Field report: Update on Hadza language vitality

In terms of vitality, the Hadza language has been classified as “vulnerable” by the UNESCO Atlas of the World’s Languages in Danger, or “endangered” by Ethnologue. All previous reports have suggested that, although the speaker population is small, intergenerational transmission was robust in most Hadza communities—that is, until recently. During fieldwork conducted in 2022, I have identified a nascent shift in language use among Hadza children below the age of eight; in all but two camps in which I visited, children ≤8 years old are primarily communicating in Swahili amongst agemates, as well as in response to older speakers. The Hadza community is aware of this language shift and many are concerned with its implications for the future. Community members have already begun grassroots efforts to combat language atrophy within the community. This presentation, therefore, will offer an update on the linguistic situation, its implications for Hadza language vitality, and detail some community-internal and -external ethnolinguistic conservation efforts.Note: This talk has not gone through a process of peer review, and findings should therefore be treated as preliminary and subject to change. Acknowledgement and citation: Coburn, Jeremy. 2023. Field report: Update on Hadza language vitality. Talk Given at Rift Valley Webinar Series 22/02/2023