[Commlist] Call for Chapters: Indigenous Language Preservation and Promotion through Digital Media Technology in the Fourth Industrial Revolution

Call for Chapters for an edited volume: Indigenous Language Preservation 
and Promotion through Digital Media Technology in the Fourth Industrial 
Revolution (*no payment from the authors* will be required)

Editors:  Prof. Fulufhelo Oscar Makananise (PhD), Associate Professor, 
University of South Africa (UNISA)

  Dr. Shumani Eric Madima (PhD), Senior Lecturer, University of Venda 
(UNIVEN)

Targeted publisher: Lexington Books

  Introduction Every revolution brings technological opportunities, 
challenges, and threats in different areas of life, including media, 
society, and indigenous languages. Indigenous languages are those native 
languages spoken by local people in their respective societies or 
communities. In most cases, these are languages that have not been 
recognised as business languages for centuries because they are not 
known for activities that sustain a society and its environment on a 
global scale. In addition, Madingiza (2020) noted that the above view 
has led some speakers of indigenous languages to consider their 
languages as less important than the languages of settlers. Whereas Lor 
(2012), supported by Lucibella (2023), pointed out that an estimated 
half of the 7,000 documented languages spoken worldwide are at high risk 
of being lost or disappearing in the coming decades or century. 
Lucibella (2023) further asserted that between 1950 and 2021, 
approximately 230 languages worldwide have disappeared from human 
memory. Furthermore, PanSALB (2022) added that most countries are home 
to many endangered indigenous languages and the struggle for their 
survival requires resources and a rigorous commitment to the 
preservation and promotion of these languages. Wetzel (2018) emphasized 
that a language is only endangered when its speakers never use it or use 
it in fewer areas of communication and it can no longer be passed on 
from one generation to the next. These languages, which suffered from 
unreasonable colonial laws in the past, now face the inimitable 
challenge of adapting to a rapidly changing technological age, threats, 
and opportunities of the 4IR (Mpungose, 2020). In addition, the concern 
of language loss, also known as linguicide, is felt around the world due 
to globalization and technological innovations. This has led to unrest 
and the need to promote and preserve these languages through digital 
media formats, especially in the fourth industrial revolution, also 
known as 4IR. As a result, scholarly debates and discourses have erupted 
among academics and researchers from various disciplines such as media, 
communication, journalism, and languages to discuss the current status 
quo of indigenous languages in the era of 4IR. In addition, most world 
organizations such as the United Nations Educational, Scientific and 
Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the International Decade have 
recognized and supported the need for indigenous peoples to preserve, 
revitalize and promote their indigenous languages and to incorporate 
aspects of linguistic diversity and multilingualism into sustainable 
development efforts. The 4IR or Industry 4.0 is characterized by an 
exponential pace of technological developments such as the Internet of 
Things (IoT), Information and Communication Technology (ICT), and social 
media, to name a few. In the last two decades, there has been an 
increased interest in how digital technologies support the promotion, 
revitalization, preservation, and reclamation of indigenous languages 
(Galla, 2016). This is because language is central to the operation and 
use of these new technologies (Ndzendze, 2020). However, the key 
questions in this book are: are indigenous languages fully integrated 
into digital media technologies? Have we effectively digitized, 
promoted, and preserved them to adapt to the ever-evolving virtual 
environment? Are our languages integrated into the 4IR as they migrate 
into the digital space? For indigenous languages to not only survive but 
thrive in the ever-changing technological era, our language policies 
must effectively capture the zeitgeist and adapt to ensure their 
longevity, development, promotion, and preservation. Moreover, it has 
become clear that, in contrast, little and inadequate attention has been 
paid to the development, preservation, and promotion of indigenous 
languages in the 4IR. However, this book would provide an opportunity 
for academics and researchers to submit chapter proposals in the areas 
of language development, preservation, revitalization, and promotion 
through digital media technologies in the 4IR. This book would also 
bring together the expertise of media scholars, communication scholars, 
journalists, linguists, and practitioners to offer well-rounded debates 
on digital media transformation and the promotion and preservation of 
indigenous languages in the age of the 4IR. The immense contribution of 
the authors offers first-hand insights, guidance, strategic guidelines, 
and key research findings that encompass emerging case studies in the 
wake of digital technology, indigenous languages, and 4IR. The result is 
book chapters that present both new findings and core studies on 
relevant topics in digital media transformation and Indigenous languages 
in the 4IR. With this in mind, we invite original contributions that 
address these issues using a wide range of theoretical and 
methodological approaches. This would not only be impartial, but also a 
sign of respect for nations and societies previously disadvantaged by 
the legacy of colonialism and capitalism.

