This paper introduces eight international endangered-language protection projects being carried out in Europe and America, and explains their objectives, progress and achievements. It is shown that these projects share three common characteristics: goal orientation, scientifi c methods, and a lack of standardization. Among them, goal orientation plays an important role in the management and operation of the international endangered-language protection projects. This strategy serves to clarify the missions of the projects, and eventually makes the implementation more transparent and well-targeted. Scientific methods refer to the documentation, preservation,maintenance and revitalization of endangered languages in scientific ways. However, the lack of standardization results in the inconsistency of language materials and formats in some projects. This paper makes four suggestions for the Project for the Protection of Language Resources of China, including the establishment of language resource website, assessment of the ethnolinguistic vitality of minority languages and dialects in China, activation of collective wisdom, and emphasis on standardization planning.