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to service a limited number of areas of human activity (such as agriculture,
arts, and household practices), young community members will be reluctant to
study it themselves and to teach it to their children. And the Yakut language’s
relevance may then rapidly dwindle as a result.
This is why it is so important for the Republic of Sakha’s indigenous peoples –
the Yakut, the Evenki, the Even, and the Yukaghir – to have their languages
represented in cyberspace and to expand their use in areas like science and
technology, as well as in the activity of various public institutions.
Role of ICT
In the modern-day world, accessibility of information and communications
technology is the key to language use expansion.
Being accessible to Yakutia’s urban population (at least in comparison with
neighboring regions), ICT remains out of reach for most of the republic’s
rural communities, who constitute the main source of traditional culture and
language knowledge.
It is highly unlikely, though, that the local Internet and mobile phone providers
will lower the prices of their services any time soon, nor that they will invest
in the purchase of new hardware. In Yakutia’s still narrow ICT market, such
a behavior would defy the sheer logic of economics. So alternative solutions
have to be found. One way of going about this problem would be to foster
competition (for instance, by providing preferential treatment for innovative
wireless communications technology) or to adopt regional government
programmes aimed at reducing the digital gap.
Providing users with quality information. Users (especially young ones) should
be provided with a terminology base (in ICT and related areas) and relevant
software, along with informative and entertaining content in their native
language. A child/parent/teacher searching for some fairy tale or flash movie in
the language should have a choice of several sites offering the required content.
There is also a need for various computer-based teaching aids and training/
simulation tools, as well as for publicly accessible databases on various subject
areas, such as law.
In addition, indigenous inhabitants should be provided with opportunities for
online communication in their native language with fellow counterparts. It
seems like a good idea to create forums for specific expert communities, such as
finance specialists, accountants, etc. And then again, there should be an excess
supply of appropriate content and communication tools.
Terminology. There is a need for the republic’s Cabinet and parliament to adopt
regulatory acts that would sustain the homogeneity of the Yakut terminology base.
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