Indonesia has 707 languages spoken by an estimated 221 million inhabitants, of which 7,102 are spoken worldwide (Ethnologue, 2015). This means that approximately 10% of the world's languages are in Indonesia. It is a matter of pride because it shows the richness of language and cultural diversity we have. However, on the other hand, it becomes a challenge, or even a burden, for us to maintain the existence of these languages because preserving these local languages is closely related to preserving knowledge.

Mandana Seyfeddinipur (Director of the Endangered Languages Documentation Programme at SOAS University of London), in her talk at TEDx entitled "Endangered languages: why it matters," explained how globalization, climate change, urbanization, and political unrest are causing the extinction of languages at a rate equivalent to the loss of biological diversity during the mass extinction of the dinosaurs, and how this negatively impacts cultural diversity and decreases social resilience.

Collaboration is an inherent part of any linguistic research. In recent years, however, the nature of collaborations between linguists and language community members has evolved. Community members have increasingly taken a more active role in designing and implementing projects in language documentation and revitalization. More and more speakers of endangered and Indigenous languages are becoming trained in linguistics, making it easier to advocate for their communities' needs and interests. Discourses in language revitalization have shifted toward focusing on community-based work, Indigenous perspectives on language, and efforts to decolonize linguistics and language documentation.

In this event, the speakers will talk about a collaborative project documenting an endangered language in Indonesia. This project was initiated through remote collaboration during the Covid-19 pandemic with the hope of continuing remotely due to travel restrictions. While travel restrictions and the impossibility of direct fieldwork may be seen as limitations, they also provide us with an opportunity to reflect on the nature and purpose of research to envision new forms of collaboration. The focus here is on the benefits of international collaboration between foreign and local Indonesian academics/experts and how to collaborate remotely.

Based on these conditions, it is necessary to carry out the discussion in “The 2nd International Virtual Seminar on Endangered Language and Linguistics (IVSoELL)” with the theme" Collaborative Research on Endangered Language Documentation in Indonesia " virtually to get current information from linguists and invite local language researchers to present their research. The purpose of this conference is to complement the research field of local languages in the Indonesian archipelago. It is hoped that studies documenting local languages can save the knowledge that has contributed to overcoming social disparities and is a regional solution maintained and passed on to future generations. This conference will invite the special keynote speaker, namely Dr. Mandana Seyfeddinipur as director of ELDP SOAS University of London, and several experts from several countries and different backgrounds to share their collaborative research experience in Indonesia and others to document a language.

This activity is in a virtual form which is the 1st conference in 2021, namely, "The 2nd International Virtual Seminar on Endangered Language and Linguistics (IVSoELL)” with the theme "Collaborative Research on Endangered Language Documentation in Indonesia."

Keynote Speakers

• Dr. Mandana Seyfeddinipur (INGGRIS: Endangered Language Documentation Programme)

Primary Speakers

• Nicholas Jay Williams, Ph.D. (GERMANY: University of Potsdam)
• Bradley McDonell, Ph.D. (USA: University of Hawai'i at Mānoa)
• Dr. Tasnim Lubis, M.Hum. (INDONESIA: Universitas Sumatera Utara)
• Dr. Norazuna bt Ibrahim. (MALAYSIA: University Malaysia Sarawak)
• Dr. Martin Kohlberger (CANADA: University of Saskatchewan)

Honorary Board

• Dr. Muryanto Amin, M.Si. (Rector, University of Sumatera Utara)
• Dr. Poppy Anjelisa Zaitun Hasibuan, M.Si., Apt. (University of Sumatera Utara)
• Dr. T. Thyrhaya Zein, M.A. (Dean of Faculty of Cultural Sciences, University of Sumatera Utara)

International Board

• Dr. Mandana Seyfeddinipur (INGGRIS: Endangered Language Documentation Programme)
• Nicholas Jay Williams, Ph.D. (GERMANY: University of Potsdam)
• Bradley McDonell, Ph.D. (USA: University of Hawai'i at Mānoa)
• Dr. Tasnim Lubis, M.Hum. (INDONESIA: Universitas Sumatera Utara)
• Dr. Norazuna bt Ibrahim. (MALAYSIA: University Malaysia Sarawak)
• Dr. Martin Kohlberger (CANADA: University of Saskatchewan)