Answer Close-Reading Questions
Have students write their responses, or use the Close-Reading Questions to guide a discussion.
• What are endangered languages? What are some of the causes of their endangered status? (Cause and Effect)
Endangered languages are those at risk of becoming extinct because most of their speakers don’t teach the languages to their children. Two of the main causes are globalization and colonization.
• How is music helping keep the Garifuna language alive in Belize? (Key Details)
The Garifuna Collective is a band that is trying to make the Garifuna language cool and inspire Garinagu youth to learn it by writing songs with Garifuna lyrics, Indigenous sounds, and electric guitars. Today Belize has Garifuna music producers and band competitions. Many TikTok videos also celebrate the language.
• What do the Māori and Arapaho languages have in common? How is each one being revitalized? (Compare and Contrast)
Both languages were dominant native tongues spoken by Indigenous groups whose cultures were later suppressed by colonizers. In New Zealand, the Māori language is being revitalized thanks to young activists who petitioned the government to recognize Māori as an important part of New Zealand’s culture and encourage its learning and use. Recently, the government agreed to provide Māori lessons in every school by 2025. In the United States, the Arapaho language is being revitalized by elders who helped create an app to teach it to the younger generation.