Did you know every two weeks a language disappears, taking with it an entire cultural and intellectual conversation? Only a few hundred languages have genuinely been given a place in the education systems, including the public domains. Linguistic diversity is represented the variety of languages spoken worldwide, yet linguistic diversity is facing many threats as more languages are vanishing. Speaking is an everyday activity and to some, an accomplishment. We cannot capture all the thousands of languages that live amongst us and countries away from us, yet it is important to note that there are many and many languages that are unrecognized and unfortunately vanish and are forgotten. Multi-linguisim and multicultural societies are driven at the core of their languages which serves as a channel for traditional knowledge and cultural heritage.
So, what does this mean exactly and why should this be a concern for people like us who already have a well-known language? Well, languages carry unique cultural knowledge, traditions, and histories. When a language dies, the associated cultural practices, stories, and identities often fade away, leading to a loss of diversity in human experience. Today, it is important to raise awareness that languages play a vital role in development and identity and all languages should be protected and recognized.
Extinct languages such as Gallic, Burgundian, Slovincian, Eyak, and Sumerian are just the start of this unfortunate tragedy. We don’t need to travel to remote continents to find strongly endangered languages. There is “potentially endangered” where the language is not an official language but is still spoken by the younger generation and “critically endangered” meaning the older generation doesn’t even speak the language. A language gets to the point where it loses all of its speakers. Not only will bringing awareness help us comprehend the culture and tradition among that spoken dialect but will guide us to understand the human history of that dialect and appreciate the richness of human communication.
We cannot learn every single language in this world, but we can learn to appreciate and recognize that each language is as valuable as the other. What better month to start practicing this than February. In the month that is meant for love and gratefulness, we need to practice on how to preserve endangered languages. International Mother Language Day, which is celebrated on the 21st of February, is a day to promote linguistic and cultural diversity, and to protect all languages. On this day, you may help promote awareness by trying out some of the following ideas:
● Greet someone by saying “hello” to them using another language
● Encourage others to share their experiences with their mother tongue
● Read books or watch films in different languages
● Use social media (post a story)to raise awareness
● Listen to a radio station that promotes diversity
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