Evaluating Language Revitalisation. The Case of Zorja

Abstract

Evaluating Language Revitalization. The Case of Zorja

The Zorja project is the first immersive language-learning programme for adults in the Lower Sorbian context. The novelty of the approach raises several questions regarding the evaluation of its content and methodology. Systematic evaluations have not been comprehensively established for assessing language policy for minority languages in Germany. Against this background, the aim of this article is to develop a clear evaluative approach to language revitalisation, and to introduce basic concepts for evaluative research into the minority/language policy debate. It becomes apparent that we not only lack reference data, but for some criteria we sometimes even lack suitable measures to observe change. As a result, even the evaluation process of the Zorja project itself represents a learning journey about an integrative learning environment and the evaluation of learning programmes.