Language revitalization or dying gasp? Language preservation efforts among the Bisu of Northern Thailand

Bisu, as spoken in Northern Thailand, boasts fewer than one thousand speakers. The low number of speakers plus constant pressure from the outside world definitely qualifies Bisu as an endangered language. The Bisu themselves recognize this fact and their leadership has requested outside help in preserving their language and culture. This article endeavors to describe the sociolinguistic situation in which the Bisu of Northern Thailand find themselves, chronicle efforts to preserve this endangered language through community involvement in the development of an orthography and basic reading materials, and assess the current progress of the project. Additional challenges that may be encountered in the course of preserving the Bisu language for future generations will also be discussed.