  Recommended topics/Themes

- Afrocentric perceptions, indigenous language preservation, and digital 
media;
- Changes in digital communication and language change in 4IR;
  - Decolonizing Indigenous Languages Research and Methodologies in 4IR;
- Digital economic development, indigenous languages, and the 4IR;
- Digital indigenization and decolonization of indigenous languages in 
the 4IR;
- Digital language technologies and content production;
- Digital Media Activism and Indigenous Languages;
- Digital media and indigenous language revitalization in the 4IR;
- Digital media inequalities and language preservation in the 4IR;
- Digital Media Technology, Indigenous Language Advancement, and the 
4IR; - Digital Media, Language Development and Society;
  - Digital Newspapers, Indigenous Languages, and the 4IR;
- Global Initiatives for Digital Preservation of Indigenous Languages in 
the 4IR;
- Indigenous language development and preservation in the age of the 4IR;
- Indigenous language preservation through digital media in the 4IR; - 
Indigenous Languages and Social Development;
- Indigenous Media Languages and the 4IR;
- Innovative, digital media practices and language use;
- Language practices, social media and the 4IR;
- Language technology and endangered languages in the 4IR
- Indigenous language development and preservation policy in the 4IR,
- Technological developments and language preservation in the 4IR;
- The Internet of Things, Indigenous languages, and the 4IR.

Submission details:

Interested authors are invited to submit an abstract of 300-350 words 
and a short biography of all authors. The abstract should succinctly 
state the aim of the study, the theoretical/conceptual framework, and 
the methodological approaches used. All submissions should be forwarded 
to Prof. Fulufhelo Oscar Makananise ((omakananise5 /at/ gmail.com) 
<mailto:(omakananise5 /at/ gmail.com)>) and Dr. Shumani Eric Madima 
((ericmadima /at/ gmail.com) <mailto:(ericmadima /at/ gmail.com)>).

  Important Dates:
 Deadline for abstracts submission: 28 February 2023
 Notification of abstract acceptance or rejection: 15 March 2023
   Submission of full chapters: 30 June 2023
   Reviewer’s feedback to authors: 28 July 2023
 Submission of revised manuscripts: 25 August 2023
 Expected date of publication: 31 December 2023
Targeted Publisher: Lexington Books

  References
Galla, C.K. (2016). Indigenous language revitalisation, promotion, and 
education: Function of digital technology. Computer Assisted Language 
Learning, 29(7), 1137-1151.

Lor, P. (2012). Preserving, developing and promoting indigenous 
languages: things South African librarians can do. Journal of 
Appropriate Librarianship and Information Work in Southern Africa, 
45(1), 28-50.

Lucibella, M. (2023). Preserving endangered languages as 3D shapes. 
(Date accessed, January, 27, 2023).

Madingiza, T.S. (2020). Indigenous languages must be celebrated. This is 
why. (Date accessed, January 26, 2023).

Ndzendze, B. 2020. The fourth industrial revolution and its implications 
for African languages. Department of Politics and International 
Relations, Centre for Africa-China Studies, University of Johannesburg, 
South Africa.

PanSALB, (2022). The survival of African languages in a digital era. 
(Date accessed, January 29, 2023).

Wetzel, A. (2018). Preserving linguistic diversity in the digital world. 
Multilingual, 1-6.
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