This article warns of the seriousness of language loss and the resulting loss of cultural and intellectual heritage, and emphasizes that efforts to address this issue are critical to securing humanity’s future.
Languages are only as good as the children who learn them. As children learn about the world, communicate, and shape their identities through language, it is more than just a tool for communication; it is a bridge between cultures and histories. Therefore, if a language is only spoken by adults, its demise is more or less assured. If a language is not passed on to children, it will naturally disappear over time. This means that the knowledge, culture, and traditions contained in the language will die with it.
Linguists warn of the tragedy of human history by reasoning this way. One linguist estimates that as many as 150 North American Indian languages-about 80 percent of all extant languages-are extinct. These languages are barely maintained by the last few generations of elders, and new generations are growing up without learning them. In Alaska and northern Siberia, 40 languages, 90% of the existing languages, are at risk. These regions are facing rapid climate change and economic pressures that are making it difficult to preserve their unique languages and cultures. In Central and South America, 23%, or 160 languages, are at risk of disappearing, and in Australia, 90%, or 225 languages, are expected to disappear. These regions were once home to diverse languages and cultures, but are now rapidly being absorbed by mainstream languages.
And globally, an estimated 3,000 languages, or 50% of all existing languages, are on the verge of extinction. About 600 languages with more than 100,000 speakers are relatively safe, but the rest of the world’s languages, which make up 90 percent of the world’s languages, may disappear before the end of the 21st century. These language losses are more than just a statistical decline; they represent a significant loss of human culture. When a language dies, it takes with it a unique way of thinking, traditional knowledge, and a distinctive worldview. It’s as if part of humanity’s intellectual heritage is lost forever.
The causes of language loss on such a large scale are varied. The destruction of indigenous language speakers’ homes, ethnic extermination, and assimilation. In addition to a sharp decline in the number of speakers, the proliferation of electronic media, a so-called cultural nerve gas, is also a contributing factor. In the wake of globalization, electronic media and the internet make certain minority languages more powerful, and speakers of minority languages are increasingly forced to use mainstream languages to survive. We can, of course, stop the social and political movements that are pushing for language extinction, and to some extent prevent it by developing educational materials, literature, and television programs in indigenous languages. We can also revive endangered languages if we have the will to continue to use them as official languages, as was the case with Hebrew in the 20th century. The key to this process is the cooperation of local communities and governments, and it requires a global shift in attitudes. Only when we all recognize the value of languages and work to preserve them will we be able to overcome the threat of language extinction.
Reasonably speaking, we cannot, and perhaps should not, preserve every language, just as we cannot preserve every animal or plant species on the planet. There are moral and practical issues involved. When a language community chooses to turn to a mainstream language that guarantees economic development, what outside group can force them to maintain their indigenous language? Also, the use of disparate languages within a community can cause deep divisions among people. But even with these problems, we can’t just sit idly by when more than 50% of the world’s languages are dead. We must respect human diversity and the wisdom it holds, and work to preserve as many languages as possible. It’s not just about saving languages, it’s about saving our own future.
Why should we care about endangered languages? Linguistic diversity shows the range of humanity’s linguistic capabilities. Languages contain human history and geography, so the loss of a language is akin to the burning of an entire library of historical documents. Languages are also the foundation of a culture’s poetry, stories, and songs. Therefore, if language loss continues and only a few mainstream languages survive, it will harm humanity’s cultural diversity. This loss of languages could also affect humanity’s creativity and problem-solving abilities. Different languages reflect different ways of thinking, and this diversity plays an important role in solving complex problems. Therefore, the loss of linguistic diversity could limit the potential for human progress.
In the end, we need to recognize that preserving languages is also preserving our cultural and intellectual heritage. And we should do everything we can now to ensure that this heritage is passed on to future generations. Because language is more than just a tool for communication, it is an important asset that holds our identity and history.
