Anna Belew
Endangered Languages Project
PO Box 16276
Portland, OR 97292
anna (at) endangeredlanguages.com
Education
2020 PhD, Linguistics, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
2010 M.A., Applied Linguistics, Boston University
2008 B.A., Linguistics and English Literature, Boston University
Professional Positions
2024-present Executive Director, Endangered Languages Project
2022-2024 Program Manager, Endangered Languages Project
2018-2022 Outreach Coordinator, Endangered Languages Project
2020-present Adjunct Assistant Professor, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Department of Linguistics
2020-2021 Digital Revitalization Consultant, Prairies to Woodlands Indigenous Language Revitalization
2016-2018 Head Copyeditor, Language Documentation and Conservation
2014-2016 Project Coordinator, Catalogue of Endangered Languages (ELCat), University of Hawaiʻi at
Mānoa
2011-2013 Assistant Project Manager, The LINGUIST List at Eastern Michigan University
Teaching Experience
2023 Instructor, LING105: Language Endangerment, Globalization, and Indigenous Peoples
University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
2021 Guest Co-Instructor, LING680: Introduction to Language Documentation
University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
2015 Instructor, LING102: Introduction to the Study of Language
University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
2012-2013 Course designer and instructor, To Boldly Write (science fiction workshop for teens)
826michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
2012 Co-Instructor, LNGE240: Linguistic and Cultural Diversity in the United States
Eastern Michigan University
2009 Teaching Assistant, LS565: Introduction to Language and Linguistics
Boston University
2007-2008 Course designer and instructor, English slang workshop
Boston University Center for English Language and Orientation Programs
Publications
In prep. Ojong Diba, Rachel and Anna Belew. Documenting and sustaining multilingualism in the
face of crisis: Language endangerment and destabilized language ecologies in two
Cameroonian contexts. In Evgeniya Gutova and Alireza Korangy (eds.), Multilingualism,
Identity, and Language Endangerment in Africa. Berlin: Springer.
In prep. Roche, Gerald and Anna Belew. Language shift, endangerment, and revitalization. In Joseph
Lo Bianco and Adrian Lundberg (eds.), Bloomsbury Handbook of Language Management. New
York: Bloomsbury.
2020 Belew, Anna. The Endangered Languages Project (ELP): Collaborative infrastructure and
knowledge-sharing to support Indigenous and endangered languages. Proceedings of the
International Conference on Language Technologies for All (LT4All). Paris: UNESCO. (link)
2018 Belew, Anna. Discourses of speakerhood in Iyasa: Linguistic identity and authenticity in an endangered language. Language Documentation & Conservation 12. (link)
2018 Belew, Anna and Sean Simpson. The status of the world's endangered languages.
In Campbell, Lyle and Kenneth Rehg (eds.) The Oxford Handbook of Endangered Languages.
Oxford: Oxford University Press.
2018 Belew, Anna and Sean Simpson. Language extinction then and now. In Campbell,
Lyle, and Anna Belew (eds.) Cataloguing the World's Endangered Languages.
London: Routledge.
2018 Belew, Anna, Yen-ling Chen, Lyle Campbell, Russell Barlow, Bryn Hauk, Raina Heaton,
and Stephanie Walla. The endangered languages of the world and their status. In Campbell,
Lyle and Anna Belew (eds.) Cataloguing the World's Endangered Languages. London:
Routledge.
2018 Campbell, Lyle and Anna Belew. Introduction: Why catalogue endangered languages? In
Campbell, Lyle and Anna Belew (eds.) Cataloguing the World's Endangered Languages. London:
Routledge.
Edited Volumes
2018 Campell, Lyle and Anna Belew (eds.). 2018. Cataloguing the World's Endangered
Languages. London: Routledge.
Conference Presentations
2023 Akumbu, Pius, Anna Belew, Amanda Holmes, Yulha Lhawa, Yazmin Novelo, and Alexandra
Philbin. The Endangered Languages Project’s Mentorship Program: Supporting the
revitalization and preservation of endangered languages worldwide. 29th LIPP-Symposium:
Small Languages on the Big Stage. Munich (online), December 2023.
2023 Belew, Anna and Lyle Campbell. Directions in Global Language Revitalization (Plenary). 11th
International Conference on Endangered and Lesser-Known Languages. Berhampur (online),
March 2023.
2022 Belew, Anna. "What I couldn't have done alone": Language documentation webinars as
training, support, and global community. Multi-platform and Connecting Communities:
Contemporary Challenges for Minority Language Media. Flensburg (online), March 2022.
2021 Belew, Anna. Variation in the realization of /t/ in Medʉmba: A change in
progress? Linguistics Association of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Annual Meeting 2021.
Sheffield (online), September 2021.
