Theresa Savage & Michael Longo (2013) Legal Frameworks for the Protection
of Ainu Language and Culture in Japan: International and European Perspectives, Japanese Studies,
33:1, 101-120, DOI: 10.1080/10371397.2013.782098
Jennifer Teeter and Takayuki Okazaki.’’ Ainu as a Heritage Language of Japan: History, Current State and Future of Ainu Language Policy and Education’’ Heritage Language Journal, 8(2)Summer 2011 pp.96-pp.114
Maher, John. ‘’Linguistic Minorities and Education in Japan.’’ Jun97, vol.49 issue 2, p115. 13p. 5 Charts
Michael Ptaszynski, Yoshido Momouchi. ‘’Part-of-speech tagger for Ainu language based on higher order Hidden Markov Model.’’ Volume: 39 Issue: 14 Pages: 11576-11582 DOI: 10.1016/j.eswa.2012.04.031 Published: OCT 15 2012
Cheung, SCH. ‘’Ainu culture in transition.‘‘ Volume: 8 Issue: 4 Article Number: e62243 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0062243 Published: APR 26 2013
Conclusion
- Thanks to the intensive programs of The Foundation for Research and Promotion of Ainu culture, the Ainu language is given a second change.
- ''Clearly there are more than just 15 ''active'' speakers of Ainu, and more young Ainu are learning are learning the language everyday.'' (Jennifer Teeter & Takayuki Okazaki 110)
- With all the programs and language classes, there is a solid foundation to build on for future Ainu speakers.
Endangered Languages: Ainu
Part 2
- Radio and online courses, annual speech contest (Theresa Savage & Michael Longo 110)
- Increasing attendance of youth at Ainu language classes
- Ainu courses at universities throughout Japan
(Jennifer Teeter & Takayuki Okazaki 107)
The Ainu People
- The Ainu people live mainly in the nothern part of Honshu, Hokkaido, Sakhalin and the Kuriles (Theresa Savage & Michael Longo 108)
- Only 15 native speakers remaining, according to UNESCO Language Heritage in serious danger of extinction (Jennifer Teeter & Takayuki Okazaki 96)
- How will the Ainu language be preserved?
How to preserve?
- Since the 1980's, there's a strong focus on increasing and maintaining the Ainu culture, especially on language preservation. (John Maher, vol. 49)
- The Japanese government installed The Foundation For Research and Promotion of Ainu Culture (Theresa Savage & Michael Longo 116)
- Training intstructors
- advanced language classes
- Provision of educative textbooks for primary schools and high schools (S.C.H Cheung 956) (Theresa Savage & Michael Longo 110)
History
Bibliography
- The Ainu people know a history of discrimination and repression
- The Meiji government (1868-1912) encouraged Japanese peasants to move to Hokkaido
- Only Intention: To assimilate the Ainu into Japanese society (Jennifer Teeter & Takayuki Okazaki 98)
- Why? The Meiji government thought that Japanese were the more superior inhabitants of Japan.
- Result: Most of the Ainu only speak Japanese nowadays ----> Language shift