LINGUIST List 5.30

Fri 07 Jan 1994

Qs: Endangered Languages, School Calendars, Turkic Languages

Editor for this issue: <>

Directory

1. , Endangered languages
2. Thomas Robb, School Calendars around the World
3. Andrej Kibrik, Call for sponsorship

ENDANGERDED LANGUAGES IN BIBLIOGRAPHIE LINGUISTIQUE:

CALL FOR CORRESPONDENTS

In linguistics, the traditional fin de siecle syndrome has fortunately not
(yet) led to a decadent movement, but rather to a growing concern with nu-
merous endangered languages of the world (over 90% according to recent esti-
mates). At its 15th congress (Quebec 1992), the Permanent International
Committee of Linguists (PICL) initiated an "Endangered Languages" project,
which was subsequently adopted by UNESCO. As Biblography Linguistique/ Lin-
guistic Bibliography (BL) is PICL's official bibliography, special atten-
tion will be given to minority languages in general and endangered languages
in particular. However, this will not be possible without the assitance of
specialist correspondents. The following areas are urgently in need of a
specialist sub-editor: South and South-East Asia, the Pacific, Africa, and
the Americas. It will be preferable to have one sub-editor per language
family. A volume covering the linguistic output of the year 1992 is current-
ly in preparation. The deadline for contributions is 1 April 1994. Any sug-
gestions are welcome.

Editorial address:

Bibliographie Linguistique/ Linguistic Bibliography
Mark Janse, Editor
Prins Willem-Alexanderhof 5
P.O. Box 90752
NL-2509 LT The Hague
The Netherlands
Phone: +31 70 31 40 345/256
Fax: +31 70 31 40 450

P.G.J. van Sterkenburg
Secretary-General of PICL

Through the help of the subscribers to TESL-L (Teachers of English as
a Second Language List) and its branches, I have been compiling a list
of school calendars around the world which would be useful for anyone
comtemplating penpal exchanges, working in another country doing
cooperative research, etc. So far there are listings for 39
countries.

Since this information is potentially useful to scholars in many
fields, and there are many countries still unlisted, I have decided to
appeal to the subscribers of LINGUIST for help. In a few week's time,
I will contribute the compilation to the LINGUIST archives and provide
periodic updates as more countries are listed.

Here are the details:

I've adopted a graphical format, giving credit to the person who
supplies the data, for example,

 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
 | | | | | | | | | | | |
Austria(Univ) -11111---222*22*222222--------------->11111111--
Austria (P/S) -1111-111111*1111*1111--------->11111111111111--
 (Karl Heinz Schmid)
Mexico 111111111111**111111111G------->1111111111111111
 (Dina Tanners)

Format:
 1 first term, 2 second term, etc. P/S Primary/Secondary Level
 * Movable holiday week (Easter,etc) x exam period,
 G graduation, - break > Start of year (next char position)

Each month has four character positions representing 4 weeks/month
beginning with the leftmost position under that month's number.

If a country that YOU are familiar with is not listed, PLEASE send me
your info, either in the graphical format or just in words.

 My address: trobbcc.kyoto-su.ac.jp

Countries already listed: Australia, Austria, Belg, Braz, Can, China,
Costa Rica, Czech, Den, Ecuador, Fin, Fr, Ger, Hon, HK, Hung, Ice,
Iran, Isr, It, Jpn, Kazakhstan, Korea, Malaysia, Mex, Namibia, NZ,
Nor, Peru, Phil, Pol, Rus, Senegal, Sing, Sp, Switz, Taiwan, Thai, US

I'm looking forward to hearing from you!

Cheers,
 --Tom

 /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
 /Thomas N. Robb, Ph.D. TROBBJPNKSUVX.bitnet\
 < Professor trobbksuics.kyoto-su.ac.jp >
 \Kyoto Sangyo University +81-720-44-7303 (Fax)/
 \/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

 CALL FOR SPONSORSHIP

 Institute of Linguistics of the Russian Academy of Sciences,
Moscow, Russia, has prepared for publication the second volume of the
encyclopedia "Languages of the World" - "Turkic Languages".
 The encyclopedia is a multivolume edition which the Institute of
Linguistics has been working on for a number of years. The articles
for the first series (out of four) "Eurasian Lnaguages" have been
basically completed by early 90s. However, due to the economic
difficulties in Russia the publishing house "Nauka" - the supposed
publisher of encyclopedia - was able to publish only the first volume
of the first series - "Uralic Languages" (1993).
The fate of the following volumes in unclear, though the
manuscript of volume 2 was submitted to "Nauka" in 1991.
 All articles of the encyclopedia are written in accordance with
a standard format. Each language is given a sociolinguistic,
historical and structural characterization.
 The volume, as all of the encyclopedia, is written in Russian.
The authors include the recognized authorities of the ex-USSR in the
respective languages. The edition is addressed to specialists in
Turkic languages, general linguists, historians, anthropologists, and
sociologists.
 The volume contains two introductory articles "Altaic languages"
and "Turkic languages", 15 articles of ancient Turkic languages, and
38 articles of modern Turkic languages, thus comprising the whole
variety of Turkic languages known to the science. The book is going
to be 700 pages long. We assume the volume should be a significant
contribution to the study and description of Turkic languages.
 Given the present situation, when the result of the collective
long-term labor of dozens of people can perish, the working group
involved in the preparation of the encyclopedia calls for sponsorship
from the professionally interested organizations. The book can be
published by "Nauka" if a sum of money, approximately estimated as
$1200 could be found.
 Please let us know if you have any offers to this effect.

 Sincerely,

 V.N.Yartseva, A.A.Kibrik,
Editor-in-chief of the Editor of the volume 2
Encyclopedia "Languages of the World" "Turkic languages"

Moscow 103009
Institute of Linguistics, Russian Academy of Sciences
"Languages of the World"
Russia

Fax: (095) 290 05 28
E-mail: kibrikiling.msk.su