cultures and languages around the world are endangered and at risk of losing more than a means of communication. When. languages dies, then does culture and knowledge particular to a community.Much of my time is spent reviewing innovative technology but sometimes I feel I don’t spend enough time seeing how that technology is used in real life. A case in point recently was the launch of Shure’s MoveMic wireless microphone system.
Shure decided that a good way of testing its new technology and doing something positive was to support the Living Tongues’ mission to safeguard the world’s languages and cultures from extinction through documentation, collaboration and language revitalization. While the recordings themselves won’t directly slow the rate of attrition, they can preserve a legacy for future generations.
Another advantage of using the small Shure MoveMic kits is the absence of large microphones and trailing wires that could intimidate or distract interviewees. Researchers can record more natural exchanges with more nuance in the conversations. Living Tongues linguists who use the Shure MoveMics are trained in using audio technology. Later this year, MoveMics will be distributed to endangered language communities who already have some experience using digital technology and who could benefit from such equipment to continue their projects.Shure has used the MoveMic system to help researchers from Living Tongues document Santali, a Munda language from India.
“Languages that are approaching extinction today are usually spoken in former settlement colonies . Due to the subjugation and assimilation by dominant groups, both covert and overt, speakers of these languages have been disenfranchised from their linguistic heritage.” “Some cultural videos will likely have a broader community of interest and we make these available to the public through our. As a distributed team of international researchers, we don’t have a physical location that people can visit in person.