Transmitting the memory of oracy: making a video archive of Miyakoan, an endangered language

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K00695
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 02090:Japanese language education-related
• Research Institution: International Christian University
• Principal Investigator: Fujita-Round Sachiyo 国際基督教大学, 教養学部, 客員准教授 (60383535)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): MAHER JohnC. 国際基督教大学, 教養学部, 特任教授 (50216256)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: 社会言語学・応用言語学 / バイリンガリズム / オラリティと消滅危機言語 / 映像アーカイブ / 言語の再活性化 / 日本のマルティリンガリズム / アクションリサーチ / 21世紀のグローバル教育実践

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In 2020, the ‘fluent’ Miyakoan speakers of Miyako Island City, Okinawa prefecture, are already in their 80s/90s. The present research has aimed to record their ‘language’ and memories by video and built a video archive as a system to transmit Miyakoan for the next generation.
Miyakoan language is a spoken language without orthography, mainly used in the daily life of islanders. The language has no longer been transmitted naturally among families. Therefore, it is critical to create opportunities to raise the awareness of the grandchildren about the local language and culture while their grandparents, Miyakoan speakers, are still alive. This is vital for the language transmission.
In this present research, I articulated the collaboration with the islanders and treasured the style transmitting the language directly from the memories of senior islanders by recording ‘their language’ as it was, without cutting ‘sounds’ out of ‘contexts’.

Free Research Field

社会言語学・応用言語学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究の意義は、沖縄県宮古島の消滅危機言語の「ことば」と文化の活性化を目指し、１）宮古語話者や集落の生活を映像で記録、２）地域に根差した記録として島人と協働したことである。具体的には、ドキュメンタリー映画１本（46分）、三つの集落の映像アルバム３本（10分）、宮古島特有の文化や風景の映像クリップ６本（1-5分）の合計10作品をYouTube上で公開し、宮古島の将来の話者に継承の手がかりを残した。