This edited volume provides an overview of issues surrounding language loss from sociological, economic, and linguistic perspectives. Four parts cover general issues in language loss; language-community responses, including native language instruction in school, community, and home; the value of language diversity and what is lost when a language dies; and mechanisms of language loss. Most specific discussions are concerned with Native American languages in both North and Latin America. Chapters include: (1) "Western Language Ideologies and Small-Language Prospects" (Nancy C. Dorian); (2) "Toward a Typology of Language Endangerment" (Lenore A. Grenoble, Lindsay J. Whaley); (3) "Technical, Emotional, and Ideological Issues in Reversing Language Shift: Examples from Southeast Alaska" (Nora Marks Dauenhauer, Richard Dauenhauer); (4) "Mayan Efforts toward Language Preservation" (Nora C. England); (5) "A Chronology of Mohawk Language Instruction at Kahnawa:ke" (Kaia'titahkhe Annette Jacobs); (6) "Language Endangerment in South America: A Programmatic Approach" (Colette Grinevald); (7) "The Significance of Diversity in Language Endangerment and Preservation" (Marianne Mithun); (8) "On Endangered Languages and the Importance of Linguistic Diversity" (Ken Hale); (9) "Living Words and Cartoon Translations: Longhouse 'Texts' and the Limitations of English" (Christopher Jocks); (10) "Documenting Rhetorical, Aesthetic, and Expressive Loss in Language Shift" (Anthony C. Woodbury); (11) "Impact of Language Variation and Accommodation Theory on Language Maintenance: An Analysis of Shaba Swahili" (Andre Kapanga); (12) "A Way to Dusty Death: The Matrix Language Turnover Hypothesis" (Carol Myers-Scotton); and (13) "Copper Island Aleut: A Case of Language 'Resurrection'" (Nikolai Vakhtin). Contains over 300 references, indexes of languages and names, and a general index. (SV)