2021 Belew, Anna. Gathering together for digital language support (Keynote). ContribuLing. Paris
(online), June 2021. (link)
2021 Belew, Anna. Towards a Revitalization Helpdesk: A digital platform for knowledge-sharing &
relationship-building. 7th International Conference on Language Documentation
and Conservation. Honolulu (online), March 2021. (link)
2020 Belew, Anna. Technology, international knowledge-sharing, and collaboration to strengthen
Indigenous languages: the Endangered Languages Project and global language
revitalization. Grand Cultural Gathering of Indian Indigenous Peoples. Palghar, January 2020.
2019 Belew, Anna. The Endangered Languages Project: Supporting Indigenous languages with
information, technology, and community. The Adivasi/Tribal Languages, Culture and
Sustainable Development. Bhopal, November 2019.
2019 Belew, Anna. The Endangered Languages Project: Connecting people, knowledge, and
resources to strengthen endangered languages. International Year of Indigenous Languages 2019: Perspectives. Fort Wayne, October 2019.
2019 Belew, Anna. The Endangered Languages Project: Connecting people, knowledge, and resources to strengthen languages worldwide. HELISET TŦE SḰÁL – ‘Let the Languages Live’. Victoria, June 2019.
2019 Pappas, Leah, Olivia Bianchini, and Anna Belew. Facebook Live: A New Platform for
Language Documentation Training. 33rd Hawaii Association of Language Teachers
Conference. Honolulu, April 2019.
2019 Belew, Anna and Sammy Mbipite. Iyasa Éboó: A Youth-Driven Model for Language
Documentation and Revitalization. 6th International Conference on Language Documentation
and Conservation. Honolulu, March 2019.
2017 Belew, Anna. Investigating Multilingualism in an Endangered Language Context: the Case of Iyasa in Cameroon. 25th Symposium About Language and Society, Austin (SALSA 25). Austin,
April 2017.
2017 Belew, Anna. Discourses of Speakerhood in Iyasa. 48th Annual Conference on African
Linguistics. Bloomington, March 2017.
2017 Belew, Anna. "Who Says We're Finished?": Investigating Community Perceptions of
Language Endangerment. 5th International Conference on Language Documentation and
Conservation. Honolulu, March 2017. (link)
2016 Belew, Anna, Bryn Hauk, and Kevin Lowe. Introducing the Endangered Languages Project.
4th International Conference on Endangered and Lesser-Known Languages. Agra, February
2016. (link)
2015 Belew, Anna. Two "Pidgins," One Attitude?: Comparing Attitudes towards Cameroon Pidgin English and Hawaiʻi Pidgin English among Cameroonians in Honolulu. 8th World Congress of African Linguistics. Kyoto, August 2015.
2015 Belew, Anna. Language Endangerment in Africa: Findings from the Catalogue of
Endangered Languages (ELCat) Project. 46th Annual Conference on African
Linguistics. Eugene, March 2015. (link)
2014 Belew, Anna and Raina Heaton. The Catalogue of Endangered Languages: The History, Development, and Future of a Forthcoming Resource on Endangered Languages. Linguistic Society of America Annual Meeting. Minneapolis, January 2014.
2012 Belew, Anna. The Catalogue of Endangered Languages: Project Overview with Focus on Africa. 7th World Congress of African Linguistics. Buea, August 2012.
2009 Anghelescu, Andrei, Anna Belew, Nick Danis, Kathryn Franich, and Catherine
O'Connor. Medumba Noun Classes. Boston University UROP Symposium. Boston, October
2009.
Invited Talks, Workshops, and Colloquia
2024 "The UN’s International Decade of Indigenous Languages, Local and Global" (workshop co-
hosted with Montgomery Hill). From Local to Global: Contemporary Challenges and Innovative
Solutions, SUNY Geneseo. April 19, 2024.
2024 "Ten Years Beyond the Ancestral Code: Growing Into a Model for Sociolinguistic
Documentation". Language Variation and Change Workshop, University of Chicago. February
23, 2024.
2023 "Directions in Sociolinguistic Language Documentation". LING517, Portland State University.
February 27, 2023.
2022 Participant: Lorentz Workshop on Ethics in Linguistics. Leiden. May 7-13, 2022.
2022 "Digital Gathering Spaces for Sharing Knowledge in Language Revitalization and Activism". Dil
Hakları Temelli Dijital Aktivizm Seminerleri, Tehlike Altindaki Diller, Istanbul (remote). April 29,
2022. (link)
2021 "More than Words: Sociolinguistically-Informed Language Documentation." Gift University
Gujranwala (remote). September 25, 2021.
2021 "Discourses and Ideologies of Language Documentation." LDTC/ELP Advanced Language
Documentation Training Webinar, Facebook Live. February 5, 2021. (link)
2020 "Language Endangerment, Attitudes, and Documentation." LDTC/ELP Language
Documentation Training Webinar, Facebook Live. February 3, 2020. (link)
2019 "Celebrating Indigenous Languages: Why the World's Linguistic Diversity is Under Threat, and How It's Being Protected." Portland State University Student Organization of Applied
Linguistics colloquium. November 22, 2019.
