Preserving
Endangered
Languages
We preserve the unheard voices that are vital to our social tapestry - through scholarly documentation, research, writing, and more. No voice, no matter how small, should be destroyed.
- CriticalTaaBotswana · Namibia
- CriticalYuchiOklahoma, USA
- EndangeredWarlpiriNorthern Territory, AU
- RevitalizingManxIsle of Man, UK
- EndangeredWampanoagMassachusetts, USA
- CriticalWukchumniSan Joaquin Valley, CA · Newest
An international team for an international cause
From Boston to Botswana - our student researchers document endangered languages across four continents, mentored by scholars at leading universities.
We are currently researching and documenting six endangered languages. We have written 120+ pages of documentation thus far and our students' research is reviewed by PhD mentors from UChicago, UPenn, UMass, and more.
We aim to document (and create tools for) these languages fully so these people and cultures are preserved for all of posterity:
"No voice, no matter how small, should be destroyed."- Siddharth Chopra, President & Founder
We are building a team of youth researchers, documenters, and writers. Paired with the expertise of scholars, LWI plans to create a long-term effort of preserving languages whose condition is endangered or extinct - of voices unheard and suppressed.
Our full missionWant to help save dying cultures, peoples, and their tongues?
Four ways to contribute to our mission of preserving endangered languages and revitalizing extinct ones.
Register for a Students × Scholar Forum
Get to learn about endangered or extinct languages, their morphology and phonetics, as well as how we can save them from field professionals.
Join our Research & Documentation Program
Documentation is the key to long-term preservation. We need to dig deep to find the ins and outs of these languages so anyone can learn them from our resources. You get to research and publish with us and scholars!
Join our Magazine Program
Write articles and shorter posts about native groups, languages, and our achievements & events. Anyone who is writing-inclined should join us here and become part of our staff!
Apply for Leadership or Membership
Join us by taking leadership and position at our organization - whether it be in outreach, social media, or making it to the board as Vice President, look at open offerings.
Who's LWI for?
High School Students
High school students interested in languages, linguistics, computational linguistics, native cultures, classics, etc. (anything adjacent to endangered languages and their cultures!)
Scholars & Professors
Scholars & professors who are knowledgeable about any of these fields (linguistics, computational linguistics, indigenous studies, native culture, endangered languages, etc.)
Native People & Organizations
Native people, associated native organizations, & speakers of the languages we are trying to preserve! If you might know someone who speaks one of these languages or is very knowledgeable about one of them, please email us!
contact@lostworldsinstitute.org"The Lost Worlds Institute is set on connecting students with scholars to promote revitalization, awareness, and education about the beauty of extinct languages."- Siddharth Chopra, Founder and President
Frequently Asked
Can I get an official position or publish with LWI?+
Yes! Lost Worlds Institute is offering positions to students and scholars, encouraging youth, who are passionate about unheard voices and languages, to create official, public documentation & published work accessible to all!
Is the documentation just research papers?+
No - Lost Worlds Institute, however, does expect research to be at the basis of how we get information about these endangered languages, but some documentation will be in an interactive, accessible form for everyone. The goal is that anyone can learn more about (or work on preserving) these endangered languages and cultures through us. Many of the languages part of our 6 Language Initiative are facing issues with youth not learning these languages - LWI is fixing that so anyone can learn them.
How can I support if I don't want to research or document?+
1. Promoting our work! Post on social media, join us in our outreach program, or even subscribe to our news listing! Getting more eyes on our work is critical. 2. Join our publications program to write (if you're interested in a different form of writing) 3. Follow our Instagram (@lostworldsinstitute) to check out our work!
Why "Lost Worlds"?+
A lost language is a lost world - a people erased from the tablet of history. Every language is a complete system of meaning, culture, and cognition unique in human history. When a language disappears, that world is gone permanently. Our name reflects our mission: to fight to ensure that these languages do not die off.
Join us and connect!
Whether you're a keen high school student, interested scholar, native organization, or simply a language enthusiast, sign up for our news listing!
Or reach us at contact@lostworldsinstitute.org
