Leanne Hinton facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Leanne Hinton
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Leanne Hinton speaking at an Advocates for Indigenous California Language Survival conference, 2008
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| Born | 28 September 1941 United States
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| Nationality | American |
| Education | PhD, University of California, San Diego (1977) |
| Occupation | Linguist, Professor Emerita |
| Years active | 1978–present |
| Employer | University of California, Berkeley (Emerita) |
| Known for | Language revitalization, American Indian languages, sociolinguistics |
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Notable work
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Bringing Our Languages Home, How to Keep Your Language Alive |
| Awards | Cultural Freedom Award (2006), Language, Linguistics, and the Public award (2012) |
Leanne Hinton, born on September 28, 1941, is an American linguist. She is a retired professor of language studies at the University of California, Berkeley. She is well-known for her work in helping to save and bring back American Indian languages.
Contents
Learning and Helping Languages
Her College Journey
Leanne Hinton earned her PhD degree in 1977 from the UC San Diego. Her special project was about "Havasupai songs." This project looked at the language used in these songs. After finishing her studies, she joined the faculty at Berkeley in 1978. There, she started working with languages spoken by Native American groups in California.
What She Studies
Professor Hinton is an expert in several areas of language. She focuses on American Indian languages and sociolinguistics. Sociolinguistics is the study of how language is used in different groups of people. She also specializes in language revitalization. This means helping languages that are disappearing to become strong again.
People describe her as an expert on why languages are being lost. She also understands how important it is to have many different languages in the world. She knows how to help native languages come back to life before it is too late.
Helping Native American Groups
Leanne Hinton first worked with Native American groups on bilingual education. This is when people learn in two languages. She also helped them create ways to write their languages down. This is called orthographic design. She also helped them develop literature in their own languages.
Leading Language Projects
Hinton is a director of the Survey of California and Other Indian Languages (SCOIL). This group studies and records Native American languages. She also helps with efforts to bring languages back to life. She is part of groups like the Advocates for Indigenous California Language Survival. She helps with their "Breath of Life" conferences. These events help people learn and use their native languages.
With another linguist, Andrew Garrett, she helped put many SCOIL records online. These records are now available through the California Language Archive. Professor Hinton also helped create the Master-Apprentice Language Learning Program. This program helps older speakers teach their language to younger learners.
Awards and Special Recognition
Cultural Freedom Award
In 2006, Leanne Hinton received a special award called the Cultural Freedom Award. This award honors people who help communities keep their unique cultures, freedom, and creativity alive. It was given to her by the Lannan Foundation.
Linguistics Award
In 2012, she was given the Language, Linguistics, and the Public award. This award came from the Linguistic Society of America. It recognized her important work in sharing knowledge about language with the public.
Published Works
Leanne Hinton has written several important books. Two of her well-known works are Bringing Our Languages Home and How to Keep Your Language Alive. These books share her knowledge about language revitalization.
