Museums of Language and the Display of Intangible Cultural Heritage

Museums of Language and the Display of Intangible Cultural Heritage brings together essays by the directors, designers and curators of leading language museums around the world, who describe the history, mission, and modes of display in their institutions, with a view to the role intangible heritage can and should play in the museum. Arguing that languages are among our most precious forms of cultural heritage, yet that they are at risk of neglect, and endangerment from globalization and linguistic imperialism, this book also demonstrates how museums can make a difference. Including case studies from across Europe, North America, Africa and Asia, this book documentsthe vital work being done by such institutions to help preserve languages and make them objects of broad public interest. Divided into three sections, contributions to the book focus on one of three types of museums: museums of individual languages, museums of language groups, both geographic and structural, or museums of writing. As a whole, the volume presents practical and descriptive information alongside theoretical discussions and state-of-the-art commentaries concerning the representation of languages and their cultural nature. Museums of Language and the Display of Intangible Cultural Heritage is the first volume to address the subject of language museums and, as such, should be of interest to academics, researchers and postgraduate students in the fields of museum and cultural heritage studies, applied linguistics, anthropology, tourism and public education