Documenting Endangered Languages: Ensuring Traditions are Not Erased- Sadaf Munshi

On this episode of Life Beats with Sirisha, we talk to Professor Sadaf Munshi, a linguistics professor at the University of North Texas. We discuss how endangered languages and culture are at risk of disappearing at an alarming rate, with estimates suggesting we could lose 25-50% of languages in the next two to three decades. Prof. Munshi shares her experiences documenting and training others to work with these endangered languages, including her work with the Busheski language and Mankiali, an undocumented language. We explore the importance of language documentation and the impact of losing oral traditions. The podcast also delves into Sadaf's interests in the poetic and musical traditions of South and Central Asia and her work with artists and filmmakers, resulting in a collaboration album called "Voices and Bridges." Throughout, we raise questions and concerns about access to endangered languages and how to preserve them, while acknowledging the importance of linguistic and cultural diversity.

Sadaf Munshi is a Kashmiri playwright who is known for her work in preserving the Kashmiri language. She became interested in linguistics when she was tasked with transliterating scripts between Devanagri and Persian Arabic. Sadaf took advantage of her knowledge of both scripts to navigate between them, which led her to become interested in linguistics. She heard about a new diploma program on linguistics at the University of Kashmir and decided to attend. Before this, she had started writing plays for Doordarshan, a popular television network. Today, Sadaf is known for her linguistic work and her contribution to preserving  Kashmiri  and other South & Central Asian languages like Busheski and Mankiali .

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I'm a former tech executive, a podcast host and an entrepreneur. I work with Universities on Organizations to transition students to the corporate world and building successful leadership pipelines ensuring a healthy financial future.

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