Save the Words!
When we think of extinction, the first thing that comes to mind is of animals or plants, but what is most shocking is that people don’t realize that languages are declining faster than any living thing. Every two weeks, an elder with the last knowledge of a language passes away. (Davis) Along with the spoken words, a lifetime of tradition, history, religion, and much more is lost forever. Native dialects can disappear suddenly, but some can be lost slowly when the dominant language in the area overpowers it through the media and in daily life. About half of the 7,000 languages that are spoken worldwide are in danger of extinction. (Wilford) This is saddening to think that years of culture could be lost permanently. As a society, …show more content…
There is a need for awareness to reduce the amount of languages going extinct. People could accept native cultures easier and realize the positive outcomes of being diverse if the media would highlight the urgency of this problem. National Geographic is an example of an organization that is working to educate the public about these issues. “This world deserves to exist in a diverse way, that we can find a way to live in a truly multicultural, pluralistic world where all of the wisdom of all peoples can contribute to our collective well-being,” said National Geographic explorer, Wade …show more content…
This useful knowledge was previously unknown until scientists discovered it. Had this language been lost, we would have also lost valuable information which could have possibly had a huge impact on society. In areas similar to that of the Kallawaya, the natives are encouraged by society to speak the dominant language, which in this case would be Spanish. There is pressure to modernize and become more like others in daily life. The government continues to press the people to conform to the dominant language of the region, even though that is the main cause of language extinction. For example, in Eastern Siberia, the government will only allow the people to speak regional and national languages, which pushes out the use of their ancient minority languages.
When we think of extinction, the first thing that comes to mind is of animals or plants, but what is most shocking is that people don’t realize that languages are declining faster than any living thing. Every two weeks, an elder with the last knowledge of a language passes away. (Davis) Along with the spoken words, a lifetime of tradition, history, religion, and much more is lost forever. Native dialects can disappear suddenly, but some can be lost slowly when the dominant language in the area overpowers it through the media and in daily life. About half of the 7,000 languages that are spoken worldwide are in danger of extinction. (Wilford) This is saddening to think that years of culture could be lost permanently. As a society, …show more content…
There is a need for awareness to reduce the amount of languages going extinct. People could accept native cultures easier and realize the positive outcomes of being diverse if the media would highlight the urgency of this problem. National Geographic is an example of an organization that is working to educate the public about these issues. “This world deserves to exist in a diverse way, that we can find a way to live in a truly multicultural, pluralistic world where all of the wisdom of all peoples can contribute to our collective well-being,” said National Geographic explorer, Wade …show more content…
This useful knowledge was previously unknown until scientists discovered it. Had this language been lost, we would have also lost valuable information which could have possibly had a huge impact on society. In areas similar to that of the Kallawaya, the natives are encouraged by society to speak the dominant language, which in this case would be Spanish. There is pressure to modernize and become more like others in daily life. The government continues to press the people to conform to the dominant language of the region, even though that is the main cause of language extinction. For example, in Eastern Siberia, the government will only allow the people to speak regional and national languages, which pushes out the use of their ancient minority languages.