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The motivation for the project is the alarming rate of language death–
it is estimated that 60-70% of the world's 6500 languages will have died by the end of this century.
Documentation involves recording language in a variety of cultural contexts, to show how the language is used in the speech community and how it encodes the culture. Because documentation focuses on language in context, recording on video tape is essential, and mandated by the Volkswagen Foundation. |