2019 "Language Endangerment, Attitudes, and Documentation." LDTC/ELP Language
Documentation Training Webinar, Facebook Live. January 26, 2019. (link)
2018 "Workshop: Youth Training for Documentation and Conservation of Iyasa." Centre
d'Alphabetisation de la Langue Iyasa, Campo, Cameroon. August 6-24, 2018.
2018 "Sociolinguistics and Language Endangerment in Cameroon." Portland State University
Student Organization of Applied Linguistics colloquium. April 6, 2018.
2016 "Investigating the Sociolinguistic Context of Iyasa: Vitality, Attitudes, and Repertoires."
Linguistics Department Tuesday seminar, University of Hawaiʻi at Manoa. November 2016.
2016 "The Catalogue of Endangered Languages: Ushering ELCat into the Future." Linguistics
Department Tuesday seminar, University of Hawaiʻi at Manoa. April 2016.
2014 "Language Endangerment and the Catalogue of Endangered Languages." Anthropology 152, University of Hawai'i at Manoa. November 2014.
2014 "The Catalogue of Endangered Languages' Language Endangerment Index (LEI), with Comparison to Other Endangerment Assessment Tools." Linguistics 617, University of Hawai'i at Manoa. March 2014.
2013 "The Catalogue of Endangered Languages: Overview and Applications." Endangered Languages Outreach Meeting, Google, Sydney, NSW. May 2013.
2012 "The Catalogue of Endangered Languages Research Process: A Behind-the-Scenes Tour." Endangered Languages Project Strategic Planning Meeting, Googleplex, Mountain View, CA. November 2012.
Press and Media
2020 "Endangered Languages: Awakening the Canopy". Hidden Compass magazine.
2019 "The Endangered Languages Project and Revitalization Efforts in Cameroon." Linguistic
Society of America blog.
2016 "The last word: protecting our vanishing languages." Positive News magazine.
2015 "Highlights from the 4th International Conference on Language Documentation and
Conservation." Linguistic Society of America Committee on Endangered Languages and
their Preservation (CELP) blog.
Research Activity
2015-present Fieldwork: documentation, sociolinguistic description, and revitalization of Iyasa [yko],
Campo, Cameroon
2014 Fieldwork with diaspora speakers: language attitudes among speakers of Cameroonian
Pidgin English, Honolulu, Hawaii
2010, 2015 Fieldwork: topological relations and sociolinguistic variation in Medumba [byv], Bangangté
and Yaoundé, Cameroon
2008-2009 Fieldwork with diaspora speakers: grammatical description of Medumba, Boston, MA
2007-2008 Fieldwork with diaspora speaker: grammatical description of KiNande, Boston, MA
Professional Service
2022 Festival of Indigenous Languages
Organizer
2021 Building a Revitalization Helpdesk: Workshop on Digital Tools and Resources for
Language Revitalization Practitioners Worldwide
Convener, Organizer
2015-Present Sociolinguistic Events Calendar
Co-Moderator
2013-Present Linguists Outside Academia
Co-Moderator
2013-Present Endangered Languages Project
Member, Outreach Committee and Technical Committee
2014-2017 Linguistic Society of Hawai'i
President (2016-2017)
Secretary (2015-2016)
Fundraising Chair (2014-2015)
2014-2017 Language Documentation Training Center
Linguistic Mentor and Workshop Leader
2016-2017 UH Manoa Fieldwork, Linguistics, and Ethics Reading Group
Co-Convener
2014-2017 International Conference on Language Documentation and Conservation
Member, Student Steering Committee
Chair, Volunteer Sub-Committee
2008-2009 Boston University Conference on Language Development
Member, Organizing Committee
Volunteer Chair (2008), Registration Chair (2009)
Scholarships and Awards
2018 Grant: "Youth Training for Documentation and Conservation of Iyasa" ($2000)
Endangered Language Fund Language Legacies Program
2015, 2016, Pre-Dissertation Research Award ($5500, $4990, $4800)
2017 Bilinski Educational Foundation
2014, 2015 Departmental Merit Scholarship ($700)
Department of Linguistics, University of Hawai'i at Manoa
2014 Tuition Scholarship ($750)
Institute on Collaborative Language Research (CoLang), University of Texas at Arlington
2012 Travel scholarship ($1500) (NSF grant BCS 1160649) as invited participant in Workshop on Sociolinguistic Language Documentation in Sub-Saharan Africa, University of Buea
2010 Fieldwork funding ($1800), NSF grant BCS 1026724: Medumba [BYV] Linguistic Fieldwork and Collaborative Language Development (PI: M.C. O'Connor and J. Barnes)
Languages
English (L1)
French (Advanced/Daily life fluency)
German (Beginner)
Iyasa (Beginner/Fieldwork Knowledge)
Mədʉmba (Beginner/Fieldwork Knowledge)