra concerning the Atlas and the languages it protects Here.
