Can you imagine this:
A group of Elders of families is meeting together. Among their concerns – the younger generation is actively embracing the new experiences that surround them, but at the same time especially leaving their original language behind. The Elders can see that their community is fracturing, their social network isn’t able to cope with economic, social, educational and political pressures from outside the community. They wisely recognize that some good things are also happening – better farming methods, some of their children have gotten better-paying jobs, and overall health is improving. But what about the effects of losing their heritage language and culture? From where can they get help to address this issue?
Local communities frequently find it challenging to implement a language development program especially when they are aware that language shift is happening in their families, villages, and towns. In times of social shift, community leaders also negotiate the uncertainties in the context, and the relatively low level of the capacity of the community to take an active role in the planning and management of programs.
This book presents a comprehensive approach called Managing for Language Development Results (MfLDR) for the planning and management of community-based initiatives that include some aspect of local language development. It incorporates principles, processes, and practices that local community organizations and others can use whether they are the primary sponsors or participate as key stakeholders.
MfLDR is the result of the authors’ experiences over ten years reflecting, discussing with practitioners, teaching courses, conducting workshops, and consulting managers of language development programs in Africa, Eurasia, Asia, and North America. With MfLDR the authors bring together two broad developments that affect minority language communities. One, in the field of language development, focuses attention on the necessary conditions for sustainability of heritage languages. The other, in the domain of community development programs and projects, focuses attention on (a) the roles that communities fill in their own development efforts, and (b) planning and implementing result-oriented programs and projects.
This book provides a foundation and practical guide and resource for current and future planners, managers, and stakeholders of community-based development programs, especially those that include some aspect of language development of the local or heritage language. It can be used as a textbook, a resource for workshops and short courses, and a resource for administrators, program managers, project managers, and key stakeholders of programs.
This book is organized into four parts. Part 1 provides an overview and introduction to community-based language development, the context in which language development programs are implemented, and the discipline of management including program and project management. Part 2 presents the results oriented methodology and tools of MfLDR. A manager, a community-based organization, and its co-stakeholders can use it for (a) the identification and organization of the engagement of the appropriate stakeholders, (b) the identification of the desired changes a community desires to bring about, (c) the results-oriented planning of programs and associated projects to bring about those changes, and {d} the development of tools for use in the management of the implementation of the plans. Part 3 focuses on the organization of the management of programs and projects, and the processes and practices of Project Managers, Program Managers, and Administrative level Managers. Part 4 includes Appendices and a glossary of terminology.
This, the latest draft of the Managing Language Programs textbook, is not yet in its final state. Please let us know if you find sentences that are not clear or instances of faulty reasoning. We would also appreciate help with finding more examples, whether a personal communication that you would be willing to share, or tell us about a good example in the published literature and include the bibliographic citation so we can find